Sarara Treehouses
Sarara Treehouses is an exclusive lodge built into the forested foothills at the southern end of the Mathews Range in Northern Kenya.
Sarara Treehouses is one of those unique properties that is difficult to compare with others. Sister camp to the original Sarara Camp, Treehouses was built to offer an even more immersive Mathews Range forest experience. The tented accommodation is very comfortable, and the food and service as good as we have come to expect from Sarara, but it is setting of the camp that is really special. Built on high platforms and nestled into the lower forest slopes, the camp certainly provides a treehouse style experience, with birds flitting around at eye level and wildlife able to move freely below. Whilst it is possible to keep busy with game drives (by day and at night), guided walks and cultural excursions, this is also a camp where you can sit on your deck, read a book, bird watch and immerse yourself in the sounds of the forest.
Rooms
The camp sits in the tree canopy with raised wooden walkways leading to the accommodation, which cater for up to 16 guests in eight canvas tents. Two of the tents are close together and while not interconnected, a wooden walkway links them, making them suitable for older families. Each tent has a private verandah with comfortable seating, en suite facilities (toilet, vanity and an open air shower), double/twin bed, a writing desk and chair.
Central Areas
Centrally located is the thatched lounge and dining area and the swimming pool which overlooks a waterhole. Massage treatments are also possible (at extra cost). Wi-Fi is available in the main areas only (note that service is intermittent).
Facilities
Wi-Fi – Yes
Power for Charging – Yes
Swimming Pool – Yes
Habitat & Wildlife
Sarara is located within the Namunyak Wildlife Conservation Trust, an area of approximately 850,000 acres, which lies folded around the south-east corner of the fabled Matthews Mountain range. The conservancy is home to the proud Samburu tribes people, a group of semi-nomadic pastoralists who have long shown tolerance for the wildlife that co-exists alongside their cattle. The Trust was set up in 1995 specifically to promote wildlife conservation and to assist the local community to benefit from tourism, in return for protecting the wildlife species living on their land.
The conservation work carried out by the Namunyak Trust to date has been hugely successful. Several thousand elephant are recorded currently living and breeding peacefully in the southern Mathews area, together with a variety of other wildlife species such as buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah, African wild dog, greater and lesser kudu, gerenuk, reticulated giraffe, impala and dik dik.
A key feature of the location of Sarara is the access it offers to two very contrasting habitats. Above camp, the slopes of the Mathews Range offer a montane forest environment which can only be explored on foot. Below camp the arid plains and scrub bush of Samburuland stretch away and offer a more traditional northern Kenya wilderness experience that can be explored on foot or by vehicle. Most game is seen on the plains, though there is plenty of movement of game into the hills too. The birdlife around Sarara is spectacular, including in and around camp.
Located in the heart of the northern frontier, approximately 200 kms. north of Isiolo, the Mathews is a lush, forested mountain range that stands in stark contrast to the surrounding desert habitat. Enclosed within the eastern boundary of the Namunyak Conservancy, this vitally important and fragile environment has been protected from human encroachment and development. Rivers and springs rising in the Mathews provide a vital source of water for both wildlife and the local Samburu people during the dry season. Elephant, buffalo, leopard and other animals can be found in the thick forest. Before the creation of the Namunyak Conservancy in 1995 elephants were rare, but they have now returned in their thousands, secure in the knowledge that they will be protected in the Conservancy and that they can find water all year. The birding is amongst some of the best in Kenya. The vegetation is interesting with a range of cycads (many of which are endemic to the region) and giant cedars found throughout the mountains.
Activities
Game drives are offered at Sarara, but usually involve relaxed afternoon drives followed by sunset drinks and more productive night drives – the leopard viewing at night can be very good! Longer morning drives are possible, but there are other activities which may be more worthwhile.
Sarara is a great place for walking, with walks of all durations possible in the Matthews Range, Most walks are accompanied by Samburu guides who will teach you about the land and the wildlife.
Sarara is also one of the best places to go to witness genuine culture. One of the highlights of the Namunyak area must be a visit to the famous ‘Singing Wells’. The local Samburu bring their cattle to these watering holes on a daily basis during the dry season (usually July to October and January to March, but please note that unseasonal rain can mean the wells are not used regularly). Some of the wells are up to 10 metres deep. The warriors strip off, descend to form a human chain and chant traditional Samburu songs as they pass water up by hand for the cattle. This mind-blowing ritual goes on for several hours a day. The local community have agreed to allow Sarara’s guests to witness this amazing ritual, but please note that photography is not allowed. There are also Samburu villages which may be visited, and it is common to see Samburu herdsman and children moving their goats and cattle through the conservancy.
Horse-riding trails are also possible on bush ponies travelling up into the hills or across the plains.
For longer stays, fly-camping in a dry riverbed under the stars can be a magical, if slightly more adventurous experience. Or perhaps you could take a day trip to Mount Ololokwe, sacred to the Samburu, for incredible views of the region. Mount Ololokwe can be reached by vehicle or by helicopter (at an extra cost).
It is also possible to visit the very remote Reteti Elephant Sanctuary which has been set up to help manage and protect the elephant populations for the wider region.
Seasons
Sarara Treehouses is open from mid-December until mid-October. The singing wells will tend to be most active during drier periods, and whilst this cannot be guaranteed, July to early October is usually best.
Children are accepted from the age of 8 years, although the lodge and destination is more suited to families travelling with older children, that would enjoy engaging with the landscape and culture and soaking up the amazing forest setting. The lack of interconnecting family accommodation also means the property is suited to families who don’t need to all be under one roof. For older teenagers or adult families who would enjoy the walking and Samburu interaction, Sarara Treehouses would make for a great adventure.
The Mathews Range is home to the indigenous Samburu tribes people, a group of semi-nomadic pastoralists who have long shown tolerance for the wildlife that co-exists alongside their cattle. The Namunyak Wildlife Conservation Trust was set up in 1995 specifically to promote wildlife conservation and to assist the local community to benefit from tourism, in return for protecting the wildlife species living on their land. Following the ivory poaching crisis of the mid 1970s and early 1980s, elephant numbers were decimated in the Mathews Range, leading to complete loss of biodiversity and loss of productive land for the Samburu. The conservation work carried out by the Namunyak Conservancy (now under the title of the Sarara Foundation) to date has been hugely successful. Today Namunyak is home to several thousand elephant, together with a variety of other wildlife species such as reticulated giraffe, Grevy zebra, hyena, lesser kudu, wild dog, lion and leopard. The area is also home to Africa’s first community-owned elephant sanctuary, the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary. All three of Sarara’s properties are wholly owned by the community. The Sarara Foundation also offers support with health, education and enterprise development. The Foundation’s Nomadic Healthcare Programme delivers paediatric and maternal health care to remote communities in the area; while the Nomadic Education Programme has involved the opening of the first nomadic Montessori schools that are specifically designed to cater to the lifestyle of the Samburu. Through building self-sustainability and economic empowerment the Samburu can safeguard their cultural heritage, their land and the biodiversity which they share it with.
Sarara’s camps are off the grid, providing 24-hour solar powered electricity, and all water in camp is from the mountain spring. Sarara has eliminated all single-use plastic from their camps. Fresh produce comes from small scale farmers in Kenya, supporting the local economy, and honey is sourced from the Samburu honey gatherers who live in the Matthews Range.
