Glamping!

Glamping or glamorous camping is probably the best way to describe where we were for a majority of this vacation.

Gate 1 Travel did a great job of mixing up hotels, starting with the Radisson Blu Nairobi Upper Hill and more rustic locations in the national reserves with a hotel and lodge in the middle.

After a short game drive upon entering the Samburu National Reserve (the drive to get to our camp) we arrived at Samburu Intrepids Luxury Tent Camp.

They are located right along the Ewaso Ngiro River and surrounded by fencing, and local Samburu tribesman ensured the animals from the game reserve stayed out of the camp.

These wooded camps remind me a lot of Boy Scout camp with some paved stone trails leading to tent sites, and a central dining area, pool, activities center, and gift shop.

That’s about where the comparison ends; the tents were located on large wooden platforms that overlooked the river and were covered by thatched roofs.

Inside were two single four-poster beds draped with mosquito netting (we’ll talk about the single beds later), a small wooden desk, armoire, flush toilet, vanity with a full mirror and double sinks as well as a full shower.

While we had electricity, the generators were turned off from 3 PM to 6 PM (while we were out on afternoon game drives) and then again from Midnight to 5 AM. Unfortunately, this turned off the ceiling fan and anything you had charging.

Hot water was solar-powered, so we had hot water pretty much on demand, which wasn’t the case in another location later in the week.

WIFI was located in the main lodge/lobby area near the bar and dining room and obviously went out when the generator was off.

We were instructed on how to zip the tents by hooking them with a carabiner and covering the flap with a doormat and table from the patio.

The monkeys were very playful and curious and tried to unzip the tent when you are gone and occasionally when you were inside. They waited for us on the porch in the morning and followed us up to the main reception area as well.

We arrived just in time for lunch; an outdoor kitchen served buffet lunches and breakfasts before our morning And afternoon game drives.

There was always a pasta station with several options, fresh fruit, an assortment of bread and multiple entrees with options like carved lamb, pan-seared red snapper, chicken and lots of vegetables and Indian meatless options.

In the morning we always had omelets made to order, sausage and bacon ( the English variety, and never crisp), potatoes, baked beans, roasted tomatoes, fruit, fresh juices, lots of pastry and Kenyan coffee or tea.

With a two night stay and early morning game drives, we returned in time for lunch, a quick nap or time to check out the gift shop, local Samburu huts or sculls found around the property before heading out for an afternoon drive around 3 PM or so.

We returned about 6:30 PM in time to wash up, headed to a short presentation by a local naturalist at 7 PM and dinner from about 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM before heading off to bed to do it all over again. So we didn’t get to take much advantage of the pool or explore the resort.

Dinner was always a plated affair with a choice of one glass of beer or wine, so Tusker Lager quickly became the drink of choice. 

They served many courses with reasonably small portions, which is fine with me as I like to explore as much as I can. Every night had a salad, choice of two soups, an appetizer, sorbet, and choice of three entrees which always included a vegetarian item and then wrapping up with dessert or a cheese course.

We enjoyed everything from Vegetable Tempura to Samosa, Consommé, Creamed Soups, Roasted Chicken, Sliced Tenderloin of Beef, and LOTS of Lamb options. Desserts were a little underwhelming as they tend not to be very sweet, and by the time we got to the end of dinner, we were all pretty checked out.

The beds were very comfortable; it was just the right mix of rustic and comfort. We crashed most nights, and after really bumpy roads a soft bed was awesome.

The staff could not have been more courteous or more friendly, they put up with my bad Swahili and were there with coffee or tea wakeup calls at insane hours.