Cheli & Peacock’s Family Friendly Kenya Escape

July 17, 2018 - 3 minutes read

Cheli & Peacock includes family friendly El Karama Lodge in its portfolio of incredible places to stay while on safari in Kenya.

Located in the heart of wildlife-rich Laikipia region of north-central Kenya, the lodge provides a pure, personal and authentic East African safari experience, mixing comfortable accommodation and farm-to-fork cuisine with an avid passion for conservation and eco-tourism.

Designed, built and operated by owners Murray and Sophie Grant, the award-winning eco-lodge sits on 14,000 acres of private wilderness on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River.

The surrounding area is frequented by an exceptional diversity and concentration of creatures — 430 bird species as well as the “Northern Five” of Kenya wildlife (Besia oryx, Somali ostrich, Grevy’s zebra, Gerenuk antelope & Vulturine guinea fowl) and four of the regular Big Five.

Fourth generation Kenyans, Murray (a renowned wildlife sculptor & conservationist) and Sophie (a sustainability specialist) designed El Karama as a “home away from home” that allows families and groups to come together and experience the Kenyan wilderness at its best.

Their passion for family, sustainability, community support, and local or home-grown edibles (including produce from their own “shamba” vegetable garden) features throughout El Karama.

In addition to super-fresh meals, guests can linger in the lodge’s eco swimming pool, visit a bush school where projects made by kids on safaris are on display, or learn about El Karama’s history during a guided game drive or bush walk.

Head guide Joseph Kaluu was born and raised at the lodge and has unsurpassed knowledge of the area’s flora and fauna.

Activities at the lodge include:

Guided day & night game drives
Guided bush walks (up to 5 hours)
Fly camping in suspended tree tents
Birding
Rock-hide wildlife viewing
Rock-hide sleep out under the stars
Camera trapping
Bush breakfasts & dinners
Ranch, dairy & shamba visits
Behind the scenes lodge eco-tour
Volleyball, fitness & jogging at ranch track
River swimming
Baking lessons in the interactive kitchen
Camel trekking
Rhino experience on Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Cultural community visits; traditional villages & local supported school

Families are very much welcome. With two young children of their own, the Grants have first-hand experience in ensuring that kids enjoy the Kenyan bush to the fullest while being supervised by experienced and qualified staff — while their parents enjoy game viewing or a romantic meal a deux.

Among the children’s activities are El Karama are making plaster casts of animal tracks, “poo” safaris, termite hill clay sculpting, fishing and cooking lessons.

Accommodation is in six highly individualized cottages — built by local craftsmen from local materials — and all solar powered.

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