Conservation of land and wildlife, partnership with the local communities to ensure they benefit from it, safari tourism as a tool for protecting the web of life in Kenya and in Africa, changing the life of our guests making them actors of change, not only witnesses.
These are the ideas that have brought together Saruni Basecamp. Originally two separate companies founded in 1998 (Basecamp) and 2003 (Saruni), we merged in 2021 with Basecamp Explorer’s acquisition of Saruni. Since our early days, we have been pioneers and catalysts of Kenya’s emerging tourism industry focused on community and conservation. In fact, we are proud of being part of a national transformation: Kenya is the country where the commercial safari was born more than a century ago and now is considered the one of most advanced frontiers of innovation for the African tourism industry.
Saruni Basecamp owns and operates 12 camps and lodges across Kenya, in the Masai Mara and Samburu regions. With a head office in Nairobi, and more than 300 staff employees (a majority of them from the communities we work with), we are important partners of four conservancies (wildlife reserves owned by the Masai and the Samburu people) and play a pivotal role in Kenya’s government conservation efforts.
The company is chaired by Svein Wilhelmsen, a Norwegian conservationist with decades of Africa experience.
Saruni Basecamp is backed by committed international shareholders who have strong ethos and believe in “impact investments”. Their long-term vision provides us with the opportunity to combine commercial success with a strong sense of purpose that goes beyond it. This is why we also operate an important foundation.
To our visitors, we offer memorable, life-changing experiences in the most beautiful areas of Kenya, often off the beaten track but right in the middle of wildlife action, respecting the Masai and Samburu culture and in harmony with the biodiversity of their land.
