Rekero Camp in Kenya have had a fantastic start to the season. The new camp managers Conway and Clea have been superb hosts, along with the excellent team of guides and spotters.

Alongside is a shot of the Rekero Camp team - dont miss out on the fantastic offer we are running for Rekero / Naboisho Camp combined. Stay 5 nights and Pay for 4.

For more information please click on the specials box bottom right of your screen or drop us an email on marketing@asiliaafrica.com

Asilia are extremely proud to share the news that Rekero Camp has won the category of 'Best Safari Guiding Team in Africa Award' for 2011.

The announcement was made on Saturday 7th May at the Indaba awards dinner in Durban.

'Kenya, showed they lead Africa in integrating communities into safari tourism with Rekero winning the Best Safari Guiding Team in Africa Award' - Henry and Rosanne: The Good Safari Guide.

Rekero Camp got the Silver Eco Rating from ECO Tourism Kenya in March 2011 as the first in the Mara Gamereserve.

“… As you may recall, Rekero Camp had adhered to all requirements and therefore qualified for Silver Eco-Rating…. Further to this, the Ecotourism Kenya board has offered Rekero Camp Ltd. One year`s membership, starting January 2011 to December 2011 with full benefits as a member of EK. … We are aware that Rekero Camp is one of the pioneer camps in the Masaai Mara and also of your relentless efforts to protect Mara`s exceptional resource values while ensuring that the community benefits equitably from tourism.”

Video courtesy of Rekero guests Dennis and Sue Huckerby - March 2011

We have had plenty of action around the camp with the usual suspects. The hippos have been particularly vocal seeing in the New Year and the resident buffalos keep patrol on our northern boundary. Nice to know that nothing changes as the years move on!

On the predator side it is a more hectic start to the year ever. We have three lionesses with 8 three to four month old cubs between them and on top of that yet another, this time lone, female with four 3 month old cubs. Notch and the boys are regularly around and keeping us awake at night with their calls. The two resident big male lions continue to stalk Topi Plains and there is a single female very heavily pregnant nearby – we are not yet sure if the two are related.

On the leopard front, the famous Olive who has 3 month old cubs (2 boys of about 18 months) has been seen a fair amount not far away. Lorian also has two 6 month old cubs which have been seen at Ol Kejarongai.

The 3 cheetah boys have been seen outside of camp but most exciting is that Shingu (female cheetah) with 6 five months old cubs has been seen a lot down towards Fig Tree (20 min. away).

As you can imagine there has been a lot of hunting to feed these many new mouths but plenty of plains game to sustain them all. Impala, Tommy’s, Zebra, Topi and a few Wildebeest are bearing the brunt of the slaughter.

As always bird life along the river keeps life gentle and calm…. Looking forward to an exciting few weeks as these cubs all hit their stride at the same time.

The month of November is always a transitional time for us. As the migration begins to fade away we are able to enjoy the wilderness in a different way. It is also a time for us to recover, to take our exams and to take a well deserved break.

Just over our horizon, just a few kilometres away, our sister camps of Sayari and Olakira have been watching the wildebeest flood past them and that torrent has left us with a few stragglers who can’t quite decide which way to go. Judging by the renewed appetite of the crocodiles they would do well to stay here with us. On the other hand it is of course not just us living at this peaceful spot which is perhaps the reason why these wanderers appear in two minds. We have recently been joined by lion cubs and I am told by the guides that another pride is expected to expand in the next few days. With a load of new hungry mouths to feed these last few wildebeest will find their options for survival are soon to be somewhat reduced.

However we have had little time to worry about the plight of our indecisive wildebeest for we woke this morning to find that we had been joined in camp by around 400 buffalos which will make life interesting for the next few days. In my experience it is always a good sign when we start a season with a challenge!

Jackson Ole Looseyia is currently visiting London. He did a talk on conservation at the Royal Geographic Society. Furthermore he visited 3 schools where he talked to around 800 kids about being a Masai. The reactions and feedback from the children was great and they loved listening to Jackson.

Also see the article in Salisbury Journal (UK) "Masai warrior visits Salisbury school" under:

http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/salisbury/salisburynews/8720473.Masai_warrior_visits_Salisbury_school/

Back in 2009 a cheetah called Shingu gave birth to cubs just up river. Fate was not kind to this young mum and one by one she lost all her babies. In the months between then and now she had pretty much disappeared from our radar but the savage cruelty of her situation was not forgotten. Then just over two months ago, again right near camp, she became a mother for a second time with no less than six cubs and despite countless threats they continue to thrive.  Experience has taught Shingu well and she has fought off many attackers including the son of Notch (lion) who has been taught a humiliating lesson by our newest mother.

As many of you know there has been a birth of another kind here in camp.  Rekero is starting a new adventure and is continuing its 25 year tradition of steady evolution by partnering with Asilia Africa (www.asiliaafrica.com).  The venture will consist of the current camp here on the banks of the Talek River and by mid next year a new camp to compliment our offering. The new camp, Naboisho Camp, will be in the Naboisho Conservancy and will share all our joint values, expertise and energy. Importantly it will give us access to a wonderful region on the eastern flank of this great wilderness and will mean that we can continue to remain a leader not just in what we offer to our visitors but importantly in what we give back to the region in conservation.

So not unlike Shingu we have in some ways opened a new era. Wilderness operations, particularly new ones, are full of challenges but they also come with huge excitement and optimism. We hope very much that you will be able to join us for the ride.