Ekorian's Mugie Camp: Our full report

Ekorian's Mugie Camp is a small, family-owned tented camp in the Mugie Conservancy in northwestern Laikipia.

It was set up by Kenyans Josh and Donna Perrett in 2012. Ekorian is the Turkana word for the olive wood from which much of it is constructed and, as the only camp in the area, it has a remote, bush feel, which makes for a welcome, low-key refuge.

Arriving at camp you enter through a gate and you'll be welcomed and briefed by the manager in the relative cool of the comfy mess/lounge tent, with its sofas and armchairs.

This central area includes a small crafts shop and a WiFi tent which also has plenty of sockets for charging your batteries. You can also charge them in your tent, but they may take longer to charge.

The six, reasonably well-spaced guest tents are arranged in a line across the back of the camp, facing northwest, with vegetation screening them from each other for privacy. Each tent is mounted on a substantial platform, with steps at the front, and each one has a generous deck area – an inviting space to relax and welcome the day, or rest during the middle of it – with a large bedroom and living area immediately inside the tent. At the back, there's a spacious and light bathroom area, with twin basins, a loo on one side and a plumbed-in shower on the other. The bathrooms are unusual in having an overhead "window" allowing daylight to illuminate what is often a dark area in most safari camp tents. The flooring is made of attractively polished boards, softened with mats, rugs and sheepskin throws.

Tent #1, closest to the mess tent, is one of two family units (the other being #6, furthest away), which each have an additional twin bedroom tent attached to one side. These are ideal for families with two or three young children (an extra bed can also be added), but might not be ideal for adult families as they only have one bathroom and privacy is lacking.

One less positive feature of the guest tent set-up is the fact that the back of the each tent around the bathroom is walled-in with rustic wooden planking, which while being attractive is not mosquito-proof. It's to be hoped they will enclose the rear of the bedroom area with mosquito proofing at some point, without which the afternoon insect-spraying during the turndown service is ineffectual. It's worth noting that during Expert Africa's stay in a very dry period in early 2023 we didn't encounter many mosquitos here, but that may not be the case throughout the year.

On the other side of the lawn from the guest tents, tucked against the camp's perimeter stone wall, is a small, neat swimming pool, set in a wooden deck, with shade and loungers. It's barely big enough to swim three strokes (around 5m x 2.5m) but on a hot afternoon it's a welcome respite, and children will love it. Other distractions include volleyball, archery and trampolining. Children will need strict supervision at the pool and when trying some target practice, but the trampoline has a safety net surround. A nearby elephant skeleton, mounted under a tree, is a reminder of the area's conservation needs and the precariousness of life in northern Kenya.

The main activities at Ekorian's are morning and afternoon game drives on the plains and around the dams of Mugie Conservancy. We saw good numbers of elephants and other plains wildlife and came across a large, lethargic lion pride which we watched up-close as the sun went down and the cubs woke up.

At no extra charge, you can also do camel rides. The camels are based a Bobong Farm, the Perrett's family property, along the road to Rumuruti, and a typical try-out ride starts from the picnic/kayak site by the dam south of the camp, and wends back to camp, with the camels roped together, led by a herder and followed, at a good distance, by a game-drive vehicle in case you change your mind halfway. Camel rides typically take place after a dam-side picnic breakfast at the end of your morning game drive. The ride requires no skill and is not too uncomfortable, and gives you an enjoyable 3-metre-altitude vantage point.

If you want to kayak on the dam, you'll be accompanied by a guide and you may get quite close to wildlife drinking at the water's edge. The guide will ensure hippos are well clear as you paddle.

Other activities at no extra charge include morning birding walks around the camp, fishing in the dam for tilapia and catfish (you can have your catch cooked if you want), night drives with a spotlight, ranch activities (livestock dipping on Saturdays), visits to Mugie Conservancy's anti-poaching bloodhound team, and visits to the weekly Pokot-Samburu market at the roadside community of Posta.

Two activities available at extra cost are: a visit to a Samburu or Pokot village compound, where you'll have a chance to enter a traditional house and observe some of the way of life of these pastoral communities; and (in an entirely different cultural sphere) a round of golf at Mugie's nine-hole course in the north of the conservancy (Kenya's northernmost golf course). Clubs and a caddie are included.

Our view

We loved the personal vibe here, and the fact that the camp is family-owned and many of the staff have been here for years. Very good guiding, from a team who naturally know their conservancy very well, combined with excellent, warm hospitality, make it a good choice for people who like authentic, down-to-earth safaris. It's also a great camp for adventurous families, with plenty of activities.

Richard Trillo

Country manager: Kenya

Geographics

Location: Laikipia, Kenya
Ideal length of stay: 3-4 nights
Directions: The nearest scheduled airstrip is Loisaba, roughly a 45-minute drive from camp, depending on any interesting wildlife en route. If you're arriving by private charter flight, the nearest airstrip is Mugie, around 30 minutes from camp.
Accessible by: Fly-and-Transfer

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Full Board & Activities
Food quality: The quality of the food at Ekorian's is generally very good and we enjoyed our meals here, with three courses served at lunch and dinner.
Dining style: Individual Tables
Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining
Further dining info, including room service: Meals are generally eaten in the lounge-dining tent, but you can also eat on the pool deck, by the fire pit, or on your own guest tent deck. Most guests have a bush breakfast by the dam on their first morning, and a campfire-style meal set up by the firepit on their last evening.
Drinks included: All house drinks are included. Any special requests need to be ordered in advance.

Special interests

Family holidays: Choose Ekorian's Mugie Camp for an adventurous family safari in a remote area, with plenty of activities. The tents are large, the camp has plenty of room for children to let off steam in a safe environment, and there's a range of distractions from kayaking to camel riding as well as more traditional safari pursuits of game drives and bird walks.; See ideas for Family holidays

Children

Attitude towards children: Ekorian's is family- and child-friendly, with safe, fenced grounds for letting of steam and a flexible attitude to meals.
Property’s age restrictions: None
Equipment: The camp has a baby cot and a high chair
Generally recommended for children: Yes
Notes: Babysitting can easily be arranged with a member of staff, while parents have dinner.

Communications

Power supply notes: Most of the camp's power is provided by solar panels. Kuni boilers (wood boilers) provide hot water. The backup generator is turned on very occasionally. Batteries are best-charged in the WiFi/Charging tent in the central area of the camp. An extension cable is available to extend to guest tents, on occasions when guests need to use a CPAP machine.
Communications: There is limited WiFi, mostly in the "WiFi/Charging Tent".
TV & radio: The staff canteen has a TV, which guests are welocme to watch for major sporting fixtures.
Water supply: Borehole
Water supply notes: Shower and laundry water comes from their well, but drinking water is provided by rain collection, which is then boiled and filtered and offered in jugs and bottles in each tent.

Health & safety

Malarial protection recommended: Yes
Medical care: There are several trained first aiders and there's a clinic at the Mugie Conservancy headquarters. In an emergency, a helicopter can land in camp.
Dangerous animals: Moderate Risk
Security measures: The camp is fenced and walled and an askari patrols it at night.
Fire safety: There is a fire extinguisher at the front of each tent

Extras

Disabled access: On Request
Laundry facilities: Laundry is included in the rates, and is hand-washed, sun-dried and ironed. Underwear isn't accepted, but soap powder is provided in the guest tents.
Money: There are lock-up safes in the tents, however they are not secured to anything, and they are not very heavy.
Accepted payment on location: Visa, MasterCard and Amex are accepted, as is cash in major international currencies.