Elephant Pepper Camp

Using original Italian recipes passed down the generations from the Cheli family repertoire, Elephant Pepper Camp’s cuisine includes a mouth-watering combination of homemade pastas and traditional Italian dishes like Melanzane, Parmigiana and Osso Bucco, with fresh organic salads. One of the joys of being on safari is to eat together and share the day’s adventures with fellow guests. Communal dining is normal practice at Elephant Pepper Camp though private dinners can also be arranged on request.

The great migration of thousands of zebra and wildebeest coming north from the arid Serengeti plains looking for fresh grazing mill around the whole of the fertile Mara ecosystem for as long as the grazing lasts, usually about 4 to 5 months. The Mara River crossings happen during the middle of the day, when the animals are thirsty, come to the river to drink and are pushed across by the crowds of animals behind them. We recommend staying out for the whole day with a picnic lunch; the Elephant Pepper Camp drivers know all the crossings, including the smaller private areas where you can enjoy a few hours by the river away from the crowds.

Take the time to leave the car behind and enjoy the small things – animal tracks, flowers and micro-ecosystems. We have experienced walking guides, together with Masai from the local area, who can take you on a delightful ramble from the camp – a whole new perspective of the ecosystem around you. Elephant Pepper Camp is also perfect for young explorers! Our experienced guides love organising fun walks for kids within the camp. Little ones will learn how to make a fire, throw a rungu, fire a bow and arrow and track wildlife. As a memento of their adventure, children can take home their very own cast from the tracks they discovered!

Take a moment to sit back, enjoy the spectacular views, the smells, the colours, and the gentle breeze. Bush breakfasts are a chance to enjoy a full breakfast, al fresco, in the middle of the plains, surrounded by wildlife. “Sundowners” are a safari tradition – after a day of safari; stop, watch the spectacular sunset; traditionally with a gin and tonic in hand!

Known for their beautiful beadwork, spears in hand and bright red coloured “shukkas” (blankets worn as clothes); the Masai are our hosts, it is they that have kept this land pristine, living in harmony with their cattle and the incredible wildlife that the Mara is home to. They are a people who are proud of their heritage, and although they find some of the new western trappings useful – mobile phones, motorbikes – they prefer to continue to live in their traditional way. Many of the Elephant Pepper Camp staff are Masai, and enjoy welcoming you to their home, not far from the camp. The Masai live in semi-permanent huts known as Manyattas and it is the role of the wife to construct the hut from cattle dung and grass. The families will show you round their home for a fee (payable separately, ask the manager for details), and will want to take the opportunity to sell their traditional handicrafts – bargain hard. Elephant Pepper Camp works closely with the community, and there are ways that you can get involved.

Elephant Pepper Camp has been the driving force in creating the Mara North Conservancy (MNC) which covers a core parcel of over 70,000 acres bordering the Masai Mara National Reserve to the north and effectively increasing its size by 20%. The conservancy, established in 2009, provides some of the Masai Mara ecosystem’s prime game viewing, whilst guaranteeing over 800 Masai landowners stable revenue, transparent financial management and the preservation of the ancient balance between wildlife and traditional pastoralism.