Amboseli’s lodges are not just places to stay — they are living archives of the park’s rich conservation history. Some are built on the foundations of early safari camps from the 1920s and 30s, while others pioneered community-based conservation and ecotourism in the 1990s, long before it became a trend.
Here are some of the most historically significant and influential properties in the Amboseli ecosystem:
🦏 1. Kilimanjaro Safari Lodge (formerly Rhino Camp – est. 1924)
Location: Ol Tukai area, near the springs
Historical Significance:
- This lodge sits on the very site of Rhino Camp, established in 1924 by P. Budge Gethin, widely regarded as Amboseli’s first safari entrepreneur.
- Gethin was a pioneer who recognized Amboseli’s appeal long before it became a protected area. He built grass huts with permission from local Maasai chiefs and brought the first wave of safari visitors to the Ol Tukai swamps.
- In the 1930s and 40s, Rhino Camp became a base for adventurers, naturalists, and early wildlife photographers.
- From a Nation.Africa reporting,(behind paywall) a hotelier named Rajnikant Desai who was operating it from 1968 to 2007 when the government sought to evict the tenant. Here is PDF of the Nation Article.
- According to this other Research, Rhino Camp marked the dawn of tourism which formally began in 1930 with small-scale safaris that had minimal impact on Maasai communities. The Research notes that Rhino Camp was the first organized tourist enterprise and was launched by P. Gethin in 1934 near Ol Tukai swamp. By 1939, he expanded to include bandas with permissions (though informally) from local Maasai leaders. However, development was agreed to be temporary, reflecting Maasai and colonial government caution.
Present Day:
- Now operated as Kilimanjaro Safari Lodge, it retains the spirit of the early camp but with upgraded comfort. It is part of the Kilimanjaro Safari Club group, which also operates nearby Amboseli Lodge.
- The gardens are carefully preserved, with thriving Acacia xanthophloea trees (fever trees) and views of elephants grazing below Mount Kilimanjaro.
🏡 2. Amboseli Lodge
Location: Walking distance from Kilimanjaro Safari Lodge
Highlights:
- Sister property to Kilimanjaro Safari Lodge, also run by Kilimanjaro Safari Club Ltd.
- Known for its lush grounds and original style that reflects the early safari tradition of Amboseli.
These two lodges, along with the early safari operations in Ol Tukai, laid the groundwork for tourism in Amboseli during the colonial and post-colonial periods.
Present Day: Abandoned
🐘 3. Ol Tukai Lodge
Location: Ol Tukai area, near the Amboseli Elephant Research Centre
Historical Role:
- Situated adjacent to Cynthia Moss’s world-renowned Amboseli Elephant Research Centre.
- Block Hotels took over its management in the mid-1990s and began efforts to minimize environmental impact and increase community involvement.
Environmental & Community Contributions:
- Installed solar panels for heating water
- Supported the construction of a local school 10 km from the lodge
- Partnered with researchers to enhance guest education about elephant behavior and conservation
🌳 4. Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge
Location: Near the Enkongo Narok Swamps, about 20 minutes from Ol Tukai
Founded: Early 1990s
Signature Initiative:
- Home to the Amboseli Reforestation Project, spearheaded by Shadrack Karabilo and backed by Serena Hotels.
- Since 1990, more than 165,000 indigenous trees have been planted around the lodge and park boundaries.
Guest Engagement:
- Visitors are invited to plant trees and receive certificates and plaques
- Trees include native species like acacias, wild olives, and crotons
- Serena’s reforestation work expanded with Wildlife Safari tour operator, who encourages guests to support the one-million-tree goal
Legacy:
- The lodge created a true “arboreal oasis” in the dusty savannah
- It set a model for corporate-backed conservation within Kenyan parks
🌿 5. Tortilis Camp (est. 1994)
Location: Just outside the park boundary in the Acacia tortilis woodlands
Owned by: Cheli & Peacock
Philosophy: Founded entirely on ecotourism principles, Tortilis has been a trailblazer in responsible tourism.
Construction & Sustainability:
- Built using lava blocks, local stone, and solar technology
- No machinery used for laundry or hot water — smoke heat from kitchens is recycled
- All garbage is removed from Amboseli for proper disposal
- Low yellow lighting is used to reduce disruption to wildlife
Community Involvement:
- Buys produce from local Maasai farmers
- Pays land rent and a bednight fee into a community fund co-managed by Maasai elders, KWS, and the lodge
- Tours are designed to rotate visits to different villages to spread the income from beadwork and crafts
Recognition:
- Winner of the 1995 British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Award
- A model for ecotourism across East Africa
🧭 Why These Lodges Matter
These lodges are not just accommodations — they’re conservation stakeholders, community partners, and cultural bridges. They reflect the evolving values of safari tourism in Kenya:
From early European-led hunting camps to modern eco-luxury lodges that collaborate with Maasai communities and researchers.
- Post-War Expansion & Conflict (1940s–1950s):
After WWII, tourism and camps in Amboseli resumed to take in safarigoers and business began to grow. Conflicts arose when colonial authorities started restricting Maasai cattle grazing near camp areas to appease tourists who complained that livestock “ruined their safari experience.” A young educated Maasai man named Lemeki protested the exclusion but was discredited for allegedly trying to resist the creation of a national reserve. - Rise of Anti-Pastoralism Sentiment (1950s):
In the 1950s, tourism groups such as the East African Tourist Travel Association, Ker and Downey, and the East African Hunter’s Association launched a media campaign to pressure the government to establish Amboseli as a national park, arguing that Maasai cattle were destroying the environment. The campaign was supported by letters from foreign tourists and aligned with conservationist narratives about preserving wildlife over livestock. - Tourism vs. Pastoralism:
The campaign used an ongoing drought and dust to bolster claims that cattle were degrading the land. The argument emphasized that wild animals had economic value through tourism, while Maasai livestock did not. The Director of Parks openly stated that the revenue-generating potential of wildlife outweighed that of pastoralism, highlighting a shift in land use priorities from traditional Maasai livelihoods to tourism-focused conservation.
Each has contributed in unique ways to Amboseli’s survival, both as a habitat for elephants, birds, and predators — and as a landscape of co-existence where tourism, science, and Maasai livelihoods intersect.
Sources:
- Eswara Magazine 1996
- https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/content/part/EANHS/XXII__No.2_94__72_1953_Dalton.pdf
- https://maasaierc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Land-Justice-in-Amboseli.pdf