Tips & Tricks for wildcamping

Most of Kenya's wilderness is managed through Kenya Wildlife Service (the national parks) or as private conservancies. As such, wildcamping in these areas is regulated and there are dedicated areas for camping. Typically, parks and conservancies have two types of campsites:

• Public campsites: These often have simple facilities, are easy to reach and accomodate multiple groups at once. Rangers are usually also present. 
• Private / special campsites: These are limited and booked exclusively for your own group (at an extra cost). Sometimes firewood is provided, often without toiletries or water as they can be very remote.

To experience wildcamping at its best, we recommend to book a private campsite.

For National Parks, entrance tickets and campsites are booked through https://kws.ecitizen.go.ke/.
For private conservancies, booking is usually done via the conservancy's website.

Almost all parks require online booking of tickets and campsites. It is advisable to do so prior to arrival to avoid a lengthy process at the gate.

We understand that going out for an adventure without any plan or destination has great appeal. However, given regulations of the parks and overall safety, we strongly recommend to consider the following.

• Book private campsites upfront online. Online booking is often mandatory and there are limited private campsites per park. There is usually bad reception at park entrances, which leads to a frustrating and lengthy process on arrival.
• Driving after 6.30 pm in parks is not allowed. Aim to be at the campsite before 3pm. This gives you enough time to set up camp and go for an afternoon game drive. In case of any delays, you'll still reach the campsite before dark. Take into account 30 minutes to register at the gate and additional driving time to the campsite. You'll probably be crawling along as you spot elephants and giraffes on the way!
• Do not drive on public roads in the dark. For many reasons, driving in the dark is not safe (e.g. vehicles without working lights, potholes & speedbumps, tricky navigation and drunken drivers). We don't do it, you shouldn't either!
• Fuel up the car completely before entering the park.
• Aim to camp at one spot for 2 nights. Distances in Kenya are long and maps can be unreliable. Multiple one-night camping stops can result in non-stop driving without leaving any time to explore the parks and enjoy your holiday.

Venture into the parks to find beautiful wildlife or breathtaking sceneries. Now the adventure really starts!

Animal movement is most active at dusk and dawn. Morning drives are therefore best done between 6.30-10.00 am and afternoon drives from 3.30-6.30 pm. 

It is extremely rewarding to track animals all by yourself. Do consider taking a ranger/guide for some of your drives. They can teach you a lot about wildlife and have the local knowledge to help find those rare animals. Also, if accompanied by a ranger, bring your cooking set for a bush breakfast or sundowner drinks with breathtaking views!

Remember, going slow often results in more sightings than trying to cover as much ground as possible. Use common sense: Stay inside the car, do not feed animals, respect their distance and do not go off-track.

Wildcamping is safe, as long as you use common sense. Wild animals can pass by the campsite, yet they always tend to avoid conflict with humans unless provoked. 

• Food and garbage attract animals, store in the car at night.
• Stay close to the campsite to avoid bumping into and provoking animals, especially at night.
• Don't panic when animals do wander around the campsite. Remain near the fire or in your tent, let them browse by and enjoy the view. You can continue talking or make some noise to make them aware of your presence.
• Check your surroundings with a flashlight when you need to go to the toilet at night. Again, don't go far.
• Hire a ranger to accompany you at night in case you want extra security (in some parks this is even mandatory). As they have a long night ahead of them, sharing some food and water is often a much-welcomed gesture. 

Good preparation is key. Things often go different than planned: a punctured tire, an unexpected seasonal river blocking the way forward and your sausages being stolen by cheeky monkeys. Don't sweat, this is all part of the experience! But the experience is a lot nicer when you can remain confident and calm. You'll be able to take care of yourself if you think of the following:

• Bring enough food, water, lighter fluid (motosawa) & a full power bank (know the phone number of the park's office / ranger service).
• Know how to replace and/or repair a tire.
• Actively keep track of how you travelled in the park using a digital map. Roads indicated on maps can be damaged or non-existing, so ensure you know how to get back in case you cannot proceed. Different navigation apps work well, like google maps, OsmAnd and maps.me.

Whether it's coffee, eggs, pasta or steaks, everything tastes better when made on an open fire. Sure, maybe a bit more "crunchy" than usual, but that's how it comes. Here's how to keep things simple yet delicious.

How to create an open fire stove
No need to bring charcoal. Let the campfire burn hot for a while and slide the embers to one side. Place the grill and/or pan above the embers rather than directly in the flames to avoid burning your food. Use stones to lift the gril/pan slightly above the embers.

In case you need some culinary creativity, these bush recipes are always a hit.

Creamy fish with pasta
Start by heating up water in a pot for the pasta. Fry roughly chopped red onion, garlic and zucchini in a high pan. Add cooking cream and a splash of mustard into the pan, mix well. Put white fish fillet (red snapper works great) in the pan, it should not be fully covered by the sauce. Also add lemon slices or small tomatoes to the saus, which will give a flavor boost. Cover the pan and let the fish slowly cook in the sauce and boil the pasta at the same time. If working with a single stove, cook the pasta first before you start the fish. 

Put the pasta on plates and cover in the creamy sauce. Place the tender fish fillet on top. Sprinkle with any herbs of your liking.

(Veggie) wraps
Marinade veggies (bell peppers, zucchini and large red onion rings) in oil and herbs (or soy sauce!) and place them on the grill. As the veggies are grilling, heat up some beans, corn and thinly sliced red cabbage in a pan. Use the sauce of the beans or curry paste to add some flavor to the mixture. 
Remove the veggies from the grill and use it to heat up the wraps. Put veggies and some bean mixture in the wrap. Add freshly sliced tomatoes, spring onion, avocado and some feta on top. Optionally add some grilled sausages.

Chicken couscous salad
There is no right or wrong when it comes to couscous. We use easy to find and affordable ingredients in Kenya/Nairobi.
Start by heating up water with a broth cube in a pot over the fire and cook the couscous according to the instructions. At the same time, start grilling the veggies (tomato slices, broccolini and bell peppers). This can be done in batches, as it doesn’t matter if couscous is served lukewarm. Simultaneously, chop red onions, cucumber and feta. Once done with the veggies, grill the pre-marinated chicken over the embers. Add the vegetables to the cooked couscous and toss well. Serve with slices of chicken, some ground nuts and sauce on top. We use yoghurt-mint or pesto. Spice it up with hot peppers or add some raisins for a sweeter taste.

Nobody wants to arrive at an idyllic campsite to find it littered with bottles, plastic and toilet paper. Do your part in keeping it clean.

Burn used toilet paper in the fire and take all your rubbish out. Often you can dispose it at a gate.