Porini Rhino Camp is an eight tent all-inclusive tented camp located in Laikia within the 90,000 acre Ol pejeta Conservancy. Porini Rhino Camp is helping accomplish the Conservancy’s aims of generating profits from wildlife tourism for reinvesting into protecting habitat and wildlife and community development in the local area. The camp staff is drawn from different Kenyan communities and the camp adheres to strict eco-friendly and responsible eco-tourism principles, allowing it to achieve a prestigious Gold Eco-rating from EcoTourism Kenya.
Porini Rhino Camp, Kenya
Guests can arrive at a few airports in Kenya such as Ol Pejeta Airstrip and Nanyuki Airport. Ol Pejeta Airport is 2.7km from the property and Nanyuki Airport is 14.1 km away. Complimentary airport shuttle is also available.
- Facilities at the property include 24-hour security, a library, laundry service, mobile connectivity and communal dining
- Each room includes an En-suite with a bath and shower, a veranda and tea/ coffee facilities
- Activities at the property include bird watching, game viewing, game drives, safaris and wildlife tours
- Children are welcome at the property and there is a family room available
Porini Rhino Camp has just 7 guest tents. The tents are very spacious and have private verandas along the length of the tent, providing a secluded and private ‘space’ for you to relax and enjoy the beauty of this African wilderness. These traditionally themed safari canvas tents are large, bright (three of the four walls are entirely made of mosquito screen) and comfortably functional – perfect for people who want a tented camp experience without frills.
The beds are comfortable and wrapped in cosy duvets and blankets and soft towels are provided in the bathrooms. Each tent contains a double and single bed with bedside tables, LED lamps, torch, wardrobe for hanging your clothes, luggage rack, en-suite toilet with bucket walk-in shower and wash basin sink, writing desk with lamp, carpets, chairs and tables on the veranda for relaxing. Hot water bottles in each bed will keep you warm on chilly nights.
The newest tent is the family unit that is a H shaped and located about 20 metres from the main areas. The unit is made of high quality canvas, is spacious, each wing measuring 64 square metres and the lounge is 16 square metres. It consists of two rooms with a lounge in between. Each of the two rooms has a king size bed and a single bed. The high-quality, spacious tent is tastefully furnished and has solar-powered lighting, ensuite facilities (with hot shower and flush toilet) and a private veranda. The unit is ideal for families or group of friends traveling together and is at the same price per person as the other tents.
Porini Rhino Camp offers a fully-inclusive meal plan that caters for all meals and drinks (gin, vodka, wine, beer, sodas, juice and mineral water). The meals are crafted to complement the authenticity of the safari experience. All meals are served on a set menu basis, with warming hearty breakfast in the morning, light invigorating lunches and three-course dinners served in the mess tent. At least during one of your two or more night stay here you will enjoy a picnic lunch in a scenic setting depending on the weather. The camp caters for all dietary requirements; guests with special or specific dietary requirements are requested to advice the camp upon booking confirmation.
The camp has the benefit of a wildlife viewing hide which enables guests to observe and photograph wildlife safely, yet in close proximity. The hide has been carefully placed to enhance wildlife-viewing right in front of camp, and with the peaceful setting and the animals freely strolling in, guests can really immerse themselves in the surroundings and feel part of nature.
The bushwalk gives visitors the opportunity to learn about game trails and spoor identification as well as the insects, birds and smaller mammals of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy.
The Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary aims to provide a refuge for chimpanzees rescued from the black market, and is the only place in Kenya where our closest living relatives can be seen. Visitors to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy have free access to the Sanctuary, which is open daily from 08:30 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 16:30. The Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary was established in 1993, with an agreement between the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the Jane Goodall Institute. Over the last decade, the Sanctuary has provided a safe haven for the recovery and rehabilitation of chimpanzees rescued from traumatic situations; all victims of the illegal pet trade
There are only two left on the planet, and Ol Pejeta is home to both of them. Najin and Fatu – the last northern white rhinos left in the world – were moved to Kenya from the Czech Republic in 2009, and live in the 700-acre northern white rhino enclosure. The Enclosure is open to visitors twice daily, at 08:30 and 16:00 – where guests can meet the northern whites and learn more about their history, what it takes to protect them, and what Ol Pejeta is doing to try and save this subspecies.
The addition of a wildlife viewing hide at Porini Rhino Camp is proving popular with guests wanting to observe and photograph wildlife safely, yet in close proximity. The hide has been carefully placed to enhance wildlife-viewing right in front of camp. With the peaceful setting and the animals freely strolling in, guests can really immerse themselves in the surroundings and feel a part of nature. Spending time in a hide can, with a little patience, can result in some incredible sightings.
Baraka was one of the first Black rhinos born on the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. After losing an eye to an infection following a fight he, unfortunately, developed a cataract in the other eye and subsequently became completely blind. With a low chance of survival on his own, Baraka was moved from the wild to a 100-acre enclosure in order to ensure his safety.
Baraka is now an ambassador for his species – and a popular attraction at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. There is a feeding platform from which visitors can get up close to view and feed him, an experience not to be missed. Baraka receives visitors daily from 9.30 am to 6.00 pm, with feeding times three times per day.
The Morani Information Centre is named in honour of the tame black rhino that used to live next to it. Over the years, Morani was an icon at Ol Pejeta, an ambassador for his species. He helped raise awareness about the plight of black rhinos and other vulnerable species in the wild, and the information centre was built to continue this education. The Morani Information Centre offers visitors the opportunity to learn about the different wildlife species that live on Ol Pejeta; from anatomy to behaviour to habitat.
It also offers an insight into how Ol Pejeta Conservancy works – what we do on a daily basis to safeguard wildlife and preserve wilderness. There is also a converted rhino transportation crate to explore! This is a unique opportunity for visitors to get inside the very same crate that several rhino have been moved in over the years. Get a sense of what a rhino might feel like when it’s being moved, and be inspired by the engaging infographics that contain all the information you need to know about rhino conservation. The Centre is open from 09:00 to 17:00 every day and is free.
The camp is incredibly committed to caring for the environment and land in which it is located and have a ‘Leave no Trace’ policy. The camp has been built in such a way that if they were to pack up and leave, they would leave no trace behind.
The camp has just seven tents in total, making sure to never overpopulate the land at once. This reduces the carbon footprint and makes sure that the animals that roam are undisturbed. Porini have also not made use of any concrete on the camp, allowing the flora and fauna to thrive.
The tented camp is completely run on solar power, taking advantage of the naturally hot weather and reducing their carbon footprint. There are also no electricity plugs in the guest tents. When a guest wants to charge a phone, power bank or battery they must drop it in the manager’s office to be charged. This also encourages the guests to only use their devices when necessary, allowing them to immerse within the camp and region itself.
The property provides water to guests when it is necessary or requested, encouraging them to never overuse the facilities. The shower, for example, is a ‘bucket shower’ system. This means that the guests are given a twenty litre bucket of hot water which connects to a tube. The shower then works as normal and the twenty litres lasts around five minutes. Staff will ask when you would like to have a hot shower and are incredibly accommodating to guests if it is requested, but it allows guests to think about how much water they are using for such tasks.
Children and families are welcome at the property but the camp is not fenced so parents must keep an eye on their children at all times.