Kikoti is Maasai for "the place where life began", the name bestowed by the local Maasai upon an ancient pre-Jurassic kopje in the Tarangire eco-system, a recognition of its enduring permanence and dominant status in the surrounding eco-system. When Tanzania Photographic Safaris began working with local communities in the area, it seemed the perfect name for the new safari camp, showing our respect for the Maasai community that have roamed the area for generations, and our reverence for the game-rich wilderness in which the camp is located.
This luxury, tented camp recaptures the time-honoured splendour of the traditional safari camp of yesteryear, when comfort was defined by superior service and campfire hospitality rather than modern conveniences and anonymous welcome. Each of the ten large tents has sewn-in floors and plumbed en-suite facilities and have been laid out in the traditional safari manner with wooden beds, fresh linen and a veranda from which to admire the views of the Silale wetlands in the valley below. The tents have been raised on platforms of natural timber and appointed for views of the plum-purple sunsets smeared across the unfurling savannah and to allow freedom of movement for the wildlife that pass through the area.
Kikoti's proximity to Tarangire National Park allows us to offer a wide choice of exploratory game-drives through the classic African savannah and acacia parkland of this unproclaimed wilderness. Moreover, our position in the migratory corridor just outside the Park provides a range of activities that are forbidden elsewhere in the gamelands of Northern Tanzania. Nature walks, foot safaris and extended bush trekking with rangers are all exhilarating ways to get back to the primeval state of nature, uncovering the dens, feeding habits and waterholes of the African wildlife and learning more about the symbiotic intricacies of the eco-system that surrounds you.
Our Maasai associates also invite clients into their homesteads for an insight into the customs and lifestyle of this fascinating ethnic group or to join in the traditional dancing around the campfire lit in the kraal area. Perhaps the highlight of many people's stay is the night drive, a safari by the light of the moon (and a spotlight, just in case) in search of the prowling wildlife that only emerges in the dark and which adds a very privileged dimension to a safari in Tanzania.
Kikoti is to be found a mere hundred miles from Arusha in a remote stretch of bush on the principal migratory corridor from the adjacent Tarangire National Park. A community conservation fee is paid to the local villages for every client bednight and is used to develop community-chosen development projects such as schools, water boreholes, roads and dispensaries. The remote location, open wilderness, halcyon luxury and room to roam affords the chance for a very intimate encounter with the wildlife and people of Tanzania. |
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