Elewana Tortilis Camp

Sitting in Nairobi Airport waiting for my flight home, I feel I must right about the six days I just spent at Tortilis Camp Elewana. Being a professional photographer, I have now visited 8 Safari lodges across SA, Tanzania and Kenya. Tortilis stands out as the one of my best experiences in Africa. It was simply magical. From the amazing vibe you get as soon as you are welcomed by Graham and Candy, to all the friendly and accommodating staff that cater to your every need. The lodge itself is perfectly located allowing game drives in both the national park and the conservancy (where the dry lake bed is located). The game drives are the best I’ve experienced led by our guide and driver John. An absolute terrific guy who has the eyes of an eagle. During our stay he was able to find us unbelievable photography opportunities each and every drive. From ostrich eggs hatching before our eyes, to cheetahs with cubs, Lions with cubs, flamingos and of course the many elephant herds. We even had the chance to meet the famous Craig! I recommend going during the dry season in order to see more wildlife. An overall spectacular experience with many great surprises I couldn’t even imagine.

Excellent camp with a great crew! Our tent was amazing and had all the conveniences as if we were in a luxury hotel room. The view from the main dining area was on top of a hill facing a small pond where we saw zebra and other animals grazing through as we were eating our delicious meals. Our safari guide, John, took good care of us and we were able to observe many elephants in their natural habitat along with other wildlife. The staff was great; we felt very comfortable here.

No review will do this magical place justice but I will try Me and my wife spent the first stop of our honeymoon here during our first trip to Africa. What was evident immediately was that this would be no ordinary holiday destination We were met at the airstrip by our guide for our stay Martin, who had tea/coffee and snacks for us. He briefed us on the safari element of our stay before taking us on our first game drive on the way to check in. If this had been our only game drive it would have been special, Martins intimate knowledge of the environment, flora and fauna made every drive unique and engaging. He was so kind and knowledgeable; and we are blessed to have shared his company. On arrival at camp we were greeted by Graeme (Tortilis Manager) and his wife and a variety of other staff who welcomed us so warmly while also going an extra mile to provide us complimentary fizz and couples massage for our honeymoon. The staff are consistently excellent; providing everything and anything needed for our stay. In particular our assigned waiter for our stay Sam was incredible; always on hand to make sure every little detail of our dinner or drinks were perfect. The camp also outwith game drives arranged all sorts of special activities including Bush breakfast (complete with fresh omelettes), hilltop sundowner (with full bar) and a wonderful walking safari to see our surroundings from a new angle. All I can say is, this place will stay with us forever and we hope we are lucky enough to visit again one day. If you are new to safari/Africa like we were then I cannot reccomend Tortilis and Amboselli enough!

We visited in mid May, a few days after the recent exceptional Kenyan rains, at the height of their 'low' season when there were very few of us guests, but the quality and friendliness of the staff, from the managers - Graeme and Candy - down were just perfect. The journey from and to the Amboseli entrance gate to the camp was a great safari drive in itself, and the three days we spent on similar morning and afternoon safari drives were full of incident, birds and animals, both land and water lovers. There were many highlights, the most memorable being an afternoon drive when we came upon two or three families of elephants, totalling over 30, just a couple of kilometres from the camp, calmly waking towards us just 10 feet from the road. Our guide simply switched off the engine and for the next 30 minutes, we watched amazed as this wonderful group of mature, young adult and baby elephants, slowly and peacefully walked around and past us, just feet away. The camp food was excellent, as were the packed breakfast picnics we took with us on two of the mornings. On the last full day the animals started returning to the small lake immediately below the camp and (Philip's) lions were heard if not seen. It is our dream to return.....watch this space!

We travelled here with some family friends and we enjoyed two wonderful days and nights with Tortilis. Zed, Graham and Candy welcomed us on arrival and Chris looked after us at meal times. Solomon was our guide, we loved his company and he was very patient with the young kids in our group. The food was tasty and colorful and the kids loved the afternoon tea and cake options and the pancakes at breakfast. Stunning views here of Kilimanjaro - if you lived there, it certainly wouldn't get old waking up to a majestic view like that. We really appreciated the surprise bush breakfast under the Tortilis tree, just outside the park. Many thanks to this camp for hosting us so well.

We had 2 exceptional nights at Elewana Tortillis Camp. This was our 5th stay at an Elewana property (the first 4 in Tanzania), and once again, Elewana exceeded our expectation. The camp, the jeeps and the tents are all first rate with thoughtful touches throughout. The entire staff is so warm and cheerfully attend to your every need. Our guide, Patrick, was friendly and knowledgeable and gave great insight into the animal behavior. Our waiter, Philip, always accommodating with a smile, provided exceptional service and even gave us a tour of the vegetable garden. The food, as with all of our Elewana stays, is top notch with a wide variety of options. Our room attendant, Peris, made sure our tent was comfortable and woke us each morning with coffee, hot chocolate, and lion biscuits! Kudos to Graeme and Candy who graciously welcome you back to camp on your every return. It feels like coming home each time. We especially loved the bush breakfast and sundowners with such gorgeous surroundings. (Don't miss out on Doctor D's Dawas!). Visiting the local Masai boma was a truly memorable experience. The local Masai men and women were so kind and welcoming. Thank you to the chief who kindly delivered my custom necklace!

Arriving at lunchtime, the greeting was lovely and we were immediately impressed with the service and facilities. Over the next two hours, my wife became more and more unwell and at 3 pm I needed to contact reception for medical assistance. By 4 pm, they had sent a car to collect a local medic and she started to make her assessment of the situation. The condition of my wife was very serious and she had a temperature in excess of 40 degrees C and was losing fluids from every possible direction. Jade, the medic, set up a drip and delivered outstanding medical attention. Grahame and his team were on constant call and could not do enough for us. After many trips to reception, the staff all knew me by name and were asking after her. They even kept the kitchen open for me to eat something. The final act of kindness was to assist me to pay the bill, and repay on my checkout as I did not have sufficient $USD. The next day, my wife had recovered enough to have a light lunch and join the final game drive. Despite the trauma and stress, this was one of the most beautiful places that I have ever visited and the service was well beyond expectations when it really counted. A massive thank you 🙏 I have absolutely no hesitation to recommend.

We stayed here for 2 nights. We visited Amboseli National Park and saw so many animals with Mount Kilimanjaro as the backdrop. The staff were extremely hospitable, the chefs pampered us with amazing food and gave us many vegan options. The tents were amazing and well kept. I would recommend this place without any hesitation.

"We had two wonderful nights at this stunning property. The tents were beautifully appointed, and any issues, such as a minor problem with the hot water one evening, were promptly resolved and personally attended by our attentive steward. The staff throughout our stay were very polite and accommodating. One of the highlights was watching the animals gather at the waterhole from the comfort of the social/bar area. We also enjoyed the scenic walk up and down the hill to dinner, where the food was consistently delicious. While the staff were generally friendly and professional, we did occasionally feel that some were hovering in anticipation of a tip. (We usually prefer to tip at the end of our stay into the staff box, with a few exceptions.) Our safari guide, Dickson, was exceptional. His knowledge about the animals was unparalleled, and his attentiveness made our safari experience truly outstanding. We felt incredibly fortunate to have had him as our guide – he is one of the most informative and dedicated guides we've ever encountered."