This exotic ECO-camp is perched on the sand banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River, beneath wide spreading Kigelia trees and Acacia Elatiors. It is home to some of the largest bull elephants in Samburu who can often be spotted mudding in the river, resting under an acacia tree or picking pods beside the tents. The trees are filled with a multitude of birds and monkeys. At dawn a gentle chorus echoes overhead announcing a new day in the wild.

The camp, which is totally ECO in every way has been specially designed and constructed by Oria and her team of builders with a low footprint on the environment, for comfort and coolness, for example there is no waste, no pollution and no noise. Elephant Watch can accommodate a maximum of twelve guests in six wide and breezy desert-type style tents, under thatch, and the sand floors covered in natural woven palm mats. The interiors are individually styled, draped with colourful cloth, unusual furniture and beds made from fallen trees.

The bathrooms are built around a tree giving our guests a novel washing experience with painted buckets filled with sun-heated water (from the camp well) and watched over by spying monkeys from the treetop while you wrap up in a colourful kanga robe after a hot shower. Elephants are never far away, often within hot breathe distance - be careful! But Samburu warriors escort guests after dark and keep watch throughout the night.

Elephant watching begins on arrival. Our specialised guides meet their guests at the airfield and drive them gently through the Reserve spending time with many of our well known elephant families as well as introducing them to some of the particular Northern inhabitants - the slim necked Gerenuk, Reticulated Giraffe, Grevy Zebras, Beisa Oryx, over 350 resident birds with an extra 70 different migrant species. An elaborate picnic lunch is served by the river in proximity of the elephants and eventually guests arrive at camp welcomed by a line of tall, slim Samburu warriors holding cool drinks and will accompany you to the huge mess tent hung with swathes of brightly coloured material floating in the wind.

What a way to arrive! Relax in huge luxurious cushion-filled sofas and Dali-esque chairs built from twisted acacia branches collected from trees felled by elephants. Aromas of fresh herbs grilling over delicious food drift in from the kitchen. We have a charcoal cold room which keeps all our farm-produced fruits and vegetables fresh. The power supplied to all our lanterns and lamps in camp are run off solar panels. Guests freshly laundered clothes are ironed by irons filled with hot coals. Everything at Elephant Watch is very simple! Our goal is to make your stay as comfortable, fun and as stress-free as possible.

Each day opens with a new adventure. Early morning or evening bush walks along well-travelled elephant paths, or collecting medicinal plants or honey and always accompanied by our Samburu warriors. At times one can witness the great river crossings of camels and cattle, while walking to Samburu ceremonies and learning about their culture, dances and fire making.

Oria and her husband Iain have been privileged to work with elephants for more than forty years. They wrote the books "Among the Elephants," an account of their time spent studying elephants in Lake Manyara and "Battle for the Elephants," which documents their years undertaking an Africa wide elephant census to put an end to the slaughter of elephants for the ivory trade. A charming children's book by Oria, tells the story of the first elephant twins born to a known family.

Dr Iain Douglas-Hamilton is the Founder and President of the registered charity, "Save the Elephants" and he was involved in the production of the Discovery Channel IMAX film, "Africa's Elephant Kingdom," and multiple TV films including the BBC series Living with Elephants. Iain and Oria have flown across the length and breadth of Africa in their small Cessna 185 plane, preparing the first Africa wide elephant census, a study on the ivory trade and monitoring the movements of elephants.

Iain and his Save the Elephants research team are currently working on the long-distance movements on some of the wild elephants roaming throughout the Samburu Reserve in Northern Kenya, Central Africa, South Africa and North Africa, using special high-tech GPS radio collars pioneered by Iain and his researchers. An impressive article is out on the elephants of Samburu and Iain's work in the September 2008 issue of National Geographic. Three BBC films, Living With Elephants are scheduled to appear this winter, feauturing Iain, his daughter Saba, a well-known wildlife TV presenter, the researchers and naturally many of the well known families and bulls of Samburu. It is all about Elephant Watching!