Honoring the principles and practices of Eco-tourism.

Ndarakwai Camp is a permanent tented lodge on Ndarakwai Ranch, West Kilimanjaro. With views of both Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru, the camp is nestled in a lush forest of towering fig, podo, and yellow-barked acacias that line the seasonal Ngare Nairobi River (North). Facilities include 10 spacious tents with thatched roofs, en suite bathrooms with safari-style showers, and a large separate dining area.

Catering to a maximum of 20 guests, Ndarakwai Camp offers an intimate atmosphere where your every need is catered to. Mealtimes are flexible and can be arranged with your guide and the camp Manager. Picnic lunches, bush breakfasts, and a bush campfire & bar are easily arranged. In the evening guests can gather around either of 2 indoor fireplaces, or an outdoor campfire for snacks and sundowners. Welcome the African night, replete with elephants that ghost through the camp and the haunting cries of bush babies in the trees.

Guests can relax in camp during the day, or take in the variety of wildlife and cultural activities that are on offer. Ndarakwai Ranch is over 10,000 acres in size and the options are many: Guided full or half - day walks – where the emphasis can either be on game or bird watching, game drives, and night game drives.

You can also visit local Maasai villages and buy authentic beaded jewelry, and with prior arrangement you can go for half or full day horse rides. Day trips to Arusha National Park are also easily arranged. During your visit, whatever activities you choose, you will likely visit the tree house where you can watch game at the waterhole.

Ndarakwai combines the best of luxury tented camping with the principles of responsible environmental stewardship. We provide hot showers at any time of day, but keep our water impact low through collecting rainwater and using compost toilets. Water is heated in fuel - efficient boilers, and meals are prepared on propane stoves and in an insulated clay oven. Candlelight and kerosene lanterns provide romantic evening light. No electricity is used in the camp, but camera batteries can be charged by generator if needed.

We pay close attention to our impact on neighboring communities. Ndarakwai Camp was built by, and is staffed by people from the local villages. Materials, such as canvas for tents, poles for construction, and grass for thatching, were obtained locally, and all of the tents were made onsite. We grow our own vegetables or buy from farmers at nearby Ngare Nairobi village. Trees felled by elephants provide much of our firewood. The camps unique design grew out of the available local raw materials and the skills of craftsmen that live in the area.

With a lodge in one of the most beautiful and epic spots on earth we recognize eco-tourism as a viable, sustainable and pro-active means of balancing the needs of wildlife and local communities.

A good minimum stay is 2 – 3 nights, but we have had plenty of guests who have spend 4, 5 and more nights without tiring of the experience. Visit this unique camp to share an intimate and personal experience with Tanzania’s people, landscape, and wildlife.