The Basecamp Dream was born by the campfire
In 1998, in the presence of the oldest of the Maasai, Basecamp Explorer founder Svein Wilhelmsen and Maasai chief Ole Taek envisioned together how to create a better future.
More than conservation
Working with local people to save our common heritage. The Basecamp Dream started by the camp fire with the oldest of the Maasai. The aim was together to make a better future.
Cooperation with
local people is the
key to successful
conservancy
100 %
of our operations in Kenya are run by locals
By 2018, total of
331
Maasai students have graduated from the Koyaki Guiding School
Providing new and
exciting opportunities
Benson Ole Soit is a good example of opportunities provided by Basecamp Explorer. A self-made success story, he learned to cook by experimenting and with a little bit of encouragement by the Basecamp managers. Since he became a head chef, Benson has continued to dedicate his career to inspiring those with a cooking passion.
Eat this! is an unconventional cookbook, curated by our Maasai Mara camp executive chef Benson Ole Soit to help young Maasais with a scholarship to a culinary school and filling their dreams for better future.
We are protecting the nature through sustainable tourism
Profits from Basecamp Explorer are funneled to various projects of sustainable development. Rather than providing relief aid, we create opportunities for the local people to protect their own lands and the wildlife. Our most prominent iniative in wildlife conservancy has been the Naboisho project.
Fighting climate
change and erosion
with tree planting
An important part of biodiversity are the trees dotting the savannah. They protect the soil from erosion, provide shade and a food source for the animals and they act as a carbon sink in curbing the growth of greenhouse gases.
In 20 years over
178,000
trees planted
Even as you travel to our destinations in Spitsbergen, you are contributing. We plant a tree in Kenya to offset the carbon emission of every guest.
Profitable business is the key to sustainability
The only way to make conservation survive in the long run is to provide people the means to make a living and coexist with the nature. We have successfully worked in the conservation and tourism business for over 20 years. In 1998 we opened our first location, Basecamp Maasai Mara
Our first location opened in
1998
Today we employ over
230 people in eight camps in Kenya and Spitsbergen.
Empowering the
Maasai Mamas
Beading is a traditional Maasai craft. Now it offers the women a way to support themselves and their families by selling their fair trade products in our camps around the world.
More than
150
Maasai women indirectly benefiting some 600 people
The Naboisho model
A conservancy approach guaranteeing monthly income to the landowners as well as employment to the youth contributes significantly to the local development. Our scalable Naboisho model for responsible tourism can be replicated anywhere.
Providing a guaranteed income to almost
600
local Maasai households
Impacting directly and indirectly over
10,000
people in the region
From every bed night
80 USD
go directly to Naboisho operations
72 % increase in the number of elephants in 2014-17
Overall Winner of the 2016 Africa Responsible Tourism Awards, Naboisho was recognized as a conservancy that truly remarkably brings together communities and wildlife conservation.