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Kisampa Bush Retreat - Tanzania
 The Essence of Kisampa Kisampa is a private community conservation sanctuary that adjoins the unique coastal Saadani National Park in eastern Tanzania. Conserving this area is the passion of us, the Barbour family. Here we have made our own home and developed a small eco friendly lodge, with the lightest, most delicate footprint. This endeavour is hand in hand with the local community –engaging in socially and environmentally responsible tourism that helps to protect the area and brings money and resources directly to our community. Kisampa offers you a personal journey, an experience full of meaning – not just another destination. We will lead you on a superb exploration that will get take you to heart of this little piece of Africa with the certainty that you are making a difference to people as well as the environment. Here you can walk barefoot through the sand river, stimulate all your senses in the bush, roast corn on an open fire, meet local people in our community and be inspired to help them. This socially and environmentally responsible partnership aims to conserve the pristine environment on the southwestern borders of the Saadani National Park for future generations of Tanzanians, whilst at the same time providing meaningful reward to the community today.  Kisampa is 100km north of Dar es Salaam and 66 km directly west of Zanzibar and adjoins Saadani National Park to the north east and has the perennial Wami River as its southern boundary. Kisampa has ox-bow lakes, riverine forests, open grassland, wild rolling hills and steep ridges that provide breathtaking views of the surrounding areas. The diverse habitat makes it a birders paradise. Wildlife is shy but increasing with the protection now provided in the sanctuary. Saadani National Park is where the majestic bush meets the romantic beach. In no other location on the East African coast can you potentially snorkel on a coral reef, watch turtles hatch out of their nest, indulge in a river boat safari in the tidal Wami River, walk in the Zaraninge coastal rain forest and partake in a coastal savannah game drive - all in the same day and all in one National Park. Kisampa and Saadani National Park’s unique variety of ecosystems is both their beauty and their charm and allows massive diversity of animal, bird and plant life. Despite ample birdlife and plenty of primates, large wildlife is quite shy so if you haven’t seen the big five – best you do so before coming to Kisampa. Getting to Kisampa is easiest by plane to our own private airstrip. We are a 30 minute flight from Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar. We can provide directions for the drive to Kisampa from Dar es Salaam or Bagamoyo, a journey that will take a minimum of three hours. Private, personal, peaceful, pristine ...perfect! It’s very simple. Being a private conservation area and not a national park we have less restrictions and free rein to walk, camp, explore and do whatever we want, wherever we want and when we want but we still have the option of entering the magnificent Saadani National Park We give you the chance to understand and get involved in the beautiful culture and people of Tanzania, not just her wildlife. Because it’s our own sanctuary, you won’t bump into other safari-goers anywhere on Kisampa. We keep your experience intimate and personal. We live here. This is our home so we take pride in our personal touch, attention to detail and the intensity of your experience. We welcome children of all ages with open arms; Kisampa is kid’s adventure heaven. We’ll get you deeper under the skin of Africa than any safari can, and give you food for thought to take home with you.  Experience a new life at Kisampa You can decide how you would like to fill your days. There is lots of choice depending on your wants, desires, the seasons and weather. Here are just a few of the many options...... - Be absorbed by the amazing variety of birds and butterflies meander ancient elephant paths - Canoe the Wami River in a dugout canoe - Spend time in Saadani National Park on a game drive, river mouth boat safari and walk and picnic on the beach - Donate your time, equipment or money to the clinic or school. - Offer your skills or experience in the village - Stretch your legs and spend 3 days walking and sleeping under the stars around Kisampa - Dig for water in the sand river, just like elephants do - Wallow in a temporary pool on the banks of the river or in the mud like a hippo - Roast corn on the cob on an open fire - Explore the area on a nature treasure hunt - Learn a skill in the local village - Eat exotic fruit, fresh from the tree - Drink a fanta through a straw in the village - Cook and eat the fish caught by you from the river - Have a picnic lunch in the forest - Walk with the local cattle herders and their cattle - Experience bee keeping and taste our honey - Walk to your hearts content - Meet the night creatures on a night safari - Fossik for colourful stones or the perfect river washed rock in the sand river - Tell or hear a story by the campfire - Learn about animal tracks - Visit a Tanzanian home - Collect firewood and learn to build a campfire - Help build a village toilet or school - Enjoy an introduction to Kiswahili - Learn a local dance - Attend a Kiswahili church service - Play soccer with the local football team - Weave a mat the traditional way - Plant a tree - Climb a tree - Visit a local farm - Build a temporary shelter ....Or chill out and doing nothing….It is highly recommended We also offer a series of unique training and personal development courses, See Africa in a different way, and know that you are making a difference at the same time   Your accommodation at Kisampa Our wilderness, eco friendly lodge is comfortably rustic in its simplicity, underscoring our desire to leave a minimal human footprint in this pristine area. The camp can accommodate only 14 guests – keeping your experience intimate. Construction is generally from local, renewable materials and is done by our community artisans. You’ll sleep in a simple stargazer bungalow or tent, designed to allow wide visibility of the immense African night sky and stunning private bush views. Your bed area is protected by a mosquito net providing natural ventilation against the tropical heat and complete protection from insects and the elements.There is plenty of space for lying in your hammock or sitting under the grass thatched roof in the cool of the shade. Each bungalow or tent has its own private and unique and natural bathroom set into the surrounding bush. A bush shower hangs from a convenient tree, open to the stars and steaming hot water is delivered for bathing at your request. No flushing toilets here. Nature does the sensible thing with a classic safari box water-saving, composting loo and a scoopful of dead leaves to flush.Each bush bathroom (of course) has its own private vista across Kisampa. Kisampa meals are lovingly prepared by our team of dedicated and passionate chefs. Meals are generally fixed menu, wholesome and nutritious, drawing on local produce, dishes and flavours.Private sumptuous picnics can be requested and we are happy to cater for specific dietary needs.We make our own obscenely delicious bread and feature our own Kisampa honey in many of our recipes.  Conserve, develop, support and sustain. In essence, Kisampa is about people, with a total of 5 villages and several hundred people being involved in, and benefiting from the sanctuary. Not only do we pay a concession fee for every bed filled, but just as importantly, we buy our supplies and employ our staff from the area.; we are a channel for fundraising to help local schools and medical facilities. Through funds raised at Kisampa for example, we have just finished building the area’s first secondary school now with over 200 students. Thirty secondary school students have full scholarships thanks to the generosity of our guests and we have helped local people develop businesses that enhance Kisampa and help guarantee their children’s future.  Why not get involved yourself? You may like to give a little of your time, experience, energy or resources. Whilst you enjoy this untouched wilderness you can take pleasure that your presence is directly assisting the communities through direct employment, business opportunities and levies that Sanctuary Tanzania pays to the village, in order to assist with their social projects which include : - Obtaining safe water supply for the village - Health initiatives - Fundraising for and the continued building of a Secondary School in our local village. - Sponsoring of underprivileged children through their entire education. - Development of a village library, office and resource centre. - The support of micro businesses such as hive building, beekeeping fish farming, and biodiesel production. PLEASE HAVE A LOOK AT OUR BLOG BY CLICKING HERE - http://www.kisampa.blogspot.com/  Contacts / Bookings / Info / Links Isn't it time to see a different world?.... Kisampa Camp Postal Address: PO Box 23000, Oysterbay, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Telephone: +255 754 927694 / +255 746 316815 / +255 753 005442 E-mail: info@kisampa.com Kisampa Camp Fact Sheet. Correct as at 1st December 2008. Location · Bordering Saadani National Park, Tanzania, East Africa · Set in Kisampa Private Conservation Area · Set on a ridge line overlooking the Wami River Valley Flight times · Charter flights available on request. · 30 minute flight from Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar Airstrip details · Matipwili Airstrip – private airstrip for Kisampa Camp, TCAA registered. · 2km from Kisampa Camp · 1000 metres long. Grass/gravel. Twin Otter and Cessna Caravan capable · GPS coordinates: South 06 degrees 15 minutes, East 38 degrees 40 minutes Accommodation · 6 guest rooms or “bandas” · Twin or double configuration for all tents. · One guide tent. Guide accommodation can be augmented. · Camp can accommodate 14 guests with guides. Accommodation details: · Low water usage, internal waterless composting toilets · Outdoor luxury bucket shower under the stars · Large sleeping are set on the ground with cement floor and thatched roof · Veranda in front of each tent – views onto natural bush · Kerosene lighting in sleeping and bathroom areas. Solar or recharchable reading lights. · Soaps and insect repellents are supplied in each room · Lockable trunk in each room Camp Description · Camp situated on breezy ridgeline overlooking Wami River Valley flood plain. · Dining and lounge area in one large dining thatched pavilion. Dining is often under the stars. · Separate reading den for relaxing. · Comprehensive library of relevant reference books · Gravel paths connect the tents to the main living area · Gift shop available · Electrical charging facility available from dining pavilion. · Fire pit and sitting/dining area overlooking natural bush for outdoor dining under the stars · Meals can be served privately or as group. Wildlife Viewing Saadani and Kisampa Private Conservation Area is renowned for its diversity of habitat which include,grassland, rivers, coastal forest, oxbow lakesmangrove forest, beach and coastal savannah. Birdlife is therefore diverse and prolific. Elephant, Buffalo, Lion, Leopard and plains game are all present but not in prolific numbers. Specialties include, Lichtensteins hartebeest, red duiker, and large populations of Bohor reedbuck and waterbuck. Sable antelope are occasionally sited. Large pods of hippos and numerous Nile crocodiles are seen in the Wami River. Activities · Activities are tailored to client wishes and are many and varied. · Kisampa specializes in walks and the variety is expansive due to the variety of habitats. Length of walks depends on clients wishes. · Canoeing on the Wami River in traditional dugout canoes. · Village visits to the villages of Matipwili and Gongo on the edged of Saadani National Park. · Guests can volunteer time on any of our social development or conservation projects. · Game drives via open top Land Cruiser game drive vehicles to maximize visibility. · These can be done in Kisampa or in Saadani National Park. · Boat safaris in Saadani National Park by motorized boat seating a maximum of 8 guests. · Each vehicle accommodates a maximum of six or seven guests. Each vehicle is equipped with a relevant books and drinks. Configuration may be altered due to environmental conditions such as dust, wind or rain. · Game drives are tailored to client wishes in terms of length and nature. Full day drives with a packed picnic meals can be arranged on request. · Guides will brief guests on safe and appropriate behavior to maximize the pleasure of the experience for all guests. Sample Daily Activity Schedule 0600hrs- 0700hrs. Wake up call with coffee or tea. Light continental breakfast consisting of seasonal fruit, cereals, tea/coffee/juices and pastries to be served in the dining area. 0830 to 0900hrs Depart on morning activity, returning to camp at approximately 1200hrs. Lunch will be served, consisting of a selection of breakfast and lunch dishes. From now until afternoon tea, guests will be at leisure. 1530hrs/1600hrs Afternoon tea will be served consisting of a selection of tea, coffee and juices and sweet and/or savoury snacks. 1630hrs Depart on afternoon activity – drinks and snacks may be served for sundowner during the course of the activity. Sunset - return to camp prior to darkness. 1900hrs Pre-dinner drinks and snacks will be served around the camp fire 1930hrs Three-course dinner generally served at a communal dinner table unless specific requests for separate dining. 2100hrs Coffee and liqueurs may be served at the camp fire. This sample program can be modified to suit guest wishes. Electricity & Water · Camp has 220v generator powered electricity run in kitchen and main areas when guests are not in camp. · 220v battery power (charged by the generator) is used for lighting in communal areas. Lighting in guest accommodation is rechargeable battery or solar for reading and kerosene lanterns for general lighting. · 220v plugs available in dining pavillion for charging. · Drinking water is bottled. Bottle can be refilled from a drinking filter to reduce plastic waste. · Shower, ablution and laundry water is bore or river water and hand delivered to the rooms. Water is scarce and water conservation is an important consideration year round. Drinks Policy All drinks are included in the nightly tariff. Additional premium wines and champagne, and premium liqueurs and spirits can be purchased on request from the bar list. Laundry Policy Laundry is done on a daily basis and inclusive in the nightly tariff. Extras Payment Curios, additional drinks and tips/gratuities may be settled on checkout in cash only. Tanzania Shillings, US dollars are the preferred currencies but Euros and British Pounds are also accepted at the prevailing camp exchange rate of the day. Communications Cellular phone signals are received with Vodacom, Zain and Tigo networks in the camp area and many parts of Saadani. So as not to intrude on other guest’s privacy guests are requested to please observe the following courtesy: 1) Please ensure the ring tone is kept at a low volume to avoid disturbing other guests. 2) Please use your phone in the privacy of your room and not any of the common areas: dining room, bar/lounge area, or on any of the vehicles, walks or on game drives. Child Policy All children are welcome. Parents are reminded that they are responsible for their children at all times whilst at Kisampa. Baby sitters can be arranged at additional cost with any contract being between the parents and the baby sitter. Rates Kisampa Camp rates are available on request and we reserve the right to change our rates at any time. Gratuities Tipping is not compulsory. If, however, you want to tip because you have received good service, below is a brief guideline to assist you: · Camp Guides We recommend US$10 per guest per day. This tip may be given directly to the guides. · The General Camp Staff We recommend about US$5 per guest per day for camp staff. This should be placed in the communal tipping box at the end of your stay to be distributed equally amongst all the staff by the camp staff. Photography The choice of appropriate camera equipment and film will determine the quality of your photographs on the trip. For good photography of birds and animals, a good SLR camera and telephoto lens is necessary. A zoom lens can be extremely useful on safari and the minimum recommended size is 70 - 200mm, though a 100 - 400mm is ideal but will require the use of a tripod. Modern image stabilized lenses are best as they allow photographers to hand hold their cameras at slower shutter speeds with sharp results. The new high-resolution digital cameras are outstanding and give superb quality images, especially if you are using a digital SLR camera body, with inter-changeable lenses. Camera bodies like the Canon 20D, Digital Rebel and Nikon D70 are excellent. The advantage of digital photography is that one can get instant feedback on images and adjustments can be made in the field to ensure that your photographs are correctly exposed. Spare batteries are essential and a storage device of some sort is recommended. Make certain you have enough card storage – most people take more photographs than they expect to. Camps have facilities for recharging batteries and storage devices. Strips for charging more than one device are suggested for more serious photographers. For people using film, colour reversal film (slides) will give better quality results than print film. There are good high-speed films, 400 ASA, on the market that give good colour with very little grain - either Fuji or Kodak. This is especially useful when using a big lens in low light situations. The guides' personal preference is for slower film (either 50 or 100 ASA) as this gives almost perfect quality for normal light. However, you may consider going to faster film for larger lenses in low lighting conditions. The only disadvantage with the low ASA film is that you need good support, either a tripod or bean bag, for the early morning and evening shots. It is recommended to bring spare film and camera batteries. Recommended Reading We recommend the following books for all travelers to Eastern Africa. We also include a list of recommended books appropriate to each specific region being visited in the pretour information for that country: · Africa's Top Wildlife Countries - Mark Nolting · Behaviour Guide to African Mammals - Richard Estes · Birds of Prey of Southern, Central, and East Africa - David Allan · Field Guide to the Mammals of Southern Africa - Chris & Tilde Stuart · The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals - Jonathan Kingdon · African Safaris - From Budget to Big Spending - David Bristow and Julian Harrison · Photographic Guide to the Trees of Southern Africa – Braam van Wyk · The Scramble for Africa – Thomas Packenham · Where Spirits Fly – Jackie Barbour Binoculars It is highly recommended to bring a pair of binoculars in order to get the most out of the safari. 8x40 or 8x42 are recommended to offer good magnification for most safari purposes. Health A physician experienced in travel medicine should be consulted prior to travel to any destination in Africa to advise on all health issues including the need for preventative medication. Further health information can be sort from www.who.org or www.cdc.org Water It is very important that you drink plenty of water especially during the warmer months. It is generally recommended that guests drink at least 2 to 3 litres of water per day to limit the effects of dehydration. This excludes tea, coffee and alcoholic beverages, which act as diuretics and therefore can actually contribute to dehydration. Filtered and bottled water is readily available, so please do not allow yourself to become dehydrated. Malaria Whilst malaria is a risk in Tanzania, Kisampa Camp is a long way from human settlements and therefore the risk of infection is negligible whilst in camp. Ticks and tetse fly may also be encountered on safari. Please remember that the best precaution against any bites is the preventative kind: · Avoid being bitten by using insect repellents liberally. · Wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers/slacks in the evenings. · Keep your tent closed at night to prevent insects entering. · Carry antihistamine cream to reduce the discomfort and inflammation from any bites. Dietary Requirements For those guests with specific dietary requirements please ensure the camp is notified prior to arrival. We can accommodate most reasonable requests. Kisampa Camp Fact Sheet. Correct as at 1st December 2008. 6 Prior medical conditions You notify camp of any medical condition you may have prior to your arrival. This includes any allergies e.g. bee stings, nuts, shellfish etc. Luggage There are strict weight restrictions (15kg of luggage) whilst travelling on light aircraft for the following reasons: · The aircraft are designed with a maximum bodyweight and luggage weight allowance. · Some airfields are elevated and short and temperatures can be hot and therefore the permissible aircraft carrying capacity is reduced. · The aircraft have physical space restrictions. It is highly recommended to bring soft sided bags so that your bags can easily be stowed. Suggested packing list Below is a list of suggested items to bring on your holiday. 1. Good quality sunglasses – preferably polarized. Tinted fashion glasses are not good in strong light 2. Sun hat 3. Golf-shirts, T-shirts and long-sleeved cotton shirts 4. Shorts/skirts 5. Long trousers/slacks 6. Track suit 7. Underwear (sports bra recommended on game drives as the roads can be bumpy and uneven) and socks 8. Good walking shoes (running/tennis shoes are fine) 9. Sandals 10. Warm winter jersey or fleece. 11. Light rain gear. 12. Camera equipment and plenty of film /memory cards (batteries and chargers) 13. If you wear contact lenses, we recommend that you bring along a pair of glasses in case you get irritation from the dust 14. Binoculars 15. Reference books to your personal taste 16. Personal toiletries (basic amenities supplied by most establishments) 17. Malaria tablets (if applicable) 18. Moisturizing cream & high SPF suntan lotion 19. Insect repellent 20. Basic medical kit (aspirins, plasters, Immodium, antiseptic cream and Antihistamine cream etc) 21. Tissues/"Wet Ones" 22. Visas, tickets, passports, money. 23. Waterproof/dustproof bags/cover for your cameras 24. Small hold-all bag to use on game drive |
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