I love Safari, I have done for 20 years, and I have now found my new home. I have the great privilege to live in Kenya and as such have visited many camps in different areas; this is the place to go if you want a camp that has it all.

First, location: Situated in the Siana conservancy it is within a stones throw of the Mara, this gives it a true safari camp feel, you are not surrounded by other camps jostling for position and adding to the light pollution at night, at night it’s night, no lights to be seen and just the sounds of the African bush. The conservancy has it all, if you are looking for the big 5, they are here. If you want to be a bit more adventurous you can hike in the hills, have a sundowner with the Elephants or visit the true Masaai, not a tourist attraction that has been especially set up but real people going about THEIR real day-to-day activities.

Second, camp: Leleshwa is an extremely comfortable camp, almost like visiting a good friends home, nothing is too much trouble, there is not a one size fits all solution. Our hosts Mike and Gary were both personable and professional, within minutes of arriving at camp we were all chatting like we had known each other for years.

We were upgraded to a “SUITE” tent, as it was our wedding anniversary, it was excellent, for the first time since I was 17 I have slept in a bed where my feet don’t hang over the edge. I’m 6ft 4in, the bed is 7ft x 7ft. With only 7 tents it is small and intimate, each tent situated well apart from each other and you truly feel that you are in the bush, this is no Disneyland make believe, this is AFRICA!

Food was excellent without being over the top. Well prepared and thought out, and if you get the chance have the chocolate soufflé. The meals that were prepared for our game drives were equally excellent and varied.

If I had to use a word to best describe Leleshwa I would struggle. I hate the word luxurious, it masks many sins, look at our fancy food and flashy decor, but please ignore the fact that we dump our waste into the land and river. You will not find that attitude here, there are ethics running behind the scene here too, the camp is staffed with locals, they support a local school and they recycle as much as possible. There is a soul to Leleshwa, this is not a cash cow, this is a way of life.

Leleshwa is a unique place! It's located on the Siana Conservancy, just outside the Mara itself. I think this is actually a real advantage and makes for a more authentic experience. For a start, not being in the National Park means you have a greater range of opportunities than you might otherwise have. So for example we were able to go out hiking, swimming and even dusk/night drives and sundowners (when the animals are most active). The same animals are there as in the Reserve - local residents include herds of Giraffe and Elephant, plenty of antelopes, baboons, monkeys, lions and a leopard to name just a few, but the difference is that these animals aren't quite as accustomed to the heavy safari traffic that the Mara gets. On the Mara you will often find yourself watching animals with 10 other vehicles (after having jostled for a space) whereas out here you really get to appreciate the animals in their natural habitat without feeling quite so intrusive. We still went on safari in the Mara (and saw the migration!), and it was as spectacular as you'd expect, but we felt we had the best of both worlds by staying on the Conservancy.

Another unexpected highlight was that we got to experience first hand what it's like for the Maasai communities who share their environment with the wild animals who live on the Conservancy. Unlike in the National Park, the grounds here are mixed used (just as it has been since the earliest days of human habitation). We joined a group of Maasaai who were taking their herds out to graze and later visited the local village.

As for the accommodation itself - well, the website photos speak for themselves. It really is a luxurious place to stay. The meals were incredible! The perfect balance of healthy and tasty food. Each tent is set well apart from the others so you can relax and enjoy the surrounds (or, if like us you have three kids, they can play without fear of impinging on anyone else's peace and quiet!). We stayed in the family tent and it was more than generous in size. Another thing - as far as ecological impact goes, Leleshwa's footprint is minimal and they are actively involved in the local community through a variety of activities, so if that's important to you you'll feel no guilt at this camp!

Thanks to Gillian, Joe, Keean, John, Pat for making our stay so welcoming and comfortable, but especially to Nicholas and Samuel for their skill, knowledge, patience, humour (not to mention adventurous spirit!!) on the safari drives; their company was the highlight of our whole trip. And also to Mike, for organising e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! (that's another thing, Leleshwa fixed up all our in between transfers and onward accommodation bookings - they really go the extra mile!).

We just returned from a 2-week trip to Africa and Leleshwa was by far the highlight of the trip. The staff went out of their way to make sure our group was comfortable and well-cared for. The tents are lovely and the food excellent. The drivers and spotters were amazing and incredibly knowledgeable about the Mara, the Masai community and the environment making the game drives wonderful learning experiences. We were traveling with children and Mike arranged for the guides to take us on a walking safari and "Masai Olympics" one morning which allowed the children to try out the bow and arrow and spears carried by the guides. I cannot say enough about how fabulous this experience was for our whole family. Leleshwa is truly an unforgettable place.

We recently spent two nights and three days at the Lesleshwa Camp---an incredible experience but not nearly enough time for our first safari. We make all of our traveling plans independently--no travel agent or tour operator. My wife began exploring this trip with Mike North, the extraordinary managing partner of Lesleshwa, over a year before we arrived.

From the moment we were greated at the entrance of the camp until we got on the plane back to Nairobi everything was perfect. Before we arrived Mike was very patient in answering our many questions and concerns and was gracious enough to book our flight from Nairobi to the Masai Mara. As these are small plans and can easily fill up in advance, it is wise to book the flight asap.

We had a wonderful guide in Nicholas, one of only 200 silver level guides in Kenya and the Masai spotter nicknamed "Mo." We saw a lioness teaching her cubs how to hunt,.We saw the "great migration" of the wildebeest and zebra. Somehow Nicholas was able to find a lonely leopard in a tree. We were able to see over 35 different species of animals, and I know we missed some of them. One of the nice things about Nicholas is that he gave you all the information you wanted without talking your head off. As you can be with him for over a 12 hour streach having some "down time" was much appreciated.

The "tents" are exceedly comfortable---about 500 square feet of space plus en suite showers and bathrooms privately spaced throughout the camp. Mike insists that the guides eat diner with the guests--unless the guests wish to have a private dinner. While the communal dinners can be very nice and interesting, if you get a bore ( as opposed to a boar) at dinner, as we did one night, it can impede on your experiences. However, the food and wine served is more than adequate and the meals---either at camp or on the safari--are very pleasant. I undestand that having the guides present a dinner is not a common experience in most camps.The first afternoon we arrived the spotter even built a fire while we have "sundowners" (happy hour for Americans) as the sun set over the Mara.

Mike is a very extraordinary and knowledgable person. He is a former Coca Cola Exec. who has "gone native." His knowledge about the area, and his willingness to help in every way enhanced our entire trip. For example, he rearranged our departure location so that we were able to get an extra several hours on our last day in the Mara.This added time enabled us seeing a Leopard we might have missed as well as a Maribou Stork. He spent about an hour with us going over our trip in the Garden Route in South Africa where we were headed after we left Kenya. His suggestions greatly enhanced that part of the trip. Mike does these things very graciously and does not give you the feeling that he is being put upon.

I cannot compare this to other tent camps as this is the only one we have stayed in, but I can not imagine a better experience. We had three other day safari experiences while we were in Africa---one in Nairobi, one in Chobee in Botswana and one outside on Port Elizabeth in the Addo Elephant National Park. While all of these were worthwhile, they can not be spoken in the same breath with Lesleshwa. We thought this would be a once in a life time trip, but we already are contemplating when we will return.

Mike, Nicholas, Alister and all the rest of the staff were the best! You would do well to book this camp early as there only are seven tents. I imagine there are times of the year---particularly in peak season-- when they are sold out.