Holiday Cheer at Campi ya Kanzi

The holiday season at Campi ya Kanzi has been festive and fun as we celebrate Christmas on the savannah.  Instead of a white Christmas, we relish a green Christmas, where the verdant Chyulu Hills set the backdrop for a solar-powered, eco-friendly holiday.  Tembo House is decked with sparkling lights and fragrant wreaths of lavender, rosemary, and bougainvillea.  The Christmas tree is covered with safari-themed ornaments, including lions, giraffes, elephants, and zebras.  Even Mount Kilimanjaro has donned a wintry snow cap.

Camp is full to capacity and bustling with activity. Our feast on Christmas Eve brought people together from five different countries to dine at our table.  Kenyans, Italians, Americans, Norwegians, and Spaniards all enjoyed a magnificent four-course meal prepared on wood-burning stoves.  Hikes, game drives, scenic flights, and cave dinners have kept the guests busy and bright-eyed from sunup to sundown.  Scroll down for photos of our very happy holiday!

Lions and African dolls adorn the Christmas tree in Tembo House.

The tree is teeming with wildlife ornaments and wrapped in a Maasai shuka.

The table was elegantly decorated for our Christmas Eve feast.

Our wonderful waiters wore Santa hats!

Barbara, the Assistant to the Director, played Christmas music
on her violin to set the tone for the evening.

Traditional Christmas carols filled the air.

Lucrezia, daughter of camp co-founders Luca and Antonella,
sat by the fire to enjoy the violin music.

Our beautiful host, Antonella

Wreathed lanterns adorned the tables and provided a soft glow.

Matthew and Barbara were all smiles in Christmas red.

Our international guests enjoyed a delicious four-course meal.

We thanked the cooks and waiters for their tremendous effort.

The towering Christmas pudding!

We had not one dessert but two!
We couldn't forget the traditional Italian panettone.

Merry Christmas from Campi ya Kanzi!

Black and white photos by Stefano Ricci