Reviews of Tortilis Camp

"Beautiful property, very nice rooms, staff excellent and the guiding fantastic.

It’s a bigger camp than we usually like, but it was very well run by charming hosts. Y

ou can walk around the property since it is fenced and the public spaces overlook a very active waterhole." See all these reviews: 17n in Kenya

"Tortillis Camp is a well appointed camp located in its own private conservancy with lovely views over the plains below. The views of Kilimanjaro were usually at their best at sunrise and sunset. During the rest of the day Kilimanjaro was usually covered in thick cloud!

The tented accommodation was very comfortable with chairs and a day bed on the small terrace area outside. All the tents are situated below the main camp areas so a bit of a short climb back up to the top. The fire pit was usually lit in the evenings but never used as the seating area is very small.

The main lounge/bar area is very comfortable and spacious with good views over the plains. The food was really very good. Lunch was a buffet with a selection of excellent salads along with one or two hot dish selections. The starter for dinner was always soup with a choice of two dishes for the main course one of which would be a vegetarian option.

The camp is managed by a Scottish couple who have been working in East Africa for many years. They would often be there to meet you after your game drives and also before dinner in the evening. All the staff were very attentive and keen to make sure your stay ran smoothly.

Amboseli N P is rightly famous for its huge elephant population and it is probably impossible to drive for more than 15 minutes without coming across elephants! That is the main reason that I wanted to visit this park but I heard that some guests have been disappointed that other wildlife is sparse. I don't think this a destination for for first time safari goers unless they only want to see elephants!

The guiding here was good but the guides here do seem to have something of a fixation to give you the perfect photo shot of an elephant with Kilimanjaro in the background. There is supposed to be a decent lion population here but they are seldom seen. I did have one sighting of 3 male cheetah brothers but that was very fortunate as they are very skittish and shy. There are no leopards in the park.

Overall I enjoyed my time at Tortillis and in Amboseli but for me it is a once only visit. That is not a criticism of Tortillis or the park itself but simply recognition that there is not enough to draw you back." See all these reviews: 8n in Kenya

"This was my third visit to Tortilis and for obvious reasons. It is located in a conservancy which means game viewing is excellent and mostly private.

The camp is also very nice, there is a climb from the tents to the main lodge and eating area but it is not difficult and you can also get picked up near the pool for the game drives which makes it so much easier. My guide Juma is absolutely the best and it was a treat to have him in the car.

The facilities are top-notch and everyone is always ready to help. Food is superb, it is even better than I remember. Breakfast is a buffet and dinner is a multiple course meal served at the table. Everyone is assigned a room steward who looks after all your needs in the tent, including the morning wake-up tea/coffee, laundry and anything else. You also have a personal waiter who attends to you during mealtimes and will get your packed breakfast prepared according to your wishes, apart from other things.

I had a massage twice during my 10 day stay there and it was very good, perfect for all the back pains I developed from the 'safari massage' sustained during the game drives." See all these reviews: 15n in Kenya

"Because of the number of guests we were offered the private house. It was a treat having our own pool. No-one was in the family tent for the first two days so we had the pool to ourselves.

The house had a fridge with cold drinks which we enjoyed. The main bedroom had a huge tub! In the early evening we sat on the covered porch watching the dikdiks and birds. On our third night I woke at 2am with my back, right side (the side I sleep on) and upper arms covered in itchy welts. I assumed something (mites?) was in the bed. It was very very uncomfortable. Fortunately there was a third twin bed in the room I was sharing, so my roommate installed me in that bed so I could get some sleep. But now, 9 days later I have raised red spots that are only slightly itchy if I rub them by mistake.

A number of us experienced itchy welts around the time we were at the camp, so we shared antihistamine tablets some brought, which helped temporarily. Eventually we were given some anti-itch cream at another camp, also with mixed results, providing temporary relief. I strongly recommend bringing antihistamine tablets and bug bite cream. There was some doubt about where I got my bites. But I know for sure I was in bed and wakened at 2am by itchy itchy welts and I felt like I was being bit. Expert Africa was empathetic and tried to figure out the source.

Food was good but sometimes hit and miss. The beef was tough tough tough. Don't have any beef there. Chris was a pleasant server but he often mixed up orders." See all these reviews: 12n in Kenya

"For a first visit to the Amboseli, Tortilis was a wonderful experience.

Only one thing marred our stay, which was that several of us in the group were quite badly bitten by insects in our beds. I believe that this was reported, but I do want to reiterate it. I am not sure what the protocol is when this happens; however, I would hope that camp management would take a good look at current practices and to update how bug management is handled.

That out of the way, everything else at Tortilis was amazing. The staff was wonderful. The chefs outdid themselves, and their Pastry Chef is truly outstanding. Meals were always very very good.

I would have prefered our Bush Breakfasts to be laid out and take what you want as opposed to box breakfasts. Not everyone would eat everything in the boxes, and I fear that some of that food was wasted. Our one sit down and omlette station bush breakfast with other visitors, was the best.

Our guides, Dixon and Chege (I hope I spelled that correctly), were beyond excellent. Both gentlemen were so well informed on the wildlife, plants, rocks, terrain, everything. I would not hesitate to travel with them again. We saw so many animals, including Craig (!), and were truly blown away.

To add to animal sightings: We saw ground squirrels twice." See all these reviews: 13n in Kenya

"Great camp, super location in its own conservancy with outstanding views of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Our main goal was to find and photograph supertusker Craig and our guide was brilliant. He found Craig on two separate days.....simply amazing!!!!!

We also found a cheetah with four cubs lounging in front of Kilimanjaro. The conservancy is a huge plus.

The lodge staff and food......simply outstanding." See all these reviews: 7n in Kenya

"staff were very friendly and food was excellent. Tents were clean and basic. The camp is quite large and we prefer smaller camps. It was not busy when we were there but i can imagine if the camp was full it would be overwhelming." See all these reviews: 16n in Kenya

"Postcard picture perfect view of Mt. Kilimanjaro was what we were greeted with as we entered the lounge area of Tortilis Camp. We were welcomed by a friendly staff and shown to our room. The rooms were private canvas tent structures with wooden floors and a good size bathroom. Very clean and comfortable, it suited our needs just fine. They felt safe but very much in-the-bush experience. The property is surrounded by an electric fence so it is safe to walk to and from the lodge area. It is quite a walk though, up hill to reach the lodge. This wasn’t a problem for us even being a bit out of shape but could definitely make for a bad experience for some.

Our guide for the 3 days was Martin. We were very fortunate to have him all to ourselves. Martin is such an asset to Tortilis Camp. Not only was he friendly and personable but so knowledgeable! He really made our first safari fun and informative. He was great at always asking if we were “good” to continue on and if we wanted more time he was happy to oblige. They had arranged a bush breakfast one morning and sundowners another night. Both were at very scenic locations and were such an enjoyable and special experience! We were spoiled having a private guide as we quickly realized at our next camp we were paired with a grumpy couple.

Being our first safari and it being shoulder season, we really didn’t know what to expect or how much wildlife we would encounter. We were blown away by the numbers and variety of animals we saw! Located in the Kitirua Conservancy right outside Amboseli National park, we of course saw tons of elephant! So amazing! We also saw buffalo, giraffe, hippo, hyena, wildebeest, zebra, warthogs, gazelle, waterbuck, baboon, and monkey.

Our days consisted of 2 game drives and down time which included napping, eating and swimming in the pool. We really liked the longer morning drives with a packed breakfast. Meals in the restaurant were all appetizing and service was friendly and inviting. The view from the restaurant (and lounge) are amazing and I would recommend sitting in the lounge admiring the views of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

As far as activities we did the visit to a Masai Village and the Guided Bush Walk. The Masai Village visit was really special. I had some reservations about going. My husband and I were the only guests that day. The Maasai people were very friendly and welcoming. We were truly interested in learning about their culture and way of life so we listened intently and asked a bunch of questions. We found their medicine man to be really informative and interesting. To us, it was a powerful visit, we learned a lot and we left with a fond respect of the people we had met. However, I could see how it could be exploitative with tourist more gawking then interacting with the people and this is why I was hesitant to go. The Guided Bush Walk was a bit lacking to be honest. It started out with the guide talking and pointing out a few things and then it just became a long silent hike. We really wanted to learn more about the environment, insects, plants etc but we were left wanting.

Overall our stay at Tortilis Camp was spectacular and we will remember it fondly for the rest of our lives!" See all these reviews: 7n in Kenya

"We love Tortilis Camp! I would highly recommend it to anyone.

The setting is gorgeous, the rooms are well appointed but what makes it really special is the hospitality. The food and drink are delicious (they are proud of their large on-site garden producing great fresh fruit and vegetables).

The bush breakfast, sundowners and all the hospitality offered by the staff made it really special, in addition to fabulous wildlife viewing." See all these reviews: 10n in Kenya; 3n in Rwanda

"This camp has too many guests and you are a number not a person.

The staff are fantastic from Zed downwards but I did not take to the English Management. They do not take care to try to match you up with like minded people in your game vehicle. Luckily Zed came to my rescue and in fact I then had drives that were absolutely fabulous with Ali.

Fantastic backdrop with Kili." See all these reviews: 11n in Kenya