Reviews of Tortilis Camp

"Only shortfall of this camp is the long steep incline from rooms to central amenities. Motor transport was provided for me to and from our room but this may not have been practical for others located in area with no road access." See all these reviews: 14n in Kenya

"Nothing can prepare you for the view that Tortilis camp offers. The dining area faces Kilimanjaro and we were lucky to be able to see the mountain every day (it wasn't shrouded in mist!).

There is a man made watering hole which attracts animals. Our tent was vast with a very comfortable bed. No view of the mountain though.

The food was satisfactory. Usually soup and then a buffet.

We were struck at the variety of terrain in Amboseli from swamp to moon like landscape." See all these reviews: 8n in Kenya

"Our principal reason for wanting to visit Amboseli was to see elephants, and our wish was more than fulfilled - though it was also great just to sit quietly and take in the sheer numbers and variety of birds which vied for attention with them in the swampy areas. We also enjoyed the sight of hundreds of flamingoes which was a really stunning spectacle. It was good to have the option of game drives in the Kitirua conservancy though to be honest I think we had better luck game viewing in the park itself, which luckily did not seem as busy with other visitors as we thought it might be.

Unfortunately Kilimanjaro remained pretty well shrouded in cloud for most of our stay, but it was obvious that the view of it from the camp would have been amazing had it been more visible. As well as having a fantastic location, the camp itself was immaculately maintained and the food excellent, though as with Elsa's I think the atmosphere must inevitably be very different in high season when the camp is full. We very much appreciated the charming and understated hosting of Candy and Graeme, and along with our guide Patrick, wanted to express particular thanks to Jackson who not only looked after us so ably at mealtimes but also led us on a very enjoyable bush walk on the last morning of our stay." See all these reviews: 7n in Kenya

"Loved this place, unfortunately we never got a very good view of Kilimanjaro which I really wanted to see as Peter had climbed this 10 years ago. However wonderful wildlife - and birds - flamingoes were stunning.

Lions, cheetahs, hippos buffalo, elephants giraffe wildebeest, hyena gazelles, Secretary bird.

Brilliant guide, good hosts, great service from all the staff.

Visited local village, felt slightly pressured as on my own with one of the chief's sons as we were shown all the handicrafts" See all these reviews: 12n in Kenya

"Amazing views of flamingoes as we flew in. Excellent guide. Safe camp.

Friendly, helpful staff. Good views of the water hole with several visitors at night.

Watched lions mating.

Had opportunity to visit Maasai village. Valuable experience." See all these reviews: 12n in Kenya

"Exciting location on the edge of the national park. Beautiful tents. Great guide, Boni. Staff friendly and helpful.

Breakfast in the bush was a great treat.

Food otherwise just OK. Barbecue meat tough. Mixed drinks weak." See all these reviews: 10n in Kenya

"Tortilis Camp has an excellent location on a hillside facing Kilimanjaro and overlooking a small waterhole, just outside the Amboseli park boundary – although this is something of a technicality as there is no noticeable boundary, other than at the entrance to the camp itself. It is a fenced camp, so there are no restrictions on walking around, during daylight or evening hours.

The accommodation, as is fairly typical for tented camps in our experience, comprises a spacious tent pitched on a solid base with a thatched outer roof, incorporating a bathroom at the back, behind the (very comfortable) double bed, and opening onto an outdoor sitting area at the front. There is a good degree of separation and vegetation between tents to provide privacy. From our tent we had views of Kilimanjaro – when it wasn't shrouded in cloud – but we were not able to see the waterhole or anything much of the wildlife that came to visit it. However, up at the main lounge / bar / restaurant area there was a better view and we were able to watch various animals come to drink, including some elephants while we were having lunch, one day!

The food was excellent, with a good range of options. Buffet for breakfast and lunch; à la carte in the evening. One morning's game drive included a bush breakfast, which was very pleasant out on the plane in the shade of a tree, looking at Kilimanjaro before the clouds rolled in. This was also outside of the park boundary, which again was something of a technicality and it certainly did not deter the family of 3 cheetahs that we saw immediately afterwards. (Maybe they fancied one of the cooked-to-order omelettes?)

The activities provided by the camp were morning and evening game drives, which were in an open-sided safari vehicle with a canvas roof for shade. At this time of year most of the park is a dustbowl except for the areas around the lake and marshes, which are what makes Amboseli such a magnet for wildlife – and tourists, although we were not overly aware of too many of those at the various sightings where we stopped to view the wildlife. There were lots of elephants, hippos, buffalo, wildebeest, various antelopes and giraffes, and loads of birds, both waterfowl and other species. We are not mad-keen bird watchers but easily spotted at least 40 different species without trying particularly hard.

Although the water provided by the lake and marshes makes for great wildlife densities at this time of year, there was not a huge variety and predators, in particular, seemed to be difficult to find. We were fortunate to see the cheetahs after our bush breakfast, and the same 3 the following morning as well, as it happened, as they had not moved that far away. We also had two hyena sightings, including a cub which had popped up from its den. However, the variety of birds was extensive and perhaps the one area where our guide could improve his knowledge. We are not expert ornithologists by any means but our experience on previous safaris elsewhere has been that the guides have a pretty good eye and knowledge of what they are looking at – that is why they are safari guides! They may not know everything (who does?) but usually have a good initial idea, with the relevant well-thumbed guidebooks on-hand for confirmation. It was slightly disconcerting, therefore, to have occasions when we would see a bird and appear to have more of an idea about it than our guide. For example: asking what type of bee-eater we were looking at, to be told it was a fly-catcher because the single page quick ID guide said so, was not really very good. (For the record, when we persuaded our guide to look the bird up properly in his guidebook, it was confirmed as a cinnamon chested bee-eater.) In conversation we understood from our guide that he had been working in Amboseli for 20 years; we would expect a slightly better grasp of the local birdlife after all that time.

This last point aside, our guide's general abilities in terms of driving us around safely, knowing the geography of the park and surrounding areas, and looking for and finding animals, were absolutely fine. He also drove us safely all the way to our rendezvous at the Tsavo West gate as part of our transfer at the end of our stay." See all these reviews: 4n in Kenya

"We absolutely loved Graeme and Candy, the camp managers. They were so warm and hospitable, with a fabulous sense of humor as well.

Our guide, Alex, provided us with exceptional experiences from the moment we arrived at the humble little airport. I am confident that Alex's love of elephants allowed us to get closer to and feel the elephants at much greater depth than we would have under different circumstances.

This was a great camp to start at, with the local watering hole providing an ever changing vista of wildlife. Our tent was so nice. Our room attendant charming. All I can do is sigh and wish I were there right now.

The trip we made to the local Maasai village and school was educational and life-changing." See all these reviews: 11n in Kenya; 2n in Zambia; 1n in South Africa

"As our program guide indicated, Tortilis is a luxury safari camp, well-located on a small rise with views of the savanna and the mountains beyond.

Excellent restaurant, highly-qualified and friendly staff, and pleasant tented accommodations.

Game drives, focused on elephants, were exceptionally well done.

An added benefit here was an opportunity to visit a Maasai village. Just ask, otherwise not scheduled.
Most interesting, heart-warming and very informative Contrasting the village itself with the nearby schools for boys and girls was a bit disturbing but that is life in Africa, so I understand." See all these reviews: 10n in Kenya

"Tortilis Camp was fantastic in all respects and is in a stunning location with a stunning view of Kilimanjaro. Superb accommodation, lovely food, and very welcoming helpful staff.

The managers, Andrea and Manuela were wonderful, so friendly and helpful. On our last night we were the only people staying there and Andrea and Manuela made our stay really special with a candle lit dinner, set on the hillside over looking Kilimanjaro.

On our game drives the animal sightings were superb and our guide, Eric, was extremely knowledgeable. We saw elephants, cheetahs, spotted hyenas, lions, lots of birds to name a but a few.We had some of the best game drives we've ever been on.

We would love to return there." See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania; 7n in Kenya