Selenkay Conservancy

Selenkay Conservancy is a 15,000-acre Maasai-owned wildlife conservancy located just 16 km north of Amboseli National Park, Kenya. Sharing the same ecosystem as Amboseli,

Selenkay was established on land leased from the local Maasai to protect wildlife habitats, promote conservation, and provide the local community with sustainable income alternatives to farming.

Over the past two decades, the conservancy has witnessed a remarkable resurgence of wildlife, including the return of elephants after a 20-year absence. With unfenced boundaries and low-impact tourism, Selenkay allows animals to roam freely, offering visitors an intimate and immersive safari experience that is far removed from crowded tourist routes.

How to Get There

Selenkay Conservancy is accessible by road or air from Nairobi or surrounding towns.

By Road:

✓ Around 2–3 hours from Naivasha or Nakuru via Mai Mahiu–Narok.
✓ Approximately 270 km (5–6 hours) from Nairobi via Narok–Sekenani route.
✓ Scenic drives allow for wildlife spotting en route, including elephants and giraffes.

By Air:

✓ Private charters can land at nearby airstrips with short transfers to the conservancy.
✓ Scheduled flights from Nairobi to Amboseli airstrips take about 45 minutes, followed by a 30–45 minute road transfer.

History & Conservation Significance

Founded on Maasai-leased lands, Selenkay Conservancy serves as a crucial buffer for Amboseli National Park, mitigating human-wildlife conflict while expanding safe habitat for elephants, lions, cheetahs, leopards, giraffes, and other species.

The conservancy collaborates closely with the Maasai community, employing locals as guides, trackers, and camp staff, and supporting education, healthcare, and infrastructure development through tourism revenue.

It’s a private, low-density safari model allowing a maximum of 18 guests at a time, ensuring that wildlife behaves naturally and that visitors enjoy an unspoiled wilderness experience.

Selenkay’s rich biodiversity, including over 50 resident hippos and a diverse array of bird species, combined with the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro, makes it an exceptional destination for wildlife enthusiasts, photographers, and eco-tourists seeking authentic African safari adventures.

Wildlife Viewing Experiences

✓ Morning & Afternoon Game Drives: Explore the 15,000-acre Selenkay Conservancy on guided drives with expert Maasai rangers. Witness large herds of elephants returning after decades, as well as lions, cheetahs, leopards, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, lesser kudus, gerenuks, ostriches, and bat-eared foxes.

✓ Birdwatching: Birdwatchers can enjoy stunning species such as lilac-breasted rollers, Hildebrandt’s starlings, and superb starlings. With minimal tourist traffic, wildlife behaves naturally, allowing for intimate and undisturbed sightings.

✓ Sunset Safaris: Late afternoon drives offer spectacular photography opportunities, with elephants and plains game grazing under the glowing skies, often with Mount Kilimanjaro in the background.

✓ Night Game Drives: Unique to Selenkay, night drives allow guests to observe nocturnal wildlife such as jackals, bushbabies, and small cats, gaining insight into the conservancy’s rich nocturnal ecosystem.

Nature-Based Guided Walks

✓ Walking Safaris: Venture on foot through open bush and acacia thickets with Maasai guides, tracking wildlife and observing small mammals, birds, and insects. Walking safaris provide a close-up, immersive experience of the wilderness.

Immersive Conservation & Community Experiences

✓ Elephant Encounters: Experience elephants interacting naturally at waterholes and grazing areas, often with Kilimanjaro as a dramatic backdrop—ideal for photographers.

✓ Cultural Engagement: Participate in Maasai village visits, traditional dances, and storytelling sessions to understand the deep connection between the Maasai people and the land, and how conservation benefits both wildlife and community livelihoods.

✓ Eco-Conservation Insights: Selenkay Conservancy protects wildlife while supporting the local Maasai community through employment, education, and infrastructure projects. Guests learn how human–wildlife conflict is mitigated and how sustainable land management helps preserve habitats for elephants and other species.

Selenkay Conservancy’s remote location and strict visitor limits allow animals to behave naturally, making it a prime destination for immersive wildlife viewing.

Elephants, which had been absent for over 20 years, have returned in large numbers, and the conservancy provides critical habitat for a variety of species that migrate between Selenkay and Amboseli. From majestic big tuskers to elusive cats and diverse antelopes, the wildlife here is abundant and varied, while birdlife adds spectacular color and sound to the landscape.

Large Mammals

✓ Oryx
✓ Zebra
✓ Eland
✓ Giraffe
✓ Warthog
✓ Elephant 
✓ Wildebeest
✓ Lesser Kudu
✓ Grant’s & Thomson’s gazelle

Big Cats & Predators

✓ Lion
✓ Hyena
✓ Leopard
✓ Cheetah
✓ Black-backed Jackal

Other Mammals

✓ Caracal
✓ Baboons
✓ Aardwolf
✓ Porcupine
✓ Mongoose
✓ Bat-eared fox
✓ African wildcat
✓ Vervet monkeys
✓ Gerenuk (notably tame and easy to photograph in Selenkay)

Birdlife

Selenkay Conservancy boasts impressive avian diversity, making it a birdwatcher’s paradise. Birds are found throughout the open plains, bush thickets, and near waterholes, with both resident and migratory species thriving. Highlights include:

✓ Ostriches – striding through open areas with ease.
✓ Bee-eaters – colorful and lively, adding movement to the skies.
✓ Go-away Birds – numerous around camp and woodland edges.
✓ Superb Starling – commonly found in flocks around the conservancy.
✓ Raptors – hawks, eagles, and other birds of prey hunting across the plains.
✓ Lilac-breasted Roller – a ubiquitous African jewel, brightening open landscapes.
✓ Hildebrandt’s Starling – brilliantly colored, often seen in open areas near bushes.
✓ Waterfowl & Wetland Birds – seasonally abundant around waterholes, especially after the rains.

Other species, including migratory birds, add to the diversity, providing spectacular viewing and photography opportunities. The conservancy’s quiet, private environment allows close observation without disturbing the animals, making every encounter more intimate and memorable.

Porini Amboseli Camp is an award-winning eco-safari camp set within the 15,000-acre Maasai-owned Selenkay Conservancy, just 16 km north of Amboseli National Park. With nine safari tents and one family unit, the camp offers an intimate, low-impact safari experience, providing guests with exclusive access to one of Kenya’s most important wildlife dispersal areas and breathtaking views of Mount Kilimanjaro.

The tents are traditional East African safari style, shaded by acacia trees, with en-suite bathrooms, solar-powered lighting, and private verandahs overlooking the bush. The family unit consists of two interlinked tents with a shared lounge, ideal for those traveling with children. Interiors are comfortable and authentic, combining modern amenities with a natural bush atmosphere.

The camp’s communal areas include a lounge and dining tent where freshly prepared meals are served, a bar with solar-powered Wi-Fi, and evening campfire gatherings under the star-filled skies. Guests can also enjoy sundowners, bush picnics, and photography from raised viewpoints across the conservancy.

Experienced Maasai rangers and trackers guide activities at Porini Amboseli Camp and include day and night game drives, walking safaris, birdwatching, and cultural visits to local Maasai villages.

Night drives offer the chance to spot nocturnal species, including serval cats, caracals, bat-eared foxes, and aardvarks. All tourism revenue directly supports conservation initiatives and the local Maasai community, ensuring wildlife and culture thrive side by side.

Mobile: + 254-721-242-711
WhatsApp: +254-721-242-711
Reservations: +254 718-179-967
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://africanspicesafaris.com