Little Elephant Camp
Little Elephant Camp in Queen Park.
Located on the border of the Queen Elizabeth National Park in western Uganda, Little Elephant Camp is not another lodging facility but a tented, private glamping experience that immerses guests in the utmost extent of being in wild Africa without losing comfort and style. The camp is also couples, families and small groups friendly and is packed with the magic of sleeping under canvas with the modern conveniences on land bordering one of the most biodiverse wildlife havens in Uganda.
The unique accommodation is situated in the Muhokya enclave of the park on a 31-38-acre private plot against a backdrop of the dramatic Rwenzori Mountains and the large savannah plains. It is so close to the Kasese-Mbarara highway; it is only a matter of 600 metres off the main road, which is why it is very easily accessible and very immersive at the same time.
Philosophy and Story: Safari with Heart.
Little Elephant Camp is the result of the love of nature and the desire to enjoy the purest Uganda safari. This couple of Canadian residents of Uganda is the vision of its founders, who wanted their guests to come and sleep under the canvas and be surrounded by all the sounds of the wild and vast landscape but still receive the high standard of comfort and personal space.
However, tourism is not everything about the camp. It is a social enterprise which benefits local communities: almost all employees are locals, and some of them receive their first job experience in hospitality. Such focus on community engagement and skill-building extends the influence of the camp not only outside its boundaries but also assists families and youth to achieve their growth, gain self-confidence, and get better prospects in life.
Private Tented Camps: Accommodation.
What Each Camp Every privately owned safari tented camp contains several distinct spaces:
Sleeping Tent: Cosy bed with good pillows, linens and beds. The en-suite bathroom also includes a flushing toilet, sink and an outside shower with hot water, a stargazer shower, which is ideal to wash under the open sky.
Lounge Area: The lounge has comfortable safari chairs and a daybed, which makes it a good place to relax after a day-long safari or even just to view distant wildlife.
BBQ/Grill, Campfire: Every camp will have a barbecue system and firewood to have a true outdoor grilling experience. One of the things that makes a stay here special is the evening campfires with the sound of lanterns and the wild animals.
Solar Lighting and Wi-Fi: There is lighting inside the tents that is powered by solar light and 50-gigabit USB charging for devices. The Wi-Fi in the areas serves to make sure that guests are connected in case of necessity.
Parking: Each of the camps has its own parking space, which is convenient for guests arriving by road.
This closed system allows the guests not to share the facilities with other guests, providing a feel of privacy and exclusivity that is hard to find even in the safari lodges of high quality.
Food and Dining: Self-Catering with Care.
Little Elephant Camp has a slightly different approach to food services than other safari lodges: it is mainly self-catering, whereby a guest is given a fully equipped kitchen to cook his/her own meals.
In the event that they do not wish to carry their own food, travellers are able to pre-order various types of food in advance. They consist of grill-ready marinated meats (such as beef tenderloin skewers and teriyaki chicken), local produce offerings, and ready-to-eat items that are not required to be heated in the microwave oven (such as safari stew, vegetarian curry, and breakfast selections such as granola, fresh fruit, and farm-fresh eggs).
As far as beverages are concerned, the camp has bottled wines, local beers, soda and water, and this provides the guests with options to have drinks with their meals. Self-catering does not translate to inconvenience in this case, but instead, it is part of the safari experience, where the travellers can make their own meals in the background of nature sounds and sights.
Activities in the wild, tours in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Although Little Elephant Camp can in itself be regarded as the nirvana of nature, the main attraction to most tourists is its location as a paradise on the border of Queen Elizabeth National Park, which is one of the most renowned places to see in Uganda. The park is almost 2,000 km² and harbours more mammal species than any other conservation area in the country, not to mention its amazing variety of birds.
Guests who come to stay at Little Elephant can arrange several activities, and these include:
Game Drives
Early morning, afternoon or full-day safari tours visit the grasslands, woodlands, and savannahs of the park. These offer a chance to see the elephants, buffalo, Uganda kob, warthogs, and lions, among others, in their natural habitat.
Kazinga Channel Boat Safari.
The two-hour boat ride along the Kazinga Channel provides an intimate experience with hippos, crocodiles, elephants drinking on the banks and several waterbirds. It is one of the most favourable experiences in the park.
Explosion Crater Drive
The scenic Crater Drive road is an alternate road that takes one through old volcanic craters, woodland areas, and lakes. It is not so popular as the primary safari circuits, but it has spectacular views and awesome wildlife sightings, particularly following rainfall.
Bird Watching and Chimpanzee Trekking.
There are more than 600 species of birds that have been spotted in the park, and there is a lot to be seen by the keen birders. Chimpanzee trekking in some of the neighbouring forests, such as Kyambura Gorge, is also a good opportunity to see our closest relatives in the wild.
What is So Good about Little Elephant Camp?
The peculiar feature of this camp is the possibility of being in a private, comfortable place but in unity with nature. Each guest has their own camp, with a kitchen, bathroom, and outdoor lounge, rather than meeting in shared lodges with a bustling food area and shared areas, which makes it perfect for families, romantic retreats, and those travellers who value their privacy and time alone.
All the bookings are for livelihoods and skills training of people around the park, a little difference that responsible tourism can have an actual effect.
Conclusion
Little Elephant Camp is a destination on its own in an area that is characterised by amazing wildlife and beautiful scenery. It is not just a bed and breakfast; it is a feeling that makes you feel one with the beats of the African bush, enables you to make your own safari time, and lets you identify with the natural world in a very personal manner. It can be roasting skewers over the fire under a star-studded sky, getting up to the sound of birds outside your tent or going out to spend the day on game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
