Joy's Camp

Joy's Camp is an elegant and serene oasis situated 195 miles north east of Nairobi, Kenya and is set on Joy Adamson’s original campsite in the semi-desert Shaba National Reserve.

It is the place where Joy raised and then released her famous leopard “Penny” and is the perfect safari experience for those seeking to immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of nature, which are ever present in this special place. The starkly beautiful semi-arid landscape is dominated by Mount Shaba, an ancient and long extinct volcanic mountain that lies to the south of the camp.

Each of the 10 raised en-suite canvas tents has a private veranda where you can enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding hills and picturesque sunsets, and the only hustle and bustle for hundreds of kilometres is at the camps natural spring where the animals jostle their way for a spot to drink at. The luxury tents are decorated with Boran/Somali cloth design and are decorated with handmade glass objet d’ art. The soft furnishings are made by the local nomadic tribes whose vibrant culture and personality is woven into the colourful cloth of the cushions, rugs and throws that adorn the luxurious tents. Meals at the camp are a sumptuous fusion of tastes inspired by Northern Italian and traditional African recipes prepared with fresh, locally sourced produce. The camp also boasts a sparkling pool where you can cool off from the heat of the day and soak up this remarkable bush environment that has remained unchanged for thousands of years.

The Reserve is enriched with extraordinary wildlife including elephants, lions, cheetahs, gerenuks, buffalos, grant gazelles, dik-diks, waterbucks and the rare desert species of beisa oryx, reticulated giraffe and grevys zebra that are attracted to the 17 springs located in the area. The river forest attracts a wide variety of birds.

Activities at Joys Camp include traditional game drives in 4x4 vehicles through the hilly countryside, exploring the area on a guided camel walk, bush breakfasts at a local beauty spot overlooking the undulating plains or sundowners followed by a night game drive back to the camp, spotting nocturnal bush babies and aardvark along the way.

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