Naboisho Camp — Hotel in Siana ward

We had a very disappointing stay at Naboisho that did not live up to the reviews or the experience a camp of this price point should warrant. After our stay, we learned that Becca and Lewis are no longer co-managers of the camp, which may explain our time at Naboisho. Lewis has supposedly been promoted to a non-guest facing corporate role overseeing multiple camps while Becca has been joined by two managers who have only been with the property for a few months (per Linkedin) - one of whom has no prior luxury camp management experience and the other who prior to Naboisho was not in an on-property role but instead was managing operations of camps in a remote capacity. Our stay was overseen by these two new managers and not Becca as she was not on property until our last night and never introduced herself to us (even when we asked to meet her the morning of our departure).||||Whenever I read negative reviews, I usually dismiss them as ranting or an individual airing a grievance about some inconsequential issue. However, we experienced numerous service issues that indicate major problems at the property and corporate level - inexperienced management; an inability to properly accommodate service requests that veer from the default (in our case private dining); service that lacks intuition one would expect at a luxury camp; and a defensive culture that is present not just on property but at Asilia corporate as well.||||At the other properties we visited over the course of our two week trip (Elewana Kilindi, Nomad Entamanu, Nomad Lamai and Lewa Wilderness), the general manager would introduce themselves within minutes of arrival and we experienced phenomenal, anticipatory service marked by personalized moments - each of these camps was truly mindblowing, exceeding our expectations and truly worthy of their luxury designators. However, this was not our experience at Naboisho.||||At Naboisho, we were greeted by an individual who introduced herself but not her title and informed us that lunches were communal but could be private upon request She made no mention of dinners. We assumed dinners were private as there were individual tables in the restaurant area and we were not told otherwise. After our game drive, we saw a communal table set up (the individual tables were pushed together) and waited 20-30 minutes for the other guests to come back before sitting down for dinner. The communal dinner was very long, going on for hours. As we had spent four hours traveling to the camp from Tanzania, we were tired and had to awkwardly excuse ourselves from the table at 10pm as the dinner was still going on and we wanted to rest. After this meal, my mother and I decided to have private meals going forward as we live in separate states and wanted to spend as much time with one another while on vacation. We had a conversation with management to relay this request and had our travel agent contact the camp as well.||||Despite management offering to accommodate our request to dine privately, two of our three meals were not private. Our first lunch was private, set up in the pool area away from the main camp lawn where the communal lunch is served - it was lovely. We assumed dinner would be in the same spot but upon returning to the camp after our game drive, were seated 40 feet away from the communal table, within eye shot of the other guests. Prior to being seated, we asked if we could be seated by the pool but the staff member noted the pool area would be too cold and that we should sit at the table they selected as it would be warmer. We felt very self-conscious and uncomfortable throughout the entire meal as we did not want the other guests to see us and to assume we did not like them as we were dining separately. The following day for lunch, we were seated on the main lawn, literally 20 feet from the communal table. The lunch was set up as a buffet by the communal table so we had to awkwardly walk by the other guests to collect our food. This seemed like a passive aggressive attempt by management to express their frustration with us dining privately. We felt so uncomfortable that we were making plans to stay somewhere else our last night.||||However, instead of leaving, I decided to have a conversation with one of the points of contact at the camp (I did not know her title as she never provided her role) to express how uncomfortable this dining set up had made me feel. I expressed my disappointment with our dining locations and my anxiety around not wanting other guests thinking we didn't like them because we were eating separately. She stated "nobody is thinking about that" and "nobody is thinking about you." When I asked why she seated us at on the lawn literally next to the communal table, she stated it was because "other guests like to sit there." I explained to this individual that our first meal was wonderful by the pool so she curtly responds "so you want to eat by the pool?" I inform her I would and left the conversation feeling uneasy considering how awkward it was to express this concern and her defensive attitude. After I left, I realized the first night we were informed the pool would be too cold for dinner so was concerned we would be cold if we had dinner there. My mother recalled some guests have earlier dinners to go on night drives so she went up to this individual to request an earlier dinner, to which she agreed. However, herein lies the issue - why didn't the camp just offer us options as to where we would like to dine so we would be comfortable? If the pool area is cold at night, why didn't they offer the option to dine earlier? Why couldn't we dine in our room? Also, if you request private dining, wouldn't it be expected that the dining would be in fact private and not within eyeshot of the communal table? Wouldn't they know guests will feel awkward if they request private dining and end up being seated within eyeshot of other guests? If you are a guest at the communal table, wouldn't you think it was odd there were two other guests sitting separately at their own table? It all just didn't make sense as we had experienced such intuitive service at other similar camps but at Naboisho had to advocate for ourselves and make requests, many of which were dismissed as opposed to being given choices.||||Other lackluster service encounters included our first day when we asked for a fan to take an afternoon nap (it was 85 degrees, there was no breeze and our guide even noted that it was unseasonably hot) - we were abruptly told "no - we do not have fans." We then were asked why we needed a fan as we shouldn't need a fan because the room should have a sufficient breeze to which another staff member responded "yes - there should be a sufficient breeze." Why does a luxury camp with no air conditioning that charges thousands of dollars per night not have fans available for guests? Why is management trying to explain why I should be fine without a fan instead of proposing an alternate solution? Housekeeping had a number of misses including forgetting to pick up laundry and many cleanliness issues (including a particularly dirty and tattered pair of slippers - photo attached). Many of the staff also seemed very green and had difficulty communicating with us - although we understand we are traveling in a foreign country and there will be some sort of language barrier, the language barrier amongst the staff was significantly more pronounced here vs. other properties. Additionally, the staff at other camps seemed more relaxed and genuine vs. Naboisho where they seemed overworked or just interested in completing a task vs delivering an experience.||||On our last night, we went to Tripadvisor as we had an inclination the two individuals who were running the camp a) may be new or b) may not be managers as they didn't introduce their titles - upon reading the reviews, I noted the numerous mentions of Becca and Lewis. We never met Becca and Lewis despite us realizing after the fact that we actually saw them while we were eating dinner on our last night - Lewis even walked by our table to place wood into the fire five feet from us and didn't say hello. Why didn't they introduce themselves if we were staying at their camp? At all of the other camps, managers would immediately introduce themselves and greet you if they saw you in public spaces.||||After our trip, we decided to have a call with Asilia corporate which was marked by the same defensive attitude we experienced at the camp. Instead of taking accountability and at least acknowledging our perspective, she stated she was sorry we were made to feel uncomfortable instead of saying we should have been given options as to where to dine. Additionally, instead of stating the managers should have introduced themselves and their roles, she stated she was sorry that we were not informed that the two individuals we met were the management team. When we asked why we never met Becca (despite asking to speak with her our last morning there to express our concerns) she stated it is company policy for guests to only be in contact with the managers they meet at the start of their stay. She also expressed regret that we weren't informed how commonplace private dining is while on safari and that she in fact dines privately when she visits Asilia properties - if private dining is so common, why was it not handled well for us? We left the call not feeling a sense of resolution but instead confusion as to how a supposed luxury safari operator does not at least try to validate their guest's perspectives.||||After the call, we received a letter that was defensive and did not take accountability. The letter stated Asilia has 20 years of managing camps and that they did not view our experience as a service failure but as a gesture they would give us $500. We requested they donate this to charity but haven't heard if they in fact did donate this and if so, to what organization.||||Unfortunately, given management and corporate's response to our feedback, I wouldn't recommend this property or Asilia as a whole. What is sad is that this all could have a) been avoided with a simple solution: management offering us options as to where we could dine to ensure we were comfortable; and b) resolved with a simple solution: apologizing for their service lapse; taking accountability; acknowledging our perspective; and implementing a service recovery solution to demonstrate we were valued guests. I assume Asilia will have a defensive response to this review or try to invalidate my perspective but wanted to express my view so others can think twice before spending their hard earned money and booking this property. Also, oddly it seems many of the reviews have the disclaimer "Review collected in partnership with this hotel" - does this mean Asilia is only submitting select high-rated reviews?||||I do want to acknowledge a highlight of our trip - our guide Albert. He was remarkable and provided the above-and-beyond service one expects at a luxury camp. I accidentally left my work laptop bag on the plane and he called Air Kenya and the airport to track down the bag, arrange for it to be stored at a nearby camp and then placed on a plane back to Naboisho. Additionally, he was arguably our best guide out of all the camps we visited, providing us with detailed insights and memorable game sightings. The beds in our rooms were also extremely comfortable and probably the best of any camp we stayed. Despite Albert being exceptional and the comfortable beds, these aspects of the camp sadly couldn't make up for the service issues at the property that made us feel like we had wasted thousands of dollars per night just to feel uncomfortable and unvalued.||||It seems Asilia is investing significant capital into renovating their existing properties and adding new camps to expand their portfolio - but is having trouble keeping up with this growth from a talent standpoint. Asilia gives off the vibe of a company that recently received a notable investment from a private equity group or fund, is under pressure to grow and as a result, has lost the service standards and experience it was known for...

I was grappling with posting a sole negative review but after reading Sonal's recent review, I couldn't help but acknowledge we had a very similar experience that faltered in the same areas - defensive management; issues with dining; and lack of staff during certain times.

I learned after my stay last month that the property recently instituted new managers (one of whom just graduated from college - although we found her to be kind, you need significant training and hospitality experience to be a manager of a hotel, albeit a luxury camp that charges ~$3K+ per night) - we realized this lack of experience led to our service issues, which explains the turn from the previous positive reviews.

Bottom Line - The lodge is freshly renovated and offers great game driving but poor management. An inability to accommodate service requests that veer from the default led to a lackluster experience, which is surprising, especially considering this property's price point. Unfortunately, Naboisho did not live up to the standards of other lodges we visited including Kilindi, Nomad Entamanu, Nomad Lamai and Lewa Wilderness - all of which exceeded our expectations and offered intuitive and personalized service.

Dining - I was traveling with my mom and requested private dining as we recently went through a family event and wanted to spend time with one other as we live in separate states. Unlike the dining we experienced at other lodges, we were not offered options as to where we could dine and if we asked to sit somewhere else, were told why the table we were seated was the right choice. For two out of our three meals, we were seated in the line of sight of the communal table (one time it was literally 10-20 feet away). This led to an extremely uncomfortable experience as we did not want the other guests to think we were not sitting with them because we did not like them - we simply wanted to dine in private to have one-on-one time.

Management - Management consistently dismissed my concerns making me feel unvalued or as if I were being demanding by expressing my view. When I explained the dining setup in close proximity to the communal table made me feel uncomfortable, management stated they seated us where they did because "other guests request those locations." Additionally, when I expressed we were worried other guests would perceive us as not liking them as they could see us dining at a table by ourselves, the manager stated "nobody is thinking about that" and "nobody is thinking about you." Other service requests or concerns were met with a similar response - on our first day, we wanted to take an afternoon nap after traveling four hours from Tanzania to Kenya - on our drive in, it was a particularly hot day as noted by our guide and there wasn't much if any breeze. I asked management for a fan (as all of the other lodges we stayed at had fans) and was met with an offputting response - "no, we do not have fans. Why do you need a fan? The breeze should be good" to which the other manager chimed in and stated "yes the breeze should be good." Why doesn't a luxury camp without air conditioning have something as simple as a fan?

Instead of apologizing, taking accountability and providing an alternate solution, management instead says no and implies why you should be happy with what they offer.

After our disappointing stay, we had a virtual meeting with Asilia corporate arranged through our travel agent - after our conversation, Asilia sent us a letter stating "they did not view our experience as a service failure" - once again, not taking accountability.

Unfortunately, given management and corporate's response to our feedback, I wouldn't recommend this property. What is sad is that this all could have a) been avoided with a simple solution: management offering us options as to where we could dine to ensure we were comfortable; and b) resolved with a simple solution: apologizing for their service lapse and implementing a service recovery solution to demonstrate we were...

Il fulcro del nostro viaggio per l’anniversario di nozze doveva essere il safari nel Maasai Mara. A febbraio non c’è la famosa migrazione (mi pare che il bestiame si sposti in Tanzania), ma a noi non interessava l’evento strabiliante. Era il nostro primo safari e cercavo un soggiorno non in un lodge troppo frequentato, ma in un romanticissimo campo tendato di alto livello. Ho individuato subito i campi di Asilia Africa, bellissimi e molto curati. In particolare il Naboisho Camp è piccolo, nuovissimo e situato non nel Parco Nazionale, ma in una riserva limitrofa, meno frequentata, ricca di boschetti di acacie. In queste riserve è possibile effettuare delle escursioni a piedi, al contrario del Parco Nazionale, dove girano un sacco di jeep colme di “paparazzi”…||Ho contattato una responsabile di Asilia, che mi ha suggerito di rivolgermi, per la prenotazione del volo e del soggiorno, all’agenzia TrueAfrica, che ha sede in Tanzania. Il general manager, Tom, è stato preciso e puntuale nella gestione della prenotazione, alla quale ha aggiunto l’assicurazione con i “Flying doctors”. Mi ha inviato tutte le informazioni utili al viaggio e ha risposto a tutte le mie domande. L’unico intoppo è stata la conferma del volo da e per Malindi, prima prenotato e poi cancellato perché il numero dei passeggeri era insufficiente; però credo che sia stato un problema creato dalla compagnia aerea, la Mombasa Air Safari. Così abbiamo cambiato volo e scelto di partire da Diani (Ukunda air strip) e tornare a Mombasa, perché ormai l’albergo per le ultime tre notti era prenotato a Watamu.||Il volo di andata è partito puntuale, anzi, con mezz’ora di anticipo. Era un aereo di 32 posti, molto ben pilotato (abbiamo fatto tre atterraggi nel Mara). Il viaggio è durato circa 2 ore e mezza, con una vista mozzafiato sulla regione, comprese le cime innevate del monte Kilimanjaro e il Natron, un lago salino in un ambiente lunare…||Terzo atterraggio, Olkiombo Aistrip. Siamo stati accolti dall’enorme sorriso di Benjamin, la nostra guida, e di Christine, una ragazza ventenne che sta facendo uno stage di perfezionamento, perché studia alla locale scuola per le guide, la meritoria Koiyaki Guiding School. Benjamin e Christine appartengono entrambi al popolo Maasai e sono due persone fantastiche: sorridenti, disponibili, capaci e competenti. E’ stato un onore conoscerli e un piacere viaggiare con loro, sulla comodissima jeep, dotata di ogni comfort. Durante le nostre escursioni abbiamo chiacchierato di tutto: dalle abitudini delle zebre e degli elefanti alla mozzarella di bufala DOP (!), dal comportamento dei leoni innamorati al dramma shakespeariano di Giulietta e Romeo…||Il viaggio per raggiungere il campo è durato quasi due ore, ma è stato un vero e proprio game drive, con fermate e deviazioni per trovare la leonessa che Benjamin aveva visto mentre veniva a prenderci.||Per noi era tutto nuovo e meraviglioso. L’incontro ravvicinato la leonessa, tranquilla e sonnolenta, è stato emozionante. Da un territorio più aperto e pianeggiante siamo giunti nella zona del campo, più ondulata e ombreggiata dalle acacie. ||L’accoglienza è stata calda e amichevole. Tutto lo staff si è presentato, e mentre il nostro bagaglio veniva sistemato nella tenda abbiamo fatto una piccola chiacchierata con Helen, la moglie di Roelof, responsabile del campo. I due giovani coniugi vengono da Johannesburg e hanno fatto una scelta di vita molto particolare. Gestiscono il campo vivendo qui, insieme alle due adorabili figlie piccole.||Abbiamo fatto una piacevolissima scoperta: eravamo gli unici ospiti, per quei tre giorni; ci era stata assegnata la tenda più grande e avevamo tutto lo staff a nostra disposizione. Ci siamo sentiti protetti e coccolati, ma la cosa più importante è stata la sensazione di essere dei graditi visitatori, non dei turisti “bwana” da sopportare solo perché hanno pagato. ||Questa sensazione ci ha accompagnato durante tutta la nostra permanenza, e di questo dobbiamo ringraziare Roelof, che si è prodigato per farci fare le escursioni da noi preferite, nonostante che la sua figlia minore, di soli 14 mesi, avesse la febbre alta e dovesse essere trasferita in aereo all’ospedale di Nairobi, insieme alla mamma. Roelof è una persona molto affabile e competente. E’ bella l’abitudine di condividere i pasti nella sala da pranzo o sotto gli alberi; si può chiacchierare di tutto, esercitando il proprio inglese, e anche ricevere delle utilissime lezioni di fotografia!||La tenda: superlativa, basta guardare le immagini. Non c’è nulla di scontato, tutto è perfetto: dal plaid sulla chaise longue in veranda, al docciaschiuma, shampoo e latte per il corpo al profumo di geranio, racchiusi in bottigliette di alluminio decorate con le conchiglie; dalla boule dell’acqua calda sotto le coperte la sera, al filo per stendere decorato con le perline; dal thermos di acqua calda sempre pieno sul lavandino, alla doccia perfetta, dentro o fuori dalla tenda, con l’acqua fredda calda o tiepida, preparata apposta su telefonata della guida, prima del nostro arrivo al campo. Non è che ogni desiderio venga accontentato: è soltanto prevenuto prima di essere espresso! E rimarrà nella memoria il sorriso dolce di Jackson, che ci accoglie dopo il safari con le salviette umide e tiepide per mani e viso, e prepara tranquillo il tè nella living room, accompagnandolo con brownies da svenimento…||Una menzione speciale va alla cucina dello chef Bogaay. La tenda nella quale realizza i suoi capolavori è impeccabile, ordinata e pulitissima. Ogni giorno sforna pane e muffins di tutti i tipi e prepara pranzi e cene degne di un grand hotel. Per non parlare degli stuzzichini che accompagnano l’aperitivo al tramonto, in qualche luogo solitario, o della colazione super durante il lungo game drive al Parco Nazionale: frittatine, pane fresco, pollo arrosto, cous cous alle verdure… ||Che dire delle escursioni? Fantastiche! Solo qualche accenno.||Prima sera. Dopo un piacevole game drive, durante il quale incontriamo giraffe, bufali, elefanti, gazzelle e antilopi, dik-dik e molti tipi di uccelli, ci avviciniamo a una piccola collina per godere dell’ultima luce del sole. Benjamin sente uno strano richiamo di sciacalli, e subito si rende conto che lì vicino c’è un grosso predatore. Scesi dalla jeep e riempiti i bicchieri per l’aperitivo, vediamo i due sciacalli e una iena che si avvicina circospetta. Subito Benjamin avvista il leopardo che balza su un grande albero con una gazzella tra le fauci. Rientriamo nella jeep e ci avviciniamo. Non abbiamo visto il tramonto (ma tanto ce n’è uno fantastico ogni sera, e un’alba ancora più spettacolare ogni mattina), ma avvistare uno dei “big five” proprio il primo giorno è stato assurdamente bello.||Prima notte: un concerto, una sinfonia. Il verso della iena e i ruggiti dei leoni, indimenticabili.||Secondo giorno. La mattina, una bellissima escursione a piedi, accompagnati da Roelof e da un ranger con il fucile. Non abbiamo fatto avvistamenti particolari (i leoni erano poco distanti, ma ben nascosti nella macchia), ma è stato bellissimo camminare su questa terra meravigliosa, respirare l’aria limpida, ascoltare i fruscii, cercare le tracce. Una piccolissima gazzella ci è corsa incontro come un missile, inseguita da uno sciacallo che non è riuscito a prenderla. Un vecchio elefante dava lezioni al suo pupillo, che intanto lo proteggeva e lo aiutava. Gli avvoltoi si libravano silenziosi sopra di noi. Le api lavoravano tranquille al loro miele, sull’alto delle acacie…||Nel pomeriggio, abbiamo attraversato con la jeep una bellissima prateria, con zebre, gnu e struzzi. Abbiamo avuto un incontro ravvicinato con un grandissimo elefante, un “big bull”, come li chiamano. Era sdraiato sotto un albero, sembrava morto. Ci avviciniamo con la jeep. Si alza e fa finta di niente, poi si gira, sventola le enormi orecchie e si avvicina minaccioso. Benjamin ha fatto una retromarcia a razzo, grandioso! E’ stato lì che gli ho spiegato l’importanza del proverbio: “non svegliare il can che dorme”…||L’aperitivo al tramonto, lungo l’ansa di un piccolo fiume, è stato bellissimo. C’era anche il nostro sparkling white wine sudafricano, dal profumo di frutti esotici… Il ritorno al buio, con il faro sostenuto da Christine, ci ha consentito di vedere gli occhi rossi e luninosi dei piccoli lemuri fra le acacie, e le iene in movimento nella savana.||Terzo giorno. Game drive di una giornata intera, nel Parco Nazionale. La tassa di ingresso al Parco non era compresa nella quota del soggiorno, ma ci è stata offerta, così come tutti gli extra. E’ stato un lungo viaggio nella savana, sulle rive del fiume Mara, per vedere gli ippopotami e i coccodrilli, i facoceri, i marabù, le zebre, gli eland… Abbiamo incontrato una leonessa sola e ferita, dal dolcissimo sguardo rassegnato. Abbiamo scrutato col binocolo fra le radici di un albero, per individuare mamma leopardo con i suoi cuccioli. Cercavamo il rinoceronte, l’unico dei big five che non avessimo ancora visto, ma non abbiamo avuto fortuna. C’era caldo e non è sceso a sguazzare nel fango. Abbiamo pranzato sotto l’unica acacia in mezzo alla prateria, sfrattando una famigliola di poveri facoceri accaldati. Nel pomeriggio, al ritorno, abbiamo incontrato i tre giovani fratelli ghepardi, peraltro un po’ pressati dalla presenza di altre jeep. Poi i leoni durante la siesta. Che dire? I “melting lions”, il grosso maschio un po’ denutrito per il lungo digiuno d’amore, e la sua bella, un po’ difficile e smorfiosetta, ci hanno regalato fotografie romantiche e spettacolari.||Quarto giorno. Visita a un villaggio Maasai e alla locale scuola primaria. Ho molto apprezzato la visita, perché siamo andati a trovare una famiglia di tre fratelli, con le loro mogli e i loro tanti bimbi. Eravamo visitatori, non turisti. Nessuno aveva nulla da venderci, ma siamo stati accolti semplicemente e dignitosamente in una casa di sterco di mucca, abbiamo preso in mano qualche loro utensile, abbiamo ammirato il loro bestiame e posato la mano sul capo dei loro bambini, in segno di saluto. Benjamin e Christine sono stati fantastici. Ci hanno spiegato tante cose. Loro sono il segno che è possibile, per il popolo Maasai, crescere e progredire nella consapevolezza che il loro prezioso territorio ha bisogno di tutela, ha bisogno di gente istruita che non se ne vada a Nairobi o sulla costa turistica, a perdersi in traffici penosi, di droga, armi o prostituzione. Lo sviluppo del turismo in Kenya può essere una risorsa importante se non diventa sfruttamento di territori e di persone.||E il lavoro che sta facendo la locale scuola primaria è importante. Abbiamo incontrato i bambini, divisi nelle loro aule, seduti nei loro banchi, con le loro uniformi un po’ sdrucite, i libri, le penne e i quaderni. Benjamin ha trent’anni, e dice che la sua scuola è stata sotto gli alberi, con semplici cocci per scrivere sulla terra. Il maestro di Benjamin è ora il direttore della scuola. Hanno un orto per coltivare la verdura da dar da mangiare ai bambini. Hanno tanto spazio per la ricreazione, i bambini possono tranquillamente giocare a calcio e correre a perdifiato. Stanno cercando di completare tutte le classi del ciclo elementare, costruendo due alloggi per i maestri, che devono necessariamente abitare presso la scuola. E’ una vera missione, una sfida per il futuro di questa gente.||Ritorno al campo, pranzo veloce, viaggio sulla grande jeep insieme a Roelof e alla sua biondissima piccina (è la prima volta che la vediamo, perché il papà non voleva che disturbasse gli ospiti!). Ci rechiamo all’aeroporto. Ci attende un piccolo aereo da 14 posti, che parte subito con mezz’ora di anticipo, pilotato da un’energica donna velata. Noi ce ne andiamo, con un nodo nella gola. Loro aspettano che arrivino la mamma e la sorellina guarita.||Grazie, è stata un’esperienza...