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UMOJA CAMP SITE - Campground Reviews (Kenya/Samburu National Reserve)
Coming from Lake Naivasha, we arrived at Umoja Camp Site in the late afternoon. We were welcomed and showed around by a over friendly lady. As we were setting up camp she constantly came back to us to demand payment. We paid for 2 nights and this was the last we saw of her. The bathrooms were filthy, the shower and the toilet were together in a tiny room no need to say that nobody could use the toilet after a shower as there was water everywhere. There were openings in the walls through which hundreds of crickets and other insects found their way into the bathrooms. In comparison to great campsites that charged the same rate, this place was no value for money. On the positive side, the spot, overlooking the river, is beautiful and it is only a short drive away from Samburu National Park, where we spent a day and saw all the game we hoped to see. We were the only campers and enjoyed the privacy.
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Date of stay: June 2018
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Great place for a base for Samburu area. Basic clean Banda accommodation with H and C, fresh food, cold beer. What more could you ask for? Oh, and a view of the Ewasa river flowing by. Friendly English speaking staff from all over Kenya with lots of local knowledge.
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Date of stay: April 2019Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were looking for low cost accommodation outside Samburu National Reserve in Archer's Post. We inspected the County Inn Hotel but the odour and a very dirty sink put us off. We then searched for Umoja on the north bank of the river. The welcome was friendly. The location is beautiful, the semi-outdoor lounge with bar comfortable, the food variable but the bandas need improving. The bandas need upgrading. Some sheets and mosquito nets are torn. The showers are cold. Looking at old photos, it seems that the bandas are better than they once were but the whole 'resort' needs investment and improved management. With such a great location it could be so much better.
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Date of stay: December 2017
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:Look at several rooms before choosing. Ask for a table and chair and anything else you need.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The location is beautiful, the rooms are nice, the food is good, and the village nearby is fascinating. Everyone was warm and friendly. My room was clean and everything worked, so the old reviews probably aren't relevant anymore. I'd like to bring my family to Kenya someday, and we'll definitively stay the night here!
The money you spend supports a women's refuge so they can escape human rights abuses, so I was happy to give money to them.
Feel free to donate children's books, clothes, and food. They really appreciate it.
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We visited the place on Dec 19th with a plan to leave on Dec 21st in a group of 5 adults and 4 children. I had paid a deposit weeks before. Despite the fact that we shared beds, we were charged on an individual basis. We got 3 cottages and the first night was relatively okay although most of the toilets were not working. On the next day we went out on Safari to Samburu National Reserve and during the whole day Rebecca the Camp owner kept calling our tour operator fighting with him about giving money to the cook who she had assigned to us , to buy meat for our dinner. She was very rude and disruptive. When we got back she did not allow us to get back to our rooms until we paid our balance which was off by 4000 ksh. Of course she was not around and was using her rude manager Achieng . We tried to ask for the bill explanation but was met with a lack of communication. The manager had no explanation for the elevated bill. Despite the fact that we had children with us we were not allowed to go back to the rooms till we cleared the bill. It was almost 10 pm when we decided to leave the camp but the manager run and closed the gate before we got out . Our tour operator had to walk to the police station to report the issue but Rebecca was already there and of course the police could not listen to him as they seem to be in the pocket of Rebecca. Rebecca readily threatened our tour operator with violence from the community in front of the police. With no other way out and for our safety, we had to pay Rebecca 200$ (20,000 ksh) to allow us to get out of her camp at midnight and drive an hour away to get accommodation .Rebecca and her manager are rude and be careful they have the archers police in their pockets. For a cheaper price you can stay at Bomen hotel , Isiolo !
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Date of stay: December 2018
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Don't go there !
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stay 2 nights booked by our guide we say even it's a cheap accomodation we request to be clean,also we ask if they have shower gel and bread in order to buy just to avoid inconveniences.the bathroom dirty so dirty that we have to clean the wc with our sanitary towels (human poo,dust,and other things) Also the sink we have to clean We say to the guide Who come with us web show him and he talk to them. They not come to clean and the next Day neither. No bread in the meals,and even in the Last breaksfast that they delay 30 minutes knowing that the guide come to pick us.we ask for the bread they say no have,guide comes talk to them and then they have... we leave the camp without finish due to the lie and delay. Not go
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Date of stay: October 2016Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed here for 2 nights the first week of September. The first night I camped and the second it rained and my tent left, so I moved to a bandas. The camp area was nice enough, river front (though the river was dry), and electrical outlets provided in the common area. The niceties ended there. The water in both the bandas and the camping area was freezing cold and I was told there was warm water. There were flush toilets in the camp area that DID NOT WORK, so you had to use squat drop toilets that were disgusting. The toilets in the bandas were not great either - definitely had not been cleaned. The food that I had was not very good. The women that worked there were not very friendly, they were actually a little confrontational. Would not recommend this site.
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Date of stay: September 2015
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The place is absolutely unique and offers a very special experience. The issues addressed in older reviews have been solved, we had no problems - clean, cute, water running, food tasty and very nice staff. Most intense experience on the whole Kenya trip! Meet Rebecca and ask for her story of founding this village. It is incredible!
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Date of stay: July 2018Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I have so much admiration and respect for these women, they are doing an incredible job there. Come, support their work and learn a bit of their inspiring story while enjoying a nice stay by the river. The meals are generous and delicious, there is a bar and the overall stay is very affordable. It's also very close to the Samburu National Reserve
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Date of stay: July 2018Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Umoja Camp Site is a good find. I would highly recommend it to anyone stopping for a few days around the Samburu/Buffalo Spring/Shaba reserves, as well as anyone needing a break on the way to Marsabit or Moyale. It is just a ten minute drive from the main gates of the Samburu National Reserve, which is one of the most amazing spots I have been to. There are over 900 elephants who use the great Ewase Nyiro river as their lifeline. Umoja is also situated on the river, and while we were there there was a croc chilling out on the bank just a few metres from where we were sipping beer. Rose and Ndegwa are great hosts. Price includes full-board and meals were served hot and on time, with variety of food and possibility of asking for special requests. The rooms are functional and spacious - we had four double beds in our banda, for just five small people. Remember, all this is at incredible value, literally 10x cheaper than the 5* lodges inside the reserves. Why spend all that when places like Umoja are on offer? With reference to previous reviews it is clear to me that they have a new team - the place was spick and span and had a new lick of paint.
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Date of stay: April 2018
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Samburu National Reserve area.
LOCATION
KenyaRift Valley ProvinceSamburu DistrictSamburu National Reserve
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