Meet a few members of our friendly, professional team who will personally make you feel at home in the wilderness of Ol Seki.
WAITER : JOSEPHAT has worked at Ol Seki for five years but has 10 years’ experience in safaris. He has some entertaining memories to share:
“I was walking through the camp, coming down to the mess tent early one morning early to set up breakfast. There was a huge male lion lying across the path. He looked at me and I got terrified. But the lion, he also got scared. We both turned and ran away in opposite directions. I wish someone could have filmed that, it was a funny scenario.
“One evening I remember was very emotional for our wagenis (visitors). It was a guest’s birthday and we got the Masai to come in their tribal dress - eight men in shukas and spears. They did their jumping dance and were singing and dancing to the drums. Then the wagenis said they wanted to sing a song for us, I remember that moment. One of them was an opera singer and he sang an English song, I can’t remember its name but it was a very nice song. And at the end, the wagenis were crying - I think they were tears of joy.”
“Special thanks to Josephat for all his amusing chat” Sam and Dom, New Zealand
TENT HAND: WILLIAM is the chief of Paya village despite being in his twenties. He’s one of the new generation of Masai warriors and realises that his tribe needs to adapt to survive. Ol Seki employs seven people from his village and he enjoys his job and the new skills he has learnt.
“The future holds good prospects for my village. We understand the benefits of restricting grazing - by creating the conservancy we have gained roads, water, employment, access to medical care and education and most importantly a steady income. I have ambitions for my children to go to university; I’d like one of my sons to be a pilot. I’d be so proud if a plane landed in the village with my son in the cockpit.”
DRIVER & GUIDE: DAVID is an engaging guide who’s expertise in botany is highly valued at the local guiding school where he instructs students. He knows the conservancy’s every valley and slope and he can read changes in the weather through behaviour patterns in the wildlife.
“Lions can tell when the rains are coming. They’re usually quiet but at certain times of the year, they start roaring and when they’re noisy, I know it will rain soon. I especially enjoy my work during the migration, there is so much action on the plains, so many kills. It’s the privacy of Ol Seki that makes it so special for our guests. When we see a spectacle of nature, we witness it alone, we don’t have to compete with other cars for the best view.”
“Rafael and Patrick were fantastic, well-trained and determined to find the wildlife. They were also incredibly open, interesting and funny discussing their own culture” Martin and Jade, Australia
