‘Obama tent’ makes Mara’s Base Camp simply irresistible

The entrance to Basecamp where President Barrack Obama spent two days when he visited the country in 2006. The camp is experiencing a steady flow of visitors booking the tent Mr Obama spent his two nights in. PHOTO|BONIFACE MWANGI

What you need to know:

  • The tent lies adjacent to River Talek while its doors overlook Serengeti National Reserve.

  • This, according to Mr Abeid,  was one of the main reason why they chose it for Mr Obama and his family.

  • Sheltering the tent is a pitched roof of Kilgoris-grass, supported by wooden pillars.

Barack Obama spent only two nights  in Kenya when he visited in 2006. But since then, Base Camp, where the family of then Illinois Senator stayed, has been the talk of many tourists.

They not only arrive here to  watch wildlife in the expansive Mara Game Reserve, but also harbour a burning desire to  spend a day or two in the tent that hosted the person who later become the world’s most powerful man - US President.

According to Base Camp general manager Seif Abeid, initially the tent had no name but they christened it ‘Obama Tent’ following the Senator’s stay.

The tent can host only three-four guests with each paying Sh15,000 per night.

It is self-contained and has an open bathroom that provides a guest with a wide and clear view of the Mara Game Reserve.

As one takes bath inside the open bathroom, he can clearly see wildlife roaming in the game reserve or drinking water in River Talek, which is adjacent to the camp..

He says it has been hard for them to renovate the tent since then due to frequent bookings. However, he noted, they did some renovations to it this year. It will have an extended platform that will stretch to River Talek’s bank.

“The tent has been our selling point as almost all guests want to have a feel and touch of it.

HIGH DEMAND

“Due to the high demand that we are getting, we have done very little renovation to the tent,” he notes.

The tent lies adjacent to River Talek while its doors overlook Serengeti National Reserve.

This, according to Mr Abeid,  was the main reason they chose it for Mr Obama and his family.

Sheltering the tent is a pitched roof of Kilgoris-grass, supported by wooden pillars.

However, the camp’s management has constructed a walk bridge at the moment for the guest to use when going for game viewing.

Mr Abeid says the camp has been in operation for now 17 years and all their tents are equipped with flush toilets.

However, the ‘Obama Tent’ is large, rectangular and made of canvas and mosquito screen.

It  rests on a much larger wooden deck, with recliners and hammocks for whiling away the hot hours in the middle of the day.

Apart from the tent, guests who love bird watching are normally taken around the ‘Obama Forest’ that is only a few metres from the camp.

The general manager says they created the ‘forest’ after the then Senator Obama and his family members each planted a  tree on the piece of land adjacent to the camp during their 2006 year visit.

Guests visiting the camp get attracted to the forest, more so after they read posts beneath the trees, indicating the trees were planted by Mr Obamas.

It motivates many to plant trees of their own.