Shu'mata Camp

In Maijo's language, Maa, Shu'mata means something like 'above the clouds' or 'heaven'. This luxurious refuge, made up of a handful of living tents in Hemingway-style, is a piece of the very magic of which East Africa is made. Shu'mata is not a real national park, not folklore commercialized, not even a real hotel. It is a small but amazing permanent camp on a hill in the midst of original Maasailand. It is an unforgettable place, even if not memorized on photographs.

Our safari camp is homage to the old Hemingway style. In the centre of the traditional Maasai country of South Amboseli, we will experience the romantic sunset ambiance of a region characterized by its huge elephant herds. This is not a national park, but archaic tribal country where Africa’s wildlife peacefully coexists with the cattle and goats of the Maasai; a surviving remnant of the African paradise.

Accommodation is offered in five comfortable safari tents, all equipped with their own en-suite bathroom with flushing toilet and open-air shower with running water, traditional beds and storage space. Each guest tent is spacious and can be used as a single, double or triple unit. Equipped with a dressing table, a Hemingway-style hanging cupboard, bedside tray stands and a nostalgic lockable trunk for personal belongings, the tents create an atmosphere of the safari life of the 1920s. Each tent also has its own veranda with classical safari chairs and at night, we are lured by an open fire at the foot of the looming Kilimanjaro, a romantic safari atmosphere and tales of adventure.

© Jörg and Marlies Gabriel