As soon as you land at the airstrip and see the landscape and the palm trees and the delta, all you want to say is that “I have arrived”! I spent a week (7 nights) at Abu in November ’14 and wish I would have stayed longer. Riding the elephants and playing with the Naledi never gets old. Working with the Mahouts and feeding the elephants never gets old. I’ve stayed at several premium camps that wilderness has and a few top camps in Kenya and Abu is certainly is a step above. It’s impossible to describe how Abu can be better, but it just is. The food, rooms, and staff make the best hotels around the world subpar. The reason Abu is so wonderful is that you are on a massive conservancy so you can drive for days and not see another car, the interaction with the Abu herd, and the service of the staff is over the top.

The main attraction here is certainly the elephants and luxury service but while I was there for a week I saw a few lions, leopards and hyenas. From personal experience, for a first time safari I’d go to Abu and also combine it with Vumbura, Mombo, or Kings Pool.

The staff also makes this place what it is. The manager Aaron is very attentive to the guests without being intrusive. You can also tell he’s a good leader because the rest of the staff is working in harmony with joy. After being there a week I can say that they work consistently for their guests. There have been some reviews that have said they don’t have enough trucks to take you on a game drive. Not true. When I was there, they had 3 trucks and Ras and I took a truck on a game drive all day with a packed lunch. When you go, be sure to get to know Kabelo “KB”. He’s really someone who is special. With that said, I fully enjoyed getting to know him, Qwest, Bee, Owner, Simon, and Rees. My guide was Ras and true to the wilderness standard he was superb. He goes above and beyond and works hard to track animals. The other guides Taps and BT are also kind and competent.

Another group you’ll get to know are the Mahouts. They take care of the elephants in the boma. The lead mahout is Bee and he’s got a great team with Witness, Frank, Mike, Onx, and Onx #2.

Kind Regards, Glen Weaver

To be clear, this place is expensive. Really, really expensive. And to be fair, for the money we spent we had high expectations. Really, really high. In short, those expectations were absolutely met.

We spent three nights. We had tent 3. Actually, calling it a tent is a disservice. It’s a high end room in the bush with all the 5-star amenities you’d expect. The property doesn’t disappoint - from spa services to onsite cardio equipment, which we enjoyed with a baboon while viewing some nearby elephants. (Those guests certainly make it the most original workout ever.) One of us enjoyed a massage, which is performed in-suite.

The staff to guest ratio is high and the camp wasn’t full when we were visiting. You will not go any real length of time without someone asking how they can make your stay better. Actually, on a few occasion we felt like we didn’t need to be continually asked but if that’s one of the only pieces of constructive criticism you can offer that’s a great problem.

As elephant lovers, we selected this camp because of the elephant experience. The love and care for the onsite ellie crew is evident. If you are considering this property and have been to elephant sanctuaries in South East Asia, be sure to inquire as to what you can and can’t do with the ellies at Abu. Your personal interactions may not be the same as you’ve experienced in those countries. And the camp doesn’t offer, understandably so, some of the historic elephant interactions you may view on YouTube. That’s in no way a complaint. Just a way for folks to manage their expectations. We loved the rides, walks, mud bath viewing, etc. And we thought the handlers were top shelf - completely professional and totally engaging with the human guests. A+ gentleman.

We slept on the stardeck lounge one night. Really unique and special way to have a semi-quiet morning moment with the ellie family. Be forewarned about the natural “aroma” of the sleeping area. You can get use to it quite quickly.

T-Rex was one of the most enthusiastic guides we’ve experienced in all our years on safari. You’d be fortunate to get him as a guide.

Management may want to offer a takeaway snack bag for guests heading out on travel. We wound up at a connection in Maun which doesn’t have any food vendors at the airport and it would have been nice to have quick access to some provisions, which many folks adjacent to us did. Take it as a compliment, Abu, as your food was outstanding.

Onsite management is doing a super job with this gem.