OASIS IN THE DESERT
A Perfect Destination for Luxury in Kenya’s Northern Desert, silhouetted away from the Turkwel River in the Heart of Turkana County – Lodwar, Kenya. The Cradle Tented Camp and Lodge enjoys a unique perspective of one of Africa’s most unexplored remote desert destination, commonly known as the OASIS IN THE DESERT.
LOCATION
The Cradle Tented Camp and Lodge is located in Lodwar, Turkana County, North West of Kenya. Turkana is the second largest, by land area, after Marsabit County and also the north western most county in Kenya. It is bordered by the countries of Uganda to the west; South Sudan and Ethiopia, including the disputed Ilemi Triangle, to the north and northeast; and Lake Turkana to the east. The Cradle Tented Camp is 5km away from Lodwar Airport where all the low cost carriers ply from Wilson Airport Nairobi on a frequency of 2 flights per Airline per day.
TURKANA PEOPLE
The Turkana are a Nilotic people native to the Turkana District in northwest Kenya, a semi-arid climate region bordering Lake Turkana in the east, Pokot, Rendille and Samburu people to the south, Uganda to the west, and South Sudan and Ethiopia to the north. They refer to their land as Turkan. The Turkana are noted for raising camels and weaving baskets. In their oral traditions, they designate themselves the people of the grey bull, after the Zebu, the domestication of which played an important role in their history. In recent years, development aid programs have aimed at introducing fishing among the Turkana (a taboo in some sections of The Turkana society) with very limited success. Traditionally, both men and women wear wraps made of rectangular woven materials and animal skins. The Turkana rely on several rivers, such as the Turkwel River and Kerio River. Turkana rely on their animals for milk, meat and blood. Wild fruits are gathered by women from the bushes and cooked for 12 hours.
ACCOMMODATION
The Cradle Tented Camp and Lodge offers 15 modern luxury tents, 14 block rooms and one Presidential suite which comes with a Lounge. The spacious tents boasts of the very latest in luxury camping, with a Queen size bed, reading table,minibar,32’flat screen Television, Free WIFI, AC and En-suite bathrooms fitted with steaming hot showers.
PUBLIC AREA
Because of the warm climate in Turkana County, The Cradle Tented Camp and Lodge public area are all Makuti (palm) roofed with very unique Sheds by the pool side. The main dining room has a sitting capacity of 100 Guests and opens on to outdoor terrace where buffets and lunch are served overlooking the Lodwar Hills. Meals can also be enjoyed on the private veranda, at the pool side or the Sports Bar. The Cradle also boasts of a spacious lounge and an isolated sports bar where one can watch Sports News via Super Sport all day long. All the enjoyment is crowned by soft soothing music from the Sports Bar.
SUSTAINABILITY
This is Kenya done differently. When you join us at Cradle, your experience goes beyond a typical African safari. While traditional operators may encourage you to experience Africa from a jeep or overland truck, true explorers know that connecting with a place means connecting with its people. We’ve been working with sustainable tourism partners for the last four years, allowing us to form close bonds with local Turkana communities. At the end of each adventure-filled day, your accommodations at the Cradle Tented Camp and Lodge situated in Lodwar, Turkana await. From creature comforts like hot showers, delicious meals and beautiful, comfortable accommodations, to expert local guides and friendly staff, we take care of every detail, letting you focus on being present and connected.
OUR SUSTAINABILITY PILLARS:
Education
When children are educated, they are armed with the courage and self-confidence to better themselves and their families, their communities and the next generation. The Cradle Tented Camp and Lodge launched an ambitious project that targets to sponsor needy, bright students who live in the host community. Currently 2 students are at Alliance High School in Kikuyu Kenya. We look forward to sponsor more in 2020.
Water: Clean Water and Sanitation
The lodge works to help communities gain access to sustainable sources of clean water, which helps remove barriers to education by reducing illness and allowing girls to go to school instead of spending hours each day fetching their family’s water often from contaminated sources. In 2018, the lodge connected clean piped water to the host village. This water point now serves a village population of 200 people. Cases associated with dirty water related diseases has drastically reduced.
Health
Children who are healthy can attend school more often, and families who have access to health care can keep their children in school instead of pulling them out to help run farms because parents are too sick to work. The lodge in collaboration with other partners has supported various health initiatives around the host community. The lodge management approve the construction of a maternity wing around Longelech beach. Once completed in 2020, the maternity wing will improve children delivery and equally reduce infant mortality rate in the host community.
Food: Agriculture and Food Security
The lodge works with communities on programs that promote food security and improved agriculture, like kitchen gardens and irrigation projects. In 2018, the lodge purchased 2 generators for the host community to enable them practice irrigation and later sell the produce to the lodge. This project has elicited a lot of attention which has resulted to small women groups forging a common alliance to have sufficiency in food production. As a lodge, we believe that when children are fed, they can attend school, do well and get an education. When families are fed, they can work together to pull themselves out of poverty.
Opportunity: Income and Livelihood
When parents have the time and money to invest in their children’s education and health, another barrier to education is removed and school attendance increases. When women are empowered to earn a living, they in turn empower their children to pull themselves out of poverty and achieve a brighter future. Through this pillar, the lodge has partnered with Turkana women basket group who sell their products at Lodwar market. Through our support, the women groups can now access other markets outside Lodwar. We are also looking at coming up with a business centre at the Lodge where the women group can sell their wares to guests in the hotel. This project is equally a signature experience to guests who would like to learn more about weaving traditional baskets.
Other than the above, the Cradle Tented Camp and Lodge has a 5 year clean energy use plan. This will involve recycling used water for reuse in social amenities within the facility. A solar panel will equally be constructed to generate electricity for kitchen use, street lighting, rooms and laundry. Plans are also underway to produce organic food crops in greenhouses which will supplement the produce supplied by other companies.
In the long run a clear policy on supply chain code of ethics will be mooted for suppliers who want to do business with the Cradle Tented Camp and Lodge.