Elsamere Conservation Centre

Elsamere Conservation Centre: A unique tourist destination in Naivasha Nakuru County the Elsamere conservation centre is one of the oldest running conservation centres in Kenya. The Elsamere Conservation is not only a tourist destination it’s also an education site as well that teaches material on nature and environment conservation and sustainability.

The Elsamere Conservation centre was originally a holiday home for colonialists during the colonial times, the white settlers used it as their get way place during that time. As the colonial times came to an end, the place was left vacant and that’s when the Adamsons acquired it and turned it into their retirement home where they started their wildlife conservation work that later turned the place into a conservation centre. Both Joy and George Adamson lived at the Elsamere Conservation until their deaths. When they died the Elsamere Conservation centre was left entire to community in Lake Naivasha.

The Elsamere centre became popular in 1960s after Joy Adamson’s book “Born Free” that highlighted Joy and George Adamson’s story of rescuing a cub caring for it and later reintroducing it back to the wild. The book was also developed into a film of the same name “Born Free”. Joy Adamson had other books also that included Pippa and Penny that still detailed her wildlife conservation efforts.

Joy Adamson in the Born Free book talks about Elsamere as the perfect place “For years I had been looking for a house where George and I could live. Eventually, I found a place that seemed to combine all we wished for. It would be impossible to imagine a more attractive sight for a home…..We decided to call our home, Elsamere”.

The Elsamere centre sits right at the shores of Lake Naivasha and all its activities that include wildlife conservation, tourism, education and information activities are run and managed by the Elsa Conservation trust. The Elsa Conservation Trust was called the Elsa Wild Animal Appeal at its establishment named after the the lion in the Born Free story, later the name was changed to Elsa Conservation Trust.

The Elsamere Conservation is known to be mainly for education of conservation and relaxation so visitors to the Elsamere conservation centre have experiences that include but not limited to:-

Touring the the Elsamere Museum: The Elsamere Museum is a small museum that gives some amazing insights into the life of Joy and George Adamson who lived at Elsamere. The museum is open on weekdays though from 0900 hours to 1800 hours. You will be sure to finds pictures of the Adamsons, Elsa, Pippy, Penny and many others.
Bird watching: Though the centre itself is not a bird hub, but Lake Naivasha has a couple of birds that live on the lake and because the centre is at the shores of lake Naivasha, visitors to the centre can easily enjoy these birds from the centre
Enjoying English High Tea: The Elsamere Conservation is known to have the best quality and most delicious traditional English high Teas in Kenya, so guests to that place are treated to high teas daily at 3pm.
Enjoying the surrounding Nature: Guests can take walks through the conservation centre bounds to enjoy the nature that have green savannah and woodlands.
Relaxing: Known for its quiet and serene ambience the Elsamere Conservation centre is a great place for individuals and groups who just want to relax and take in the freshness of nature.

Visitors to the Elsamere conservation can also couple their stay at the centre with visits to the Olkaria geothermal centre, Hell’s gate National park, Cresent Island, Lake Naivasha and Lake Nakuru National Park.