OUR
DIFFERENCE
WHY CHOOSE TROPICAL ICE?
We do not travel where the tourist masses go.
We do not soften the safari experience; we take calculated risks to create immersive, powerful and unforgettable moments.
Iain and Alex unlock the hidden magic of our destinations.
We stay in our own private camps, with the
occasional small, exclusive hotel.
When not on foot, we travel only in our own specially designed 4X4 safari vehicles that take you closer to the action.
The photo above shows Iain (right) and Alex on the summit of Spitzkoppe, a dramatic technical peak in Namibia. Our backgrounds are in climbing/mountaineering, and we’ve taken these values into the wilds, knowing that safety is paramount. We want more people to experience the captivating and hypnotic power of being outside your comfort zone. We value learning as much as seeing, and design raw, immersive experiences that spark personal transformation.
Accommodation
Our accommodation is authentic, comfortable and in the heart of the action. We carefully select our hotels and guesthouses to ensure your nights are as unforgettable as your days. From a luxurious hotel built on Karen Blixen’s farmland at the foot of the Ngong Hills outside Nairobi, to the sublime grandeur of Wildflower Hall in Shimla, to a remote ryokan high in the hills of the Kunisaki Peninsula, our nights are ones to remember.
On our Kenya safaris, guests stay in large canvas tents. They are tall enough to stand in, with enough room for a twin or double bed, and plenty of storage. Each tent has a private bush toilet and bucket shower.
NOSH TIME
Spectacular sights deserve spectacular food! Our menus, designed by Iain’s wife, Lou, and created by Kahiu, the head cook, have even been featured in Gourmet Traveller magazine. Typical dishes include roast turkey, Swahili-style fish, or spinach and feta pizza, served with a crisp salad, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Each day we serve up homemade bread baked in our charcoal oven.
We have solar-powered refrigeration, and 100kgs of ice, to keep food fresh and ensure a bounty of cool beers, wines, and soft drinks, that you can help yourself to at any time. Camp life is very relaxed, and we pride ourselves on creating an atmosphere of supreme comfort.
SAFARI STYLES
WALKING SAFARIS
Walking safaris are the heartbeat of Tropical Ice, as they allow actual participation in the experience, and not just observation. In Kenya, we’re the only safari company permitted to do walking safaris in the national parks.
We believe there’s nothing better than the adrenaline that comes from wandering through the natural wildlife habitats of our planet’s wildest parts, on foot. With every step, you’re reminded that you’re in a place where being a human isn’t that special!
GAME DRIVING
Our custom 4WDs are exceptionally comfortable, and come fitted with roof hatches and cushions, so you can soak up the spectacular scenery and take photos unobstructed. Our vehicles allow us to access difficult terrain so you can get up close to all the big animals.
CONSERVATION
Our Impact
Protecting the environment is in our blood. We’re not interested in marketing or acquiring eco-labels and instead we focus on doing the right thing. When we thoroughly analysed our impact, we found out that there really wasn’t much we needed to change. But, like everyone, we can always do better.
We’ve made peripheral changes in our camps: Reducing the amount of fuel used to heat water by designing efficient heaters; using fuel made from recycled coffee husks instead of charcoal from hacked down trees; our camp firewood comes from tree farms, so that we don’t use important dead wood, from our fragile surroundings; we’ve virtually eliminated plastic bottles by refining our water filtering systems.
Our Contributions
We annually pay the Kenya Wildlife Service a significant amount of money for the exclusive lease of our Epiya Chapeyu and Durusirkale campsites on the Galana River. The amount we pay each year equals the combined annual park tax money of all the permanent hotels and tented camps in Tsavo West and East national parks. We pay this because we know the ecosystem can only withstand low-impact interference, and by doing so we can protect these idyllic spots from exploitation by large hotels, camp chains, and casual visitors.
It took us years to secure our lease because no one could understand our willingness to pay in order to protect rather than develop.
One of the more shameful aspects of the world we live in, caused primarily by out-of-control human population expansion, is the fact that in most places, wildlife and wilderness can only exist as long as it can pay its way. The average length of time a tourist visits, and pays, to be in an East African national park is two days; our walking safaris across Tsavo West and East– accrues an income of eleven days’ park fees per person. Combined with our camp and permit fees, our annual income towards the preservation of Tsavo is considerable.
Anti-Poaching Practices
Our walking safaris report on and update park authorities about poachers in real time. We frequently spot poacher tracks, and collect animal snares that have been placed. We often find elephants that have died naturally, and we remove their tusks before poachers can find them. We then carry them to our camps, from where they are delivered to the park headquarters, where they are registered and safely stored, ultimately to be destroyed. We’ve even managed to apprehend the occasional poacher.