About us

Basecamp Explorer is a tourism company that operates a collection of destinations across the globe, in an enlightened and responsible way.

HOW DID IT ALL GET STARTED?

Svein Wilhelmsen founded Basecamp Explorer in 1998, following a life-changing meeting with an old Maasai Chief named Ole Taek. Sitting around the fire one evening, the respected Maasai elder told a worrying tale about his people’s threats. Wilhelmsen was inspired by his concern to found a company that would care, a company that would leave a positive footprint wherever it operated and would have a positive impact on the people it worked with.

Since its establishment in 1998, Basecamp Explorer has expanded to encompass ten distinctive destinations in Kenya and Svalbard. A longstanding and intimate group partnership concluded in 2021, leading to our operations now being conducted under two robust brands: Saruni Basecamp in Kenya and Basecamp Explorer Spitsbergen in Svalbard, effective from 2024.

Are you looking for Basecamp Saruni? Please follow this link.

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MEET OUR FOUNDERS and CEO


Meet our board of directors in Spitsbergen

BASECAMP explorer SPITSBERGEN AS

60% owned by Flakk Group AS / 30% owned by Barents Aurora Invest AS / 10% owned by Svein Wilhelmsen

Jan Sverre Sivertsen
Chairman

Svein Wilhelmsen
Board Member

Lars Mikael Forselius
Board Member

Anders Gaarud
Board member

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