It has been said that Kenya is the Mzee, or respected old man, of eco-tourism. More specifically, the country has been at the forefront of the global rise in community-based tourism. Land rights are increasingly being devolved to communities, so tourism businesses wishing to build lodges outside parks or reserves now have to negotiate terms with local people looking to partner responsible businesses and to maximise their economic benefits.

This coincides with a rise in tourists who are looking for something different: visitors are increasingly interested in meeting local people and learning about their cultures. Tour operators report that tourists often travel to Kenya for the wildlife or beaches, but return raving about the people. Rather than being trapped in a safari vehicle, they are opting for walking safaris on communal lands with Maasai or Samburu tribesmen. Rather than watching drummers perform in hotels, they are visiting local communities to meet people on their terms. Culture, the sleeping giant of Kenyan tourism, is slowly waking - which is good news for development, as culture is one of the few assets of the poor.

So is community-based tourism the way forward for conservation and development? Potentially, but managing it is fraught with difficulties. Defining community boundaries, in order to determine who receives the economic benefits, can be problematic. Few communities share a common view on how tourism should be developed or profits distributed, and local politics can be intense.

Sadly corruption remains an issue and without strong marketing partnerships with progressive tourism businesses, many community-based programmes are not economically sustainable unless supported by wealthy benefactors. As Kenya's community projects are small-scale and don't have 100% occupancy, community-based tourism is not about to revolutionise conservation and development. The big challenge is to see it grow and to encourage big operators and hotels to develop complementary tourism products involving local commu-nities. Community-based tourism can provide real benefits for local people and conservation, but if it is to become anything more than a tiny niche it must be widely replicable. To do this it must attract sufficient numbers of paying guests to become economically self-sufficient. Only then will these innovative ventures start to fulfil their potential.

Four of the Best It's impressive to find that there are currently too many community-based tourism ventures in Kenya (17 in total) to profile, but here are some of the most exciting:

Il N'gwesi, Kenya's first community lodge, is situated on communal land adjacent to the Ngare Ndare River near Isiolo in northern Kenya. The four individual, double or family thatched bandas are constructed from local materials on high supports, to ensure fantastic views. Visitors can explore the area by foot or camel and follow the Ngare Ndare River with local guides for close contact with wildlife.

Traditional demonstrations are given in the "Cultural Manyatta", including hunting by disguising a donkey as an oryx, hut building, beekeeping, traditional dancing or blood tapping from cows. Booking the complete lodge (the only option) costs from $395 per night (accommodating up to 11 people).

Dream Camp is situated on the Talek River just outside the Masai Mara National Reserve. It has 15 spacious tents, mounted on fixed structures and covered by a thatched roof, with double beds and large verandahs with hammocks. The local Maasai community own the land and have developed the camp in partnership with Dream Travel Africa. Among other issues, they seek to address the severe deforestation in the Masai Mara. Visitors can enjoy superb walking safaris with Maasai guides (ask for Amos or William) and visit their villages to meet the women and children and buy crafts. Costs from $70 per night.

Porini Camp is situated on the site of a former big game hunting camp in the Eselenkei Conservation Area, a few miles north of Amboseli National Park in southern Kenya. The comfortable tented camp is well off the beaten track and provides a true bush atmosphere, having only recently opened to tourists. The venture, a partnership between the Maasai and Porini Ecotourism, lies in the heart of Maasailand, where the wildlife is truly wild and not yet habituated to vehicles. Prices from $380, for 3 days and 2 nights.

Shompole. This 62,500ha group ranch in the Rift Valley in south-eastern Kenya is a brave new partnership between the local Maasai community and a newly-formed company, Art of Ventures. Constructed with naturally occurring white quartz stone and pale thatch, each of the six tented rooms provides a spacious, shady oasis in this green desert environment. Activities include picnics, sundowner visits to Lake Natron to see the flamingos and nights spent in romantic fly-camps.