SAFARI CAMPS & LODGES
After you’ve been out in the African bush during the day, your overnight camp is a sanctuary for rest and relaxation combined with outstanding service, great food and hearty conversations… Safari Kings has partnered with the following camps and lodges… We have handpicked these camps (having stayed at all of them) & locations based on the fact that they offer top shelf wilderness experiences and superb service (however if you’ve seen a camp elsewhere that you like, let us know and we can also quote on it too).
Intimate Camp Zebra is named after the Zebra which follow the Wildebeest during their world-famous annual migration. Like the animal it is named after, the camp follows the Wildebeest to the Northern part of the Serengeti National Park between July and November and to the Southern part of the Serengeti eco-system from December until March. The camp is closed from April until the end of June each year.
Intimate Camp Zebra has been operating in the Serengeti for the best part of two decades. As a result, the company has fostered very close working relationships with the parks authorities and this in turn has resulted in the camp always being allocated the very best seasonal campsites available, both in Kogatende in the north as well as in Ndutu in the south.
Serengeti Kati Kati is a mobile camp strategically situated in central Serengeti, ideal for exploring the extensive Serengeti plains. The camp offers comfortable accommodation together with the unique opportunity to enjoy a real safari experience on a camp. In its comfortable tents one will feel completely immersed in the surroundings and one can enjoy the rich animal life and vegetation of the area.
An original form of accommodation which resembles the old camps of the first explorers in Africa, with all the commodities of today.
Serengeti Plains Camps is located in the Eastern Serengeti, an area known for its big cats and the region’s largest cheetah population. The Great Migration passes through the region on its annual journey to the nutrient-rich grasslands of the southern plains. This part of the Serengeti is a wildlife photographer’s paradise and is much less crowded than other parts of the legendary national park. The open grassland plains of the south-eastern Serengeti were once reserved for research purposes, particularly for big cats, but in the last decade, it has opened up for tourism.
Serengeti Plains Camp, opened in June 2023, situated over two hours away from the busy central Seronera Valley, where the park headquarters and main airstrip are located. The luxury camp is set on the edge of Acacia woodland, overlooking grassland plains as far as the eye can see. The Ngare Nanyukie River is a permanent water source for a variety of plains game and the river valley provides shelter and cover for the predators and scavengers. The massive granite Zebra, and Gol Kopjes are some of the best wildlife areas in the Serengeti, both during the migration and for resident game.
The camp initially consists of 7 guest tents and a central lounge and dining area, all set on raised wooden decks under stretched fly-sheets. Each guest tent contains bedroom and lounge sections as well as an en-suite bathroom, with solar heated water plumbed into the bathroom and furnished in a modern style with a touch of East African motif. The camp is designed to have a minimal footprint on this pristine wilderness, with no permanent foundations and a full solar system to meet the camps electrical and water-heating needs.
Olmara is the Maasai epithet for the cheetah, the great dotted cat, one of the most emblematic inhabitants of the area. Home to the big cats, this expanse of the Serengeti is a remote and wildlife-filled pocket with endless grassy plains and woodlands and is amongst the best places in Africa to photograph big cats. I highly recommend this camp!
Located in the Central Serengeti – Tanzania – (within the Moru Kopjes area), Serengeti Pioneer Camp is ideally situated to offer superlative access to the annual migration and the ‘Big 5’ with sweeping views overlooking Moru Kopjes, Lake Magadi and the endless plains.
Comprising of twelve-tented accommodations, all of which have en-suite facilities including a flushing toilet, vanity basin, and showers, the tent interiors are designed to evoke the very best of an era long-gone but certainly not forgotten.
A dining tent hosts the Camp’s guests for both breakfast and dinner, whilst luncheons are taken either in the Camp or in the bush during what will no doubt be yet another enthralling day in the Serengeti.
Serengeti Pioneer Camp captures the original essence of the mobile African safari, engendering nostalgic wonderment whilst unlocking the adventurous spirit within all of us. The drama and beauty of the Serengeti National Park is indeed awe inspiring.
Esirai camp moves with the great migratory herds of Wildebeest that cross the Serengeti in what is known as Nature’s Greatest Show on Earth. This intimate traveling camp enables you to experience being a part of this 600-kilometre journey as the Wildebeest, Zebra and their Antelope companions walk their time-honoured grazing routes from the Southern plains to the North for the Mara River crossing.
With only eight tents, this camp has a light ecological footprint and uses solar power and other eco-friendly practices. Yet it still offers comfort: attentive service, great local food and a privileged place from which to witness one of Nature’s wonders. Days in the camp draw to a close with a sundowner and a hearty dinner made by your private chef. Stories are shared around the campfire before retiring to your tent to a unique lullaby of roaring lions.
Lolkisale Camp is situated right in the heart of Tarangire National Park, on the edge of an open wetland. Here, you’ll have the unique experience of watching the drama of nature unfold while sipping a coffee or wine on your front porch. In these wetlands, the view changes each day as different herds pass by in search of water, and after them, the big cats that inevitably follow.
And, since you are so well situated within the park, your adventure begins at first light. There’s no waiting at the gate to get in.
The boutique camp is composed of eight, custom-designed luxury safari tents with attention paid to every detail. Everything from the soothing colour palette, to locally-woven rugs, to the soft touch of your sheets at night was selected to bring luxury and local flavour to this secluded corner of our beautiful surroundings.
The dining tent is large and airy, allowing space for you to hide away in a secluded corner with your love, or unite the whole group for a large family meal.
Olkeri is the Maasai epithet for the Leopard, the spotted ambush hunter, one of the most emblematic inhabitants of the area. Also home to great Elephant herds, this beautiful tract of wilderness, replete with views of woodlands, rocky hills, and shaded by gnarled old-growth Baobab and Acacia offers the ultimate freedom to explore day and night.
The Eight tented suites with wooden floors and expansive verandahs (overlooking seasonal watercourses for privacy) is 100% environmentally friendly. Hemmed between seasonal rocky river beds and overlooks a wooded valley, located near a water hole, the area hosts large wildlife populations, particularly elephants and Buffalo. Activities also include night game drives, walking, and fly-camping for a truly immersive safari experience along with Maasai cultural interactions. A stunning camp with great staff that will not disappoint.
Imagine a lodge nestled amidst the lush greenery, overlooking the breathtaking Lake Manyara or surrounded by the rich wildlife of the region. The lodge is designed to blend harmoniously with the natural surroundings, employing elements of local architecture and materials. Accommodations are authentically rustic safari themed. The ambiance exudes a sense of tranquility and connection to nature.
The lodge consists of individual cabins and safari tents, offering a range of options for accommodations. The interiors are tastefully decorated with locally inspired decor, showcasing the rich culture of the region.
Nestled in a fever tree forest and backed by a rocky hill, Kisima Ngeda is a cozy camp that overlooks the salt-water seasonal Lake Eyasi. Eight palm-roofed, fully equipped tented chalets await guests who can lose themselves in the expansive views of the Alipi escarpment. The changing tones of the day provide a natural tonic for sundowners on tent decks and wholesome food is prepared and served up by local chefs in the palm-thatched communal bar, lounge and dining room.
At day’s end, a Tanganyika boiler is fired up with palm fronds for your shower before you retire and fall asleep to a lullaby of Nightjars and the sounds of the forest. Kisima Ngeda lies in the ancestral lands of the Hazda hunter-gatherers and Datoga people, who graciously share their art, lifestyle, cuisine, and culture with visitors.
Lake Natron Camp is a unique, ecological camp set in one of the most visually dramatic locations in the world! Home to the Maasai, abundant wildlife and over 1 million flamingos, the camp is perfectly situated for amazing adventures.
Lake Natron is home to the Hominid footprints, the largest breeding ground for Lesser Flamingo & Ol Doinyo Lengai, the only active carbonatite volcano in the world (and hardest 1 day hike in East Africa!) – We love Natron (and the camp itself) as it’s so different to all the other eco areas in Tanzania and the photography opportunities are superb.
An incredible view of the cradled Lake Magadi awaits you at the Lion’s Paw tented suites east of Ngorongoro’s Caldera. Create unforgettable memories with views of large tusked elephants and the endangered black rhinos using your binoculars from the bar and lounge area. Lion’s Paw is 10 minutes away from the crater entrance, where you can relax, unwind, and enjoy serene bush dinners to crown your crater experience. We suggest two nights at Lion’s Paw!
Ndutu has retained its cherished status as a gem of the Serengeti plains since it was created by George Dove in 1968 as the first permanent camp in the area. George gave up hunting and transformed the lodge into his regular campsite prizing its wild and remote location in the midst of game and surrounding the Serengeti plains and in 1967 Ndutu was born.
Ndutu quickly established a reputation for warm hospitality and delightful food, fast becoming a favourite stopover for pioneering naturalists, distinguished zoologists and photographers such as celebrated primatologist Jane Goodall and renowned wildlife filmmaker Hugo van Lawick who researched, filmed and wrote about wild dogs in the area.
In 2017 a new team took on Ndutu with the goal of ensuring the lodge could grow on its existing reputation whilst continuing to playing a major role in the local community and conservation of the precious wildlife and landscape. A fantastic location and well worth a visit!
Tortilis Camp has a prime location for witnessing the majesty of Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro.
Tortilis Camp is named after the flat-topped, umbrella thorn tree, the Acacia Tortilis, and embraces a hill in one of Amboseli’s areas of Acacia Tortilis woodland. Located in a private conservancy bordering the national park, game drives, walks, sundowners and bush meals take place both inside the national park and in the conservancy, where guests enjoy exclusivity.
Tortilis Camp was one of the first eco-lodges of its size, and is very proudly 100% solar. Guests can rest assure they are leaving a minimal footprint during their stay.
One of Eastern Africa’s most fascinating nature reserves featuring a huge and varied animal kingdom is located in the South West of Kenya. Approx. 1.600 km2 in size, the reserve lies in the Lake Victoria basin, a mere one hour flight from Nairobi.
Surrounded by hills, the rivers Mara and Talek pass through the vast bush- and grassland, meandering in apparently never-ending windings through the untouched landscape. Dense riparian forests line the rivers’ banks and and bestow upon the otherwise tree-scarce region the charm of a fertile scenic river landscape. Inselbergs of massive rock as well as a multitude of small trenches, so-called Korongos, also contribute to shaping large parts of the Maasai Mara. Here, both fauna and flora flourish due to diversified natural resources, hence creating a unique ecosystem. This is one of my favourite camps in the Mara!