When you dream about going on safari, do you picture yourself sleeping in the bush while listening to the sounds of the lions, hyenas and elephants? Does that excite or terrify you or are you somewhere in between? Do you dream of walking among the zebras, giraffes, and gazelle? This can safely become a reality if you take camping safari in Tanzania!
A camping safari is an experience quite like no other. In a tented camp, you are truly able to soak in the beauty of your surroundings and are immersed in the wilderness. You get to hear, smell, and feel the energy and serenity of being on the savannah.
The animals will be roaming freely as there are no fences. You might be wondering how safe this might be then. On our family’s numerous safaris, we have always stayed in at least one tented camp and we felt very safe. There are askari, watchmen, that will escort you to your room, especially at night. These watchmen will be roaming the camp at night too to make sure that everything is safe. The staff will also share a safety briefing with you. If you follow the safety requirements, staying at a tented camp is perfectly safe and is a memory that will be with you always!
The 3 Main Options for a Camping Safari in Tanzania
Camping is a “must-do” when traveling on safari in Tanzania. But will you be sacrificing your comfort? If you prefer luxury or somewhere in between, there is no need to worry because you can still have a very comfortable, luxurious stay in a tent. If you would rather “rough it”, that is an option for you too! Trust me, our family has experienced all three on safari: tented camps, tented lodges, and basic camping.
Luxury Tented Camps
Luxury tented camps give you all the comforts of staying in a nice hotel right in the middle of nature! You will find comfortable beds, lighting, wifi, and full bathrooms with flush toilets and showers, all within canvas walls. At a luxury tented camp, you’ll enjoy all the amenities of a top-notch hotel, plus the adventure and excitement of camping.
There is a range of luxury for these types of tents from budget-friendly to extravagant and everything in between. The more budget-friendly options may have hot- water bucket showers, basic furnishings, and limited wifi, while the extravagant options will have beautiful pillowtop beds, spacious showers with running water, and will be even more comfortable than a hotel room. Some of the camps also have private swimming pools, spa treatments, and evening entertainment.
Food will be prepared for you at the camps too with budget camps preparing more basic meals while uber-luxury tents will have more options of different international cuisines.
Some tented camps in the Serengeti are mobile camps in order to follow the migration and provide the best wildlife viewing experience. From December until March, you can find the camp in the Southern area of the Serengeti. From July until November, you can find the same camp in the Northern Serengeti area.
Luxury Tented Lodges
Another option with even more luxury would be staying in a tented lodge. Tented lodges are more permanent and have hardwood or tile floors and may be situated on stilts. They have all the comforts and amenities of a five-star hotel room, but within canvas.
When staying in a tented lodge, it is very easy to forget that you are actually in a tent! You may only realize it when having to unzip the canvas to take in the breathtaking views and watch the wildlife from your verdana.
Luxury tented lodges also come with amenities such as swimming pools with views of the wildlife and stunning scenery, a cocktail bar with an area overlooking the savannah to relax with a sundowner, and entertainment in the evening from local dancers.
Some even have spectacular outdoor showers and bathtubs! You can’t go wrong with a luxury tented lodge when safari camping in Tanzania because you are immersed in nature, but with all the perks of staying in a resort!
Basic Camping
If you prefer to have a true experience in the bush, basic safari camping in Tanzania might be for you. You could also save some money by camping for a night or two inside the national parks or just outside!
If you are traveling with a tour company such as Northland Tanzania Safaris, your guide will set up your dome tent for you. This will be a basic tent that will sleep 2 people. It may come with cots with a thin mattress for you to sleep on. This will be the typical camping and “roughing it” experience.
However, when traveling with a tour company you will also have a chef that will prepare fresh meals for you while you are camping. I’m always amazed at how delicious the food is even when out in the bush at a rustic campsite!
If your campsite is inside the national parks, you will have shared bathrooms with showers that just have cold water. There most likely will be other campers sharing the space with you too. If you camp outside of the parks, there are campsites that have nice amenities such as swimming pools and solar powered hot showers.
As you can see, there are tent options for everyone when on camping safari in Tanzania! You can splurge on luxury, save some money on a more rustic, basic camp experience, or find someplace in between. You won’t regret adding a tent experience to your safari. Northland Tanzania Safaris is ready to help you discover the perfect option for your safari experience!