Northern Tanzania Luxury Mobile Camping

But of course, so many safari goers come to the Serengeti in Tanzania and the Maasai Mara in Kenya specifically for the wildebeest migration. The rationale for having a private mobile is that one can locate it in the very best wildlife areas. There is nothing better than sitting on the veranda of your tent with a book or a pair of binoculars, gazing out over the tranquil scene of wildebeest grazing all around the camp and in front of you, seemingly unperturbed by your presence.

Naturally you have the very finest guide accompanying you, revealing in great detail the breath taking landscape and all the magic that occurs within it. One can either have the camp set up within the Serengeti itself, where the daily activities revolve around game drives each day, with each day promising and delivering an entirely different experience, or in a private concession, not open to the public, but entirely private.

For those who would like complete privacy and the ability to walk, then we can place you in a private mobile tented camp in a private concession, which is only for a handful of people or simply yourselves! This is the finest way of having a totally private, yet active mobile safari. Being in a private concession means that we can arrange as little or as much walking as well (or perhaps you might only like to walk)? We can even arrange for you to walk between camps, too for more of an adventurous, pioneer style journey.

Ngorongoro Highlands

This area offers a complete contrast to the Serengeti. The Ngorongoro Crater is a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the seven wonders of Africa. It actually is a caldera, a sunken volcano. One can see the Big 5 on the crater floor and this is one of the finest wildlife areas in East Africa. However, the best way to get off the beaten track is to go walking in the Highlands themselves. This offers an entirely different experience with an emphasis on local culture.

Here we can arrange the most amazing walking safaris, for which this area really lends itself. The highlands themselves contain a vast range of habitat, from mountains to craters, grassy plains, swamps, gallery and montane forests, lakes and woodlands.

It is here that one can walk through villages, observing nomadic Maasai pastoralists tending to their livestock, and understanding how these people live alongside the resident wildlife. Apart from the Maasai, there is also the Hadzabe tribe which resides on the shores of Lake Eyasi. One can spend some time going out on a hunt with them. One can also spend time with the Datoga tribe where one can learn more about their culture and how they retain their social customs in the 21^st century.

Extend your safari by visiting the various craters, such as Empakaai, where one can see huge flocks of flamingos and Ol Moti. We can also offer fabulous helicopter sightseeing of the volcanoes in this region.

Tarangire National Park

Again, this is entirely different to either the Serengeti or Ngorongoro Highlands. Tarangire comprises of more dense vegetation, made up of Acacia and combretum woodland (Acacia being the iconic flat topped trees that one sees is many photographs), swamps, grassland river valley and the enormous, beautiful Baobab trees.

This region is best known for its large elephant population (which migrate from the Simanjiro corridor between August and September), as well as its resident leopard population. Despite having excellent concentrations of wildlife, this is a very quiet park. One can game view by vehicle both during the day and the night in Tarangire (where one can see nocturnal species) and walking is also on offer.

What sort of accommodation is available for luxury mobile camping?

In the Serengeti we offer a couple of different camps, with slightly varying styles. The camps are simply lovely. The tents are large and roomy, with extremely comfortable beds and quality linen. Depending upon the level of luxury required, in one camp, there is an en suite bathroom, complete with a hot water shower and a twin sink with mirrors and a separate flush toilet.

There is a separate mess area which houses the dining and sitting area. If the weather permits, meals will be served outside beneath a bejewelled sky. The food is superb. It really is extraordinary what these amazing chefs can produce given their truly basic amenities! And of course, it is fabulous to sit around the fire pit in the evenings, before or after your meal, reflecting on the day’s exciting myriad of activities and events witnessed.

In the Ngorongoro Highlands the mobile camps tend to be more rustic and smaller as they need to move each day.

In Tarangire, the camp is erected within the park and the tents are large and roomy. They have en suite bathrooms with hot water showers and flush loos. The bedrooms have Persian rugs on the floors and the beds are covered in brightly coloured linen. The dining and sitting area is in a separate mess tent. The staff are simply wonderful. The guiding is second to none, and the food is fabulous; light and Mediterranean in style. They can also offer yoga here for anyone who is interested!

What activities are available?

• Viewing the Great Migration in the Serengeti,
• See large herds of elephant in Tarangire,
• Game drives,
• Night drives,
• Walking in private concessions,
• Family safaris,
• Walking in Highlands,
• Private helicopter explorations,
• Cultural interaction with Maasai, Hadzabe and Datoga tribes,
• See the flamingos in Empakaai Crater.

Is mobile camping suitable for family safaris?

Yes, private mobile safaris are ideal for families as they allow you to set your own timetable! In the main, we would recommend with very young children that one has no more than around 3 nights on a private mobile safari, interspersed with a villa with swimming pool. We can always provide camp nannies for you, too.

When is the best time to take a safari to Northern Tanzania?

The Serengeti is fabulous year-round with the exception of April and May which are the rainy months. The calving time for the wildebeest migration occurs in February which is often seen as the best month to see the migration, but in fact January through to March is excellent for this.

The camps that we use are taken down each season and reset in the regions where either the migration or the best wildlife is likely to occur. So this might be in the central Serengeti in the Grumeti region during June, or the northern Serengeti between July through to October and the southern Serengeti from December through to March.

The Ngorongoro Highlands are excellent year-round except for the rainy months of April and May. Tarangire comes into its own from June through to December. January and February the vegetation is a little thick for good wildlife viewing and April and May are the rainy season so are usually best avoided.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is a mobile safari safe?

Yes! All of our private mobile safaris have 24 hour askaris (guards) and you have all your tent crew, too. There is a fire made at night which keeps animals at bay, so you are completely safe.

What about battery charging?

Yes, batteries can be recharged with ease.

Can mobile camps wash my laundry?

Yes, laundry can be washed, subject of course to the vagaries of weather, but you will never have better ironed clothing with the most amazing creases! This also has the benefit of meaning that you won’t have to take much luggage with you!

Can you cater to my dietary and drink requirements?

Yes, anything can be catered for as long as we are given sufficient notice. The chefs are incredibly skilled and produce the most delicious dishes to your preferences and requirements. We can also arrange for your favourite drink to be available, again with notice.

All pictures by courtesy of: Legendary and 255 Uncharted. Video courtesy of 255 Uncharted