Sleeping under canvas in the middle of it, from a serviced tented camp with a proper bed to a fly camp carried in and set up for one night. The sounds after dark are the point.
Each of these is somewhere we run camping, with its own page.
Kenya
The Mara is the northern end of the Serengeti ecosystem, and the single best place in Africa to watch big cats hunt. Between July and October around a million and a half wildebeest and zebra cross the Mara River into it. The rest of the year it is quieter, cheaper, and still holds the highest density of lion, cheetah and leopard in Kenya.
Kenya
Amboseli is where you photograph elephants with Kilimanjaro behind them. The swamps fed by meltwater off the mountain hold big herds year round, the plains are open and dusty so nothing hides, and it is close enough to Nairobi to be worth three days on its own.
Kenya
Samburu is the dry north, and the wildlife is different for it. Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich live here and almost nowhere else in Kenya — guides call them the Samburu Special Five. The Ewaso Nyiro river keeps it all alive and draws elephant down to drink all afternoon.
Kenya
Naivasha is the freshwater lake in the floor of the Rift Valley, ninety minutes from Nairobi. You get out of the vehicle here: a boat among the hippos, a walk or a cycle on Crescent Island among giraffe and zebra with no predators to worry about. It is the day that breaks up a driving safari.
Kenya
Tsavo East is vast, flat and red — the elephants here are stained by the dust and look it. It is the park you cross on the way between Nairobi and the coast, which makes it the natural way to put a safari in front of a week at Diani or Watamu.
Kenya
The Aberdares are cold, wet mountain forest and moorland — nothing like the plains below. The lodges here are built over waterholes and you watch from a balcony instead of a vehicle, often after dark, which is when the elephant, buffalo, giant forest hog and the occasional bongo come in.
Kenya
Hell's Gate has no big predators to speak of, which is the whole point: you cycle and walk through it. Red cliffs, steam vents and a gorge you climb down into on foot, with zebra and giraffe watching from the track. It is an hour from Naivasha and the most active day on a Kenyan itinerary.
Kenya
Meru is where Elsa the lioness of Born Free was raised and released. It is well watered, green and almost empty of other vehicles — thirteen rivers, doum palms, and a rhino sanctuary inside the park. For a traveller who has done the Mara and wants wilderness without a crowd, this is the answer.
Kenya
Africa's second highest mountain, and the one you can climb without technical gear. Point Lenana at 4,985m is a long trek rather than a climb, through bamboo, giant groundsel and glacial tarns. The forest on the lower slopes holds elephant and buffalo, so the first day is a game walk in all but name.
Kenya
A dormant volcano two hours from Nairobi with a path right around its crater rim. The climb takes about four hours return and the view down into the forested crater floor, and out across Lake Naivasha, is the reward. It is the best half-day of exercise in the Rift Valley.
Tanzania
Fourteen thousand square kilometres of plains, and the stage for the whole wildebeest migration — which is not an event but a year-round circuit the herds never stop walking. Where they are depends on the month, so the Serengeti rewards planning more than any other park in East Africa.
Tanzania
Tarangire has the baobabs and the elephants. In the dry season the river is the only water for miles and the herds concentrate on it — three and four hundred elephant in a day is not unusual, which beats anything the Serengeti offers. It is two hours from Arusha and usually the first stop on a northern circuit.
Tanzania
The highest mountain in Africa at 5,895m, and the highest in the world you can walk up — no ropes, no technical climbing, just altitude and a lot of days. The route matters more than anything else: the longer ones acclimatise you properly and summit success rises with every extra night on the mountain.
Tanzania
Tanzania's largest park after Nyerere, where the East African and southern African species overlap — so you get greater and lesser kudu, sable and roan in the same place as the usual plains game. Lion prides here run large, and the Great Ruaha river draws everything in during the dry months.
Prices are per person. Any of these can be adjusted to give the activity more time.
3 Days
Duration 7 Days 6Nights
Under the canvas of the African sky, our Camping experiences invite you to immerse yourself in the heart of nature. Whether it's the vast plains of the Maasai Mara or the serene landscapes of Tanzania, our carefully curated camping adventures promise an authentic and unforgettable safari experience. Sleep under the stars, surrounded by the sounds of the wild, and wake up to the beauty of the sunrise. Our camping excursions blend comfort with the thrill of being in the great outdoors, creating memories that resonate with the essence of African wilderness.
Set up camp near the Mara River, where the grunts of hippos and the distant roars of lions serenade you to sleep. Our expert guides ensure a safe and enjoyable camping experience, sharing their knowledge of the nocturnal activities that unfold in the wild. Gather around the campfire for storytelling and stargazing, savoring the flavors of traditional cuisine prepared by our skilled camp chefs. Whether it's a luxury tented camp or a rustic experience in the heart of the bush, our Camping adventure is more than an overnight stay; it's a journey into the heart of nature.
Say so when you get in touch and we will build the route around it, rather than squeezing it in on an afternoon when the light is wrong.
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