Nomad Expeditionary Walking Camp: Our full report
One of Expert Africa's highly regarded partners in Tanzania, Nomad Tanzania, launched a series of expedition-type ...
... itineraries in 2023 designed to immerse you in the bush. With a highly experienced team, you explore a region on foot for several days, learning about its landscapes and wildlife, and photographing the smaller species as well as the big mammals, though usually at a greater distance than when you're in a vehicle.Nomad Tanzania's Expeditionary Walking Camp moves between different areas in Tanzania. The exact timings of this may differ slightly year to year, but the emphasise is always to be remote and away from other people and vehicles. Generally, the camp operates in the famous north from November - June, between two different areas within the Serengeti National Park; the Ngare Nanyuki area in the east, and the Mbalageti Western Corridor and then further south in the Gol Mountains district of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. In July - October the camp moves to the southern stretches of the quiet Ruaha National Park. From August - October the camp moves to Tanzania's remote west in Ugalla National Park.
Your walking safari will typically last for three nights, but longer safaris are possible. The walking safari is always exclusive to you, with a minimum of two guests and a maximum of six in your party. At Expert Africa we treat this kind of adventure as another camp on your overall itinerary and you can of course top and tail the walking safari part of your holiday with other safari camps, or with a beach stay.
You'll be supported by a team of five, including an experienced head walking guide who acts as camp manager, accompanied by a suitably armed ranger, and three back-of-house staff – a cook, a waiter and a tent attendant. They have their own vehicle which physically transports the camp. You will also have a Nomad driver-guide and safari vehicle to operate your transfers and to be available to transport you if necessary.
The adventure normally starts when you're met at a bush airstrip or collected from a permanent camp or lodge by your driver-guide, usually in the morning to arrive at the mobile camp for lunch, or sometimes to arrive at the mobile camp in the afternoon, with a picnic lunch en route. You'll typically be given plenty of time to settle into the mobile camp and have a rest, with the option of an afternoon walking excursion before your first night in the bush.
The guest tents are comfortably sized ridge tents, each sleeping two people in single camp beds, with full linen and duvets. The tents are big enough to stand up in, and have excellent ventilation all around as most of the inner is constructed of insect mesh. If the weather is reliably dry, the fly-sheet can be removed to allow you to sleep under the stars. The tents are equipped with towels and toiletries, crocs (rubber shower shoes), gum boots and bug spray, the last two items of which you hopefully won't need. Bathroom facilities include a safari wash basin on a tripod stand outside your tent, and a little further off a fully-screened safari shower with a wooden platform to stand on, and an equally private and separate "dry flush" safari toilet with a short drop and a bucket of earth and a trowel for covering the evidence. The guest tents and the guest shower and toilet are close enough to each other and to the central area of the camp for an escort not to be required after dark – though your guide will always be available, and within audible distance, if you need assistance.
The central areas of the mobile camp focus on a good camp fire and director's chairs, a large communal dining table (under a tarp if necessary) where you'll eat with the head guide, and a well-stocked bush bar just behind. The kitchen tent and staff tents, firewood supplies and vehicles are a short distance away.
First thing in the morning you'll find the camp fire lit and your choice of hot drink waiting for you as soon as you emerge from your tent. You'll have a jug of warm washing water by your basin and you'll be able to shower if you choose (as you'd expect, you'll be asked well in advance when you would like to shower). You'll usually have breakfast – cereals, yoghurt, toast and fruit, and eggs, bacon and sausages if you wish – as the sun comes up. Dietary requests can be accommodated with advance notice.
And then, ensuring you have enough drinking water and carrying packed lunches, you'll set off for the first part of your first day's walking experience. On our Gol Mountains walking safari in 2024, we left at 6.45am, skirting the ridge on which our camp was sited, and following it south on a meandering route that varied between rocky scrub on the higher reaches and sloping plains further down. We approached a group of giraffes with young, tracked raptors overhead and watched herds of eland trotting past in the distance. We crouched to watch the antics of dung beetles. Later, we came upon a thundering herd of wildebeest, pouring out of a dell like a surging flood. As we ate lunch (which featured excellent wraps) under some welcome shade, a lone hyena approached us unawares from downhill (and upwind), passing us only 30 metres away when she finally caught our scent and picked up her lope. The vehicle collected us at the end of that day from a spot where we'd been resting and watching weaver birds.
The camp was a welcome refuge at the end of the day, with cold beer and chilled wine waiting for us by the fire, and an excellent curry dinner and engaging convsation.
On our second day the camp moved to a picturesque location by a waterhole and we traversed a broad stretch of savannah to reach it, creating ripples of alarm among the wildeebest and zebra herds as we approached them and they parted. Macabre but fascinating carcasses littered the scene (reminder that every wildebeest, and every other creature, ends up being food for somebody in the ecosystem) and the circling vultures were ever present. A solitary golden jackal came close during one of our stops, but predators eluded us otherwise, as we were expecting. Lunch and a long rest by a pond busy with birdlife was a fine interlude. Later, dusk settled by our campsite waterhole, as marabou storks parachuted down to their roosts and the frogs started chorusing.
Our view
Logistically immaculate, superbly managed, this is an outstanding experience that should suit any fit safari enthusiast. We were very impressed by the quality and comfort of this mobile experience, and by the rewarding volume of mammals and birds we encountered along the way.
Country manager: Tanzania
Geographics
- Location
- Serengeti Migration Area, Tanzania
- Ideal length of stay
- 3 nights minimum
- Accessible by
- Fly-and-Transfer
Food & drink
- Usual board basis
- Full Board & Activities
- Dining style
- Group Meals
- Dining locations
- Outdoor Dining
Children
- Attitude towards children
- Children are not permitted to join these trips.
- Property’s age restrictions
- 16 is the minimum age.
Communications
- Power supply notes
- Lighting in camp is by solar lantern, and you'll be given a torch. Remember to take at least one good, charged-up power bank, and plenty of spare batteries. The vehicles have inverters for charging in case you run out of options.
- Communications
- Cellphone signal comes and goes. It can be quite good in some parts and completely absent in neighbouring areas.
- Water supply
- Transported in
Health & safety
- Malarial protection recommended
- Yes
- Dangerous animals
- High Risk
- Fire safety
Extras
- Disabled access
- Not Possible
- Laundry facilities
- None
- Money
- You're not likely to need any money until the end of the expedition, when you'll want cash for tips.
Other lodges in Serengeti Migration Area
Alternative places to stay in this same area.
Olakira Camp
Comfortable, friendly and relaxed, Olakira Camp moves between the Mara River and the southern Ndutu area, in line with the wildebeest migration.
Sayari Camp
In the northern Serengeti, near the Mara River, luxurious Sayari Camp offers excellent wildife all year – boosted further by the wildebeest migration.
Nomad Serengeti Camp
Serengeti Safari Camp is a well-appointed tented camp that moves several times a year to follow the predicted path of the migration.
Dunia Camp
Dunia Camp is well located for the migration from December to March, and has excellent game viewing for the rest of the year.
Namiri Plains Camp
Namiri Plains is one of the best camps in the Serengeti and its remoteness ensures a fantastic wildlife experience away from the crowds.
Lamai Serengeti
Set high in the kopjes with fantastic views, Lamai Serengeti offers top service and guiding and good migration sightings from Jul-Oct.
Ubuntu Camp
Ubuntu Camp has several locations in the Serengeti, following the wildebeest migration, so it is often in a great location to see the herds.
Kati Kati Camp
Kati Kati is a small, very simple bushcamp, which is well-positioned to explore the wildlife-rich Seronera area.
Ndutu Safari Lodge
Large and economical, but not luxurious, Ndutu Safari Lodge is well located in the southern Serengeti, so book early to get space.
Serian Serengeti
Serian Serengeti is a mobile tented operation run by Alex Walker which moves between two locations following the wildebeest migration.
Klein's Camp
Klein's Camp, in a private area of the northern Serengeti, sets high standards. Activities include walks, nights drives and Maasai village visits.
Serengeti under Canvas
Two of the three Serengeti under Canvas camps move through the Serengeti National Park every few months to follow the wildebeest migration.
Grumeti River Camp
Grumeti River Camp offers a laid-back atmosphere combined with top service, first-rate food, expert guiding and an excellent location.
Lemala Kuria Hills
Lemala Kuria Hills is a luxury permanent camp that is ideally located for wildlife all year around, but especially during the wildebeest migration.
Lemala Ewanjan
Lemala Ewanjan is a comfortable and stylish tented camp in the Seronera area of the central Serengeti National Park.
Lemala Mara-Ndutu
Lemala Mara-Ndutu is a semi-permanent camp that moves between the north and south of the Serengeti to witness the wildebeest migration.
Lemala Nanyukie
Lemala Nanyukie is a stylish camp located in the quieter part of the central Serengeti.
Lobo Wildlife Lodge
The large Lobo Wildlife Lodge has simple, functional rooms in a stunning location. It's a good base for exploring the north-eastern Serengeti.
Kubu Kubu
Kubu Kubu is a contemporary, tented lodge, well located in the central Seronera area of the Serengeti National Park.
Serengeti Walking Mobile
This fairly simple camp offers only walking activities, but it's very well done and combines well with more conventional camps or lodges.
Mbalageti Lodge
Mbalageti is a well-run lodge in a quiet part of the Serengeti's western corridor – an ideal location during the Apr-Jun migration.
Serengeti Serena
The Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge is a large, hotel-style lodge and a good family-friendly base from which to explore the central Serengeti.
Kusini Camp
Kusini Camp is permanent, luxury camp located on a beautiful kopje in a quiet, wildlife-rich corner of the south-west Serengeti.
Migration Camp
Serengeti Migration Camp is a smart tented camp, good for the wildebeest migration from Jul–Aug, or to explore the Lobo Kopjes any time.
Mkombe's House Lamai
Mkombe's House Lamai is a fully staffed private house in the Wogakuria Kopjes district of Serengeti National Park.
Serengeti Sopa Lodge
Serengeti Sopa Lodge is an international-style hotel offering good-value accommodation in the central Serengeti, with lovely views of the plains.
Singita Mara River
Singita Mara River Tented Camp is a luxurious camp in the isolated and rewarding Lamai wedge region of the northern Serengeti.
Olmara Camp
With just eight guest tents, including two family tents and three signature stargazer tents, Olmara is a simple, family-friendly camp with a wonderfully attentive team. The camp captures an authentic bush experience, welcoming travellers of every kind.
Serengeti Green Camp
Serengeti Green Camp is a comfortable camping experience, in your own private safari camp and at the heart of a great wildlife area.
Sasakwa Lodge
On a hill looking over the Serengeti plains, Sasakwa Lodge is grand, luxurious safari camp, one of the most opulent properties in Tanzania.
Faru Faru Lodge
On the north bank of the Grumeti River, Faru Faru is a small, chic hideaway in this exclusive corner of the Serengeti.
Kirurumu Migration Camp
Kirurumu is a rustic tented camp which moves around the Serengeti twice a year to follow the wildebeest migration.
Sabora Tented Camp
Sabora Tented Camp is a smart tented camp – one of the most luxurious, professional and stylish properties to be found in Tanzania.
Four Seasons Serengeti
The Four Seasons Safari Lodge is the only hotel in the Serengeti offering international facilities such as a gym, spa and children’s club.
Nimali Mara
Nimali Mara is a luxurious safari lodge in a quiet region of the northern Serengeti with good access to the wildebeest migration.
Bushtops
Serengeti Bushtops is a permanent luxury camp in the northern Serengeti, with spacious and private tents with their own hot tubs.
Ndutu Kati Kati
Ndutu Kati Kati is a seasonal tented camp, based in the southern Serenget from Dec-Mar, ideal for the migration as it passes through.
Olduvai Camp
Olduvai Camp lies between Ngorongoro and the southern Serengeti plains. It's a good base for the southern plains during the rainy season.
Lake Masek Tented Camp
Ideally located for the wildebeest migration from Dec–Apr, Lake Masek Tented Camp is a good, mid-market safari camp.
Mara Mara
Mara Mara is a smart tented camp in the northern Serengeti, situated on a small hill close to the Mara River.
Esirai Migration Camp
A season migration camp, with only 8 tents and 1 family tent and plenty of character. Esirai is ideally placed for excellent wildlife and enjoys a simplistic and comfortable under-canvas experience.
Mwiba Lodge
Mwiba Lodge is a luxurious property located on a private concession on the edge of the southern Serengeti.
Seronera Wildlife Lodge
Seronera Wildlife Lodge is large hotel-style safari lodge in the heart of the Serengeti, offering good value and a great location.
Mara Kati Kati
Mara Kati Kati is a simple bush camp in the northern Serengeti, based from Jul-Oct near the Mara River for the wildebeest migration.
Nasikia Naona
Naona Camp is a small tented camp, located in the Moru Kopjes, west of the Serengeti central area
Kirawira Camp
Set high on a hill, in the Serengeti's western corridor, Kirawira is a relatively large tented camp in the Serena group.
Nyikani Central
Nyikani Central is a comfortable tented camp located in the game-rich Seronera area of the central Serengeti.
Mbuzi Mawe
Mbuze Mawe is a comfortable tented camp in a convenient, central-north location when driving through the Serengeti.
Laba Migration Camp
A luxury mobile camp that moves between the Western Corridor, Mara River and the southern Ndutu area, in line with the wildebeest migration.
Serengeti Pioneer Camp
Serengeti Pioneer Camp is a luxurious tented camp in the central Serengeti, styled on African explorers' camps of the early 20th century.
Taasa Lodge
Taasa Lodge is a slightly quirky option offering guided walks and night game drives, which are not permitted in Serengeti National Park.
Nimali Serengeti
Opened in July 2017, Nimali Serengeti is a smart, permanent tented camp located in the Seronera area of the central Serengeti.
