Olakira: Our full report
Olakira Camp is a semi-permanent tented camp that moves twice a year between two locations within Tanzania’s ...
... Serengeti National Park, roughly matching the densest part of the wildebeest migration at that time. The camp is usually known as either Olakira Mara or Olakira Ndutu, depending on its current location.Between June and November, Olakira Camp is located on the Mara River in the far north of the Serengeti, near the makutano wildebeest crossing point ('makutano' means 'crossing' in Swahili), where the Bologanja stream enters the Mara. This is a great base to witness the migration roughly from August to the end of October, but it's also worth staying here either side of these months for the resident game in the area. Along with plenty of lions, relaxed leopards, regularly sighted cheetahs and a very healthy population of plains grazers, we have seen black rhinos in this area, and hippos often graze around the tents.
From beginning of December to the end of March, Olakira relocates from the Mara River to the Ndutu area in the far south of the Serengeti ecosytem, which is the best area for witnessing the migration when it is spread out across the southern plains. Please study our moving map of the migration to see where the animals are at different times of the year – though do note that there can be considerable variation year on year and at any one time. For example on our last visit in June 2023, the herds were largely in the west, making their way towards the Mara River.
Olakira itself is a comfortable tented camp, the sister camp of four others in the migration area: Ubuntu, Dunia and Sayari. Its 10 safari tents are spacious, cool and quite stylish, yet also practical, if pitched relatively close together. Thanks to a recent refurbishment, the tents are now raised up on wooden decks. At night this decked area is covered with a mosquito net, and the bed can be wheeled into the space, to allow guests to sleep out under the stars. Quite a special experience!
Inside, neutral colours and tones of charcoal grey accents give a rustic, understated style. The groundsheet floors are scattered with small rugs, and comfortable double, twin or triple beds have dark grey blankets. Bedside lamps (with 24hr power from solar panels), a writing desk, a day bed, and a seating area with a pair of leather-latticed chairs complete the picture. For families, one of the tents can sleep up to six, while in the north, honeymoon couples are generally given tent numbers 4 and 8 for the privacy and the views.
Against the partition leading into the ensuite bathroom, an open sided shelves and hanging cupboard is provided for personal belongings, as well as bathrobes made from beautiful local fabrics.
Large insect-proof windows with canvas flaps can be left open to catch the breeze, or closed for privacy. When we were last at Olakira, we left one of the canvas flaps up and were lucky enough to see a hippo grazing next to our tent in the middle of the night.
A curtain separates the bedroom from the en-suite bathroom, where you will find twin brass basin set into a wooden plinth, a selection of toiletries. More curtains enclose a flushing toilet and separate plumbed shower, with plentiful hot water. There is cold running water (mineral water is provided for drinking and brushing teeth) and a Thermos of hot water which is replenished regularly. Washing powder is provided for ladies to wash their underwear.
In Olakira's lounge tent was recently given a soft refurbishment, now with natural browns and earthly greens, creams to create a rustic yet stylish effect. At night, this is enhanced by atmospheric brass ceiling lampshades. Either side of a large drinks cabinet, two comfortable seating areas feature large sofas gathered around brass drum coffee tables, and additional low set, string woven chairs and benches at the front of the tent. The staff will serve you drinks from the well-stocked bar, but guests may help themselves to coffee and tea at any time.
The dining tent, usually known as 'the mess', has canvas directors' chairs set around square wooden tables, although communal dining at one long table is the norm. In the evenings, guests tend to gather around a fireplace in front for a few convivial drinks in the company of other guests and the guides.
Activities from Olakira are all vehicle-based 4x4 game drives. Guests may either explore the Serengeti with their own private driver/guide or use the guides and vehicles based at the camp. Typically you'll make a plan with your guide the evening before, choosing either to head out for a full day with a packed lunch, or to do morning and afternoon game drives, returning to the camp during the heat of the day. Timings are very flexible.
There are opportunities to arrange bush breakfasts and sundowners in camp or the surrounding area. Perfect for honeymooners or anyone celebrating something special.
Our view
Olakira is a comfortable, stylish and personal little camp. Its semi-permanent nature means that you really feel a part of the surrounding bush, without having to sacrifice comforts such as hot showers and flush toilets.
Tanzania expert
Geographics
- Location
- Serengeti Migration Area, Tanzania
- Ideal length of stay
- Spend at least 3 or 4 nights here to explore the area properly – or longer if you have the time.
- Directions
- When the camp is in the south most guests will drive to Olakira with their vehicle and guide, and then drive away again when they move on. When it is in the more remote north you may choose to fly in; the camp is about 30 minutes from the airstrip.
- Accessible by
- Fly-and-Transfer
Food & drink
- Usual board basis
- Full Board & Activities
- Food quality
- The food at Olakira Camp is of a good standard and is fresh and very tasty. When we last stayed, in June 2023, they were serving a variety of international dishes based on fresh ingredients.
Timings for breakfast or brunch were flexible, depending on what we wanted to do in the morning. For breakfast there was a variety of cereals, a cooked breakfast with eggs, plus fruit and yoghurt. Brunch was similar, but with the addition of robust options such as hot open sandwiches and quiches.
For lunch, we were served individual chicken pies, with a selection of salads, dressings and bread which was most enjoyable.
At around 7.00pm, guests start to gather around the campfire for a drink. The chef then announces dinner. This consisted of three set courses. When we last stayed we were served green banana soup and chapatti to start, deliciously season chicken curry, with an assortment of homemade salas and chutneys, followed by a creamy, rich chocolate mousse. - Dining style
- Group Meals
- Dining locations
- Indoor and Outdoor Dining
- Further dining info, including room service
- Tea and coffee is brought to the tents.
- Drinks included
- Most drinks are included. Champagne and certain imported wines and spirits are extra.
Special interests
- Solo Travel
- Olakira Camp can be an inspired choice for solo travel in Tanzania. You'll share your safaris with other guests, and a top safari guide, and everyone dines communally so it's very friendly.
- See ideas for Solo Travel in Tanzania
- Wildlife safaris
- Olakira Camp is a semi-permanent tented camp that moves twice a year, in order to optimise its location for the Serengeti’s wildebeest migration. With careful planning (talk to us about this), it can be the perfect base from which to witness one of nature's greatest spectacles.
- See ideas for Wildlife safaris in Tanzania
- Luxury
- Olakira has undergone a recent refurbishment, and the tents now have a luxurious star gazing deck, allowing guests to wheel the bed out to the front of the tent and sleep out under the stars. Quite a special experience!
- See ideas for Luxury in Tanzania
Children
- Attitude towards children
- Children are welcome.
- Property’s age restrictions
- A 6-plus age restriction is sometimes applied at the Ndutu site.
- Special activities & services
- The is a special childrens menu, and the camp can arrange earlier meal times for children.
- Equipment
- No special equipment.
- Generally recommended for children
- Olakira is a fun and friendly camp whose team will go out of their way to make families feel welcome. Due to the wild nature of the camp, however, it is best suited to children over the age of 12.
- Notes
- Parents should be aware that children should not be allowed to wander around unescorted, and are their responsibility at all times.
Our travellers’ wildlife sightings from Olakira Camp
Since mid-2018, many of our travellers who stayed at Olakira have kindly recorded their wildlife sightings and shared them with us. The results are below. Click an animal to see more, and here to see more on our methodology.
100% success
100% success
100% success
96% success
96% success
92% success
92% success
88% success
87% success
81% success
71% success
40% success
32% success
29% success
20% success
10% success
7% success
0% success
Communications
- Power supply notes
- Power is available 24 hours a day as there is a back-up generator. There are multiple UK-style 3-pin sockets in the lounge tent for charging batteries, as well as one three pin plug and USB charging point in the tents.
- Communications
- The camp has a satellite phone that can be used in emergencies. There is also intermittent cellphone reception around the camp. The tents have two-way radios and there is a computer with online access in the office that guests may use in an emergency. There is WiFi in the main areas with a range of 100m so some tents will have a signal.
- TV & radio
- There is no TV or radio at the camp but there is a TV in the staff camp which guests can watch when major sporting events are taking place.
- Water supply
- Transported in
- Water supply notes
- The main water supply comes by bowser from a nearby borehole. Filtered drinking water is supplied to guests.
Sustainability
Olakira’s black rhino repatriation project
As a semi-permanent tented camp moving twice a year to follow migration, Olakira Camp is commitment to ‘leave nothing behind but footprints’. Run exclusively by Tanzanian staff, what sets Olakira Camp apart is its dedication for preserving biodiversity. It not only offers green safari experiences, but also guides local communities to bring a positive contribution towards protecting the environment.
The camp supports the well-known Serengeti Lion Project, run by the University of Minnesota, by providing funding and support for the researchers. Moreover, with an all-time low of 2,300 individuals in the wild and less than 100 in Tanzania, Olakira Camp is deeply involved in the Rhino Repatriation Program in order to ensure the survival of the black rhino in Serengeti and stimulate population growth. To this extent, Frankfurt Zoological Society trained all of the camp’s guides and drivers to identify the individual rhinos in the northern Serengeti and participate in ongoing research by reporting and recording all individuals found in this area.
In 2010, the first six rhinos were repatriated. However this was only the beginning, as the final goal of Olakira Camp is to help repatriate 32 black rhinos from South Africa to Serengeti National Park within five years.
See more great sustainability projects in Tanzania
Health & safety
- Malarial protection recommended
- Yes
- Medical care
- The senior staff are first-aid trained and there is first-aid equipment for minor injuries. The camp has links to a medical evacuation service, which may be used in a medical emergency.
- Dangerous animals
- High Risk
- Security measures
- There are guards from the local community and armed government guards on duty. Members of the team escort guests around the camp at night.
- Fire safety
- The camp has a firebreak, and each tent has a fire extinguisher, which all staff are trained to use.
Activities
4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Hot air ballooning
Extras
- Disabled access
- On Request
- Laundry facilities
- Laundry is included free of charge. It is hand-washed and line-dried and is returned with 24 hours depending on the weather. However, ladies' underwear cannot be washed: soap powder is provided in bathrooms. Please note that when the area is very dusty, it is not ideal for line-drying clothes.
- Money
- Each tent has a small safe. There are no currency-exchange facilities at Olakira Camp.
- Accepted payment on location
- Olakira Camp can accept cash in US dollars, GBP, Tanzania shillings and euros. Although cash is preferred it is sometimes possible to pay with Visa and Mastercard, with a 4% surcharge, which does not apply on small item purchases and camp tips.
Other lodges in Serengeti Migration Area
Alternative places to stay in this same area.
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.
Nomad Walking Camp
Nomad Expeditionary Walking Camp is a simple camp of up to three tents, plus infrastructure, that changes location to allow guests to do substantial walks between campsites.
