Serengeti Walking Mobile Camp: Our full report
The Serengeti National Park is one of the best wildlife destinations in Africa – attracting so many visitors ...
... that some roads become congested. However, only a small portion of this vast park is accessed by road by the majority of safari operators. Thus with a little know-how, it is possible to explore the Serengeti on an almost 'private' basis. Sizeable sections of the Serengeti National Park have been designated wilderness areas where only walking safaris are allowed. Three nights or more in one of these wildernesses can be an amazing part of a safari to northern Tanzania.From about December to May the conditions in Kilimafeza, a wilderness area north- east of Seronera, become perfect for a walking mobile safari. By late May, and depending on the weather patterns and wildlife movements, this area becomes dry and hot, so the focus changes to Kogatende, a wilderness area south of Lamai, bordering the Mara River in northern Serengeti. This is best visited between about June to November. Speak to us at Expert Africa for a recommendation on the best wilderness area to visit during your safari dates and for suggestions on how to build a walking safari into your itinerary.
If, before you travel, the weather patterns and wildlife movements mean that these recommendations change, then we will suggest that your itinerary is altered to get for you the best wildlife experience. So we ask that you retain a sense of adventure and flexibility when booking these walking safari mobile camps. Strictly speaking, these wilderness walking areas are not 'private'. That said, there are only a handful of safari operators who have the authority to offer walking safaris in the 1,500km2 wilderness area east of Seronera so your time here is almost guaranteed to be exclusive. It's a remote and wild area, perfect for exploring on foot.
Each Serengeti Walking Mobile Camp accommodates guests in simple canvas dome tents. These are usually 2.5m x 2.5m with windows on three sides and a zip-up door to the front. The tents each have a thick mattress on the floor fitted with sheets, duvets, pillows and a blanket. A small box forms the bedside table and holds a bottle of mineral water and a solar-charged reading lantern. Sewn in above the door is a discreet battery-operated light pack with a switch that's easily accessible as you enter the tent. A canvas 'bathroom cupboard', resembling a wash bag, hangs from the ceiling and comes with a spare bar of soap and roll of toilet paper.
Thick netting is pegged down outside each tent creating a porch which is covered by a canvas awning. Camp chairs are set up here to allow guests to relax with a book and enjoy the view between walking activities. Nearby, a canvas washbasin suspended from a wooden frame is regularly replenished with fresh water – warm in the mornings and cool in the afternoons. A second canvas 'bathroom cupboard' fitted with a small mirror hangs on an outside tent pole.
At the heart of each mobile camp is a mess tent which has one open side. The tent is set up to provide shade and sheltered dining when it's needed and to store readily available drinking water and cool drinks. Breakfast and dinner are often enjoyed by the nearby camp fire which is also usually the location for pre-dinner drinks. Lunch is often set out under a shady tree and at night, the camp is lit by paraffin lanterns hung on metal stakes.
Each mobile camp has at least one large bathroom tent with two compartments and with thick netting pegged down to create a floor. One side encloses a bucket shower overhanging a wooden shower mat. The bucket is filled with warm water on request and at any time of the day. The other side encloses a wooden box with a 'proper' toilet seat sitting over a short drop. Toilet paper is supplied and the toilet is 'flushed' with small buckets of dirt. The bathroom tent is shared by the group. If your group numbers more than six people, a second bathroom tent will be set up.
Each walking safari is led by an armed guide and accompanied by an armed national park ranger. Led by this knowledgeable and informative pair, you'll appreciate the change from being a casual observer in a game-drive vehicle to becoming part of the environment – it's a heady experience. The game viewing can be very good, but you will also learn about the smaller things too – the eco-system, animal behaviour, insects, birds and plants. During the wildebeest migration the experienced guides love to head out on foot and walk alongside the vast herds of wildebeest - which can be quite an exhilarating experience!
Our view
As part of a longer trip to northern Tanzania, we can highly recommend a walking mobile safari of at least three-nights for those who enjoy the outdoors, and don't mind relatively simple camping. These camps are private and exclusive, but not particularly costly. A trip like this is easily combined with time visiting the region's more conventional fixed camps and lodges. These mobile camps and walking safaris are a great way to experience the Serengeti National Park in a more adventurous and intimate way than is possible by vehicle; you get very close to nature whilst still enjoying a good level of comfort.
Tanzania expert
Geographics
- Location
- Serengeti Migration Area, Tanzania
- Ideal length of stay
- A three-night stay in a Serengeti Walking Mobile Camp is ideal. Combine your time here with stays in lodges and/or a stay in a Serengeti Private Mobile Camp.
- Accessible by
Food & drink
- Usual board basis
- Full Board & Activities
- Food quality
- We found the meals served at the Serengeti Walking Mobile Camps wholesome and satisfying. All the dishes are prepared from scratch using fresh ingredients – quite a feat considering the remote locations and that everything is cooked over coals. Meat, vegetables and stews are usually cooked over an open fire whilst bread and cakes are baked in a specially crafted oven heated by coals placed both on top and underneath it. The chef welcomes guests to take a look around his bush kitchen.
Days often begin with a quick breakfast of fresh Tanzanian filter coffee or tea, hot porridge or muesli, toast with spreads and fruit. Part way through the morning walking safari you'll stop at a vantage point or under the shade of a tree for bacon and egg on a freshly made roll, home-made biscuits and fruit juice. If you don't head out for a morning walk on your last day, there's usually time for a hot breakfast of bacon and eggs.
You'll typically return to camp for lunch under a shady tree. During our stay in 2011 we enjoyed pizza with a freshly made base on one day and minced-meat pie the next. On our last day we had chicken and chips – simple but really delicious! Each was served with two salads: these included green salad, potato salad and coleslaw.
More home-made biscuits are laid out for afternoon tea and before you set off on your afternoon walk. Then at the end of each active day, you'll be served a three-course dinner. During our stay we had a curry night with tasty vegetable and chicken curries, rice, chapatis and condiments including finely chopped red onion, cucumber, tomatoes and capsicums. Pumpkin soup started off our next evening meal of marinated steak served with crunchy potatoes, mixed vegetables and a green salad. These meals were rounded off with a delicious apple fritter and a chocolate Swiss roll respectively. - Dining style
- Group Meals
- Dining locations
- Indoor and Outdoor Dining
- Drinks included
- Whilst in camp, tea, filtered or instant coffee, water, wine, beer and soft drinks are included, along with the ingredients for a G&T. Other spirits can be requested in advance but may incur an extra charge if they are 'top shelf' brands.
Special interests
- Walking safaris
- Serengeti National Park is a spectacular option for a walking safari in Tanzania. This private tented camp stands in a wilderness area within the park. Led by an engaging guide you'll explore parts of the Serengeti that are largely vehicle-free.
- See ideas for Walking safaris in Tanzania
- Private villas & houses
- A more rustic but still comfortable option for exclusive accommodation for groups and families is the Serengeti Private Mobile. It is pretty flexible in its location, moving between campsites for good game viewing and offers a real private safari feel for your group.
- See ideas for Private villas & houses in Tanzania
Children
- Attitude towards children
- Walking camps can take children over the age of 6 years.
- Special activities & services
- None.
- Equipment
- None.
- Generally recommended for children
- We would only recommend walking camps for families with children over the age of 12 years. This is both for safety reasons and because there is little to keep youngsters entertained between walking activities. If you have children under the age of 12 and would like to consider a Serengeti walking mobile, please speak to us at Expert Africa.
- Notes
- If you are travelling with children of any age please note that these camps are unfenced and animals do pass through them. Children must be under your constant supervision.
Our travellers’ wildlife sightings from Serengeti Walking Mobile
Since mid-2018, many of our travellers who stayed at Serengeti Walking Mobile Camp 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
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Communications
- Communications
- There is cellphone reception throughout almost all of the Serengeti and each of the camp teams carries a cellphone in case of emergency. If you travel with your phone you must have it switched off or on silent during any walking safaris.
Health & safety
- Malarial protection recommended
- Yes
- Medical care
- All the walking guides who lead these safaris have the highest level of first- aid training available and will always carry a first-aid kit with them. The flying doctors service out of Arusha is also just a phone call away.
- Dangerous animals
- High Risk
- Security measures
- Each walking guide carries a rifle and a GPS system. Each walk is accompanied by an armed national park ranger.
- Fire safety
Activities
4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Guided walking safari
Hot air ballooning
Extras
- Disabled access
- Not Possible
- Laundry facilities
- A simple laundry service is available on request. Clothes are hand washed and hung to dry – there is no iron available. However, as you're likely to be combining a stay at a private mobile camp in the Serengeti with time at hotels and lodges, it is best to wait until then to do your washing.
- Accepted payment on location
- For tips within the camp, US dollars are acceptable. You will not need money for anything else.
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.
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.
