A traditional African safari conjures up images of traveling across the vast grasslands of Tanzania hunting exotic and dangerous animals. But this is an outdated notion. Currently, safaris are more about shooting pictures then they are about shooting game. It’s about conservation, education, and the experience of getting up close and personal with the wildest of wildlife. There are many different options to choose from when you decide to go on safari, but there’s only one way to get close enough to feel the ground shake as herds of animals gallop past. Our Tanzania: Great Migration Camping Safari allows you to experience what it’s like to be on a real adventure in the heart of Africa!
What is a Tanzanian Camping Safari?
So what is a camping safari and how does it compare to other safaris? Every type of safari allows you to see the local wildlife, however, they differ when it comes to where you stay. Most tours start by taking groups of people out on game drives, in which a bus or an off-road vehicle drives across the wildlife preserves searching for the Big Five—lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, and elephant. Once the game drive is done, travelers will then either retreat to a lodge on the edge of the park or set up camp right in the heart of the preserve. Staying in the wild, at night, under the stars is what a Tanzania camping safari is all about!
Staying in the heart of the preserve during a Tanzania camping safari offers a unique and immersive experience with nature. As the day transitions into night, the ambiance changes, and the sounds of the wilderness come alive. The campfires crackle, casting a warm glow while the nocturnal symphony of animal calls fills the air. The experience of falling asleep to the sounds of the bush and waking up to the chorus of birdsong is unparalleled. Camping safaris allow travelers to feel a deeper connection to the natural world, fostering a sense of adventure and appreciation for the untamed beauty of Tanzania’s landscapes.
Camping Safari Accommodations
If you’re concerned about what it would be like to camp on safari, don’t worry about a thing! When you camp with us, we provide all of the equipment, including large tents that can easily accommodate two people, thick camping mattresses, bedding, and camping chairs. Sturdy canvas tents will be set up by our porters so all you have to worry about is enjoying the safari, coming home, eating dinner, sitting around a bonfire, and then settling in for bed. Each site we visit has basic flush toilets and showers available to use and each meal is prepared by our camp chef. You don’t need to be an expert camper or in top physical condition in order to go on this trip. As long as you can stand on your feet for several hours at a time, walk on uneven terrain, are comfortable getting up from the ground, and can get in and out of a Toyota Land Cruiser, you’ll have no problems going on a journey with us!
Safety While Camping on Safari
Nearly a million visitors travel to Tanzania every year and most of them go on safari to at least one of the national parks. The Serengeti National Park alone can have up to 200 thousand visitors! Yet despite these numbers, on average, maybe one death a year could be attributed to wildlife encounters. Statistically, this means that you are more likely to be hurt in a car accident then you are to be injured while on safari. So, while there is always a small risk involved in travel, the risk of going on a safari is no greater than that of traveling to any other popular vacation spot.
To help minimize this small risk, however, Gondwana Ecotours makes your safety our top priority. We only employ experienced local guides who know the animals and the area very well. They will advise you on how to stay safe when encountering the local wildlife and they will be with you at all times. All of the campsites we stop at are well-established and have excellent safety records. And while the wildlife is close, they are used to living near their human visitors. They are not aggressive as long as you give them their space and follow your guide’s instructions.
Where Will We Go on Our Camping Safari?
On our tour, we’ll stop and camp at four of Tanzania’s major National Parks and conservation areas, each one known for their different concentrations of wildlife or geological features. First stop, Arusha National Park to see the beautiful black-and-white colobus monkeys. You’ll also have a good chance of seeing giraffes, buffalos, hippos, hyenas, and zebra. From there, we’ll travel to Tarangire National Park, known to have one of the highest concentrations of elephants in the world. Lions and hyenas are also common, peeking out from between the baobab trees. Next stop, the famous Ngorongoro Crater, home of the critically endangered black rhinoceros and the densest population of lions in Africa. Finally, we’ll explore the Serengeti National Park, the site of The Great Migration! Hundreds of thousands of herd animals make a yearly trek across the plains in search of water and fresh grass. Here, you can see wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles, and the cheetahs, hyenas, and crocodiles who pursue them.
The savannas of Africa are like nothing else on earth. The Serengeti alone is about 12,000 square miles and home to nearly 600 different species and over two million wildebeests! Being able to see it in person is a great experience, but being able to actually sleep out on the plains, surrounded by the sounds of nature, is even more amazing. Safari camping brings you closer to the wildlife than a lodge or resort ever could. Are you ready to wake up to a Serengeti sunrise? Then check out our Tanzania camping safari today!
