Lake Masek Tented Lodge, Lake Masek, Ndutu
N. Serengeti Under Canvas, North Serengeti, migration-following
Sametu Camp, Sametu Kopjes, East Serengeti
Woodlands Camp, Naabi Hill, South Serengeti

Accommodation · Tier one of three

Under Canvas
Camps.

Karibu · what this is

Under Canvas
Camps.

These camps are built with canvas walls that separate you from the big game and bring you close to nature, where you can hear lions roar and hyenas laugh at night. Most are semi-permanent, a few permanent, and all are relatively small: a maximum of twelve suite tents, including two family suites made of two tents interconnected.

Inside the canvas you have a bathroom or a roof-open bucket shower and a flushing toilet, a couch or chair indoors or out on the veranda for the view during breaks, plus cupboards, tables and generator or solar power throughout your stay. Fresh meals are served daily with drinks, though some camps keep the choices and the extras limited, wifi, pool, hair dryer, or laundry by hand rather than machine. They are the most adventurous way to sleep in the bush.

From our Arusha team

Camps in this tier

Canvas, real beds, and lions outside at night.

Every property in this tier, listed in full — 10 of them, across 2 parks. Every one we have stayed in, sent guests to, or both.

N. Serengeti Under Canvas, North Serengeti, migration-following 01 N. Serengeti Under Canvas North Serengeti, migration-following A mobile camp that shadows the migration into the far north from July, chandeliers and butlers under canvas, pitched within reach of the crossings. Mobile tented camp·Canvas suites·Jul–Nov View the property Mbuzi Mawe Tented Lodge, Central Serengeti 02 Mbuzi Mawe Tented Lodge Central Serengeti Sixteen tents in the central Serengeti with the comforts of a hotel, wifi and 24/7 power under canvas, lions sometimes just outside. Tented lodge·16 tents·Year-round View the property Kirurumu Tarangire Camp, Northern Tanzania circuit 03 Kirurumu Tarangire Camp Northern Tanzania circuit·Tarangire Kirurumu Under Canvas: authentic, low-density tented camps with a strong bush feel. Under canvas·Small, intimate tented accommodation·Seasonal View the property Laba Laba Migration Camp, Ndutu, western Serengeti, Kogatende 04 Laba Laba Migration Camp Ndutu, western Serengeti, Kogatende A very high-end mobile camp with real design character, pitched three times a year. High-end mobile safari·Luxury mobile tents, en-suite·Dec–Mar, May–Jun, Jul–Nov View the property Moyo Tented Camp, Central and northern Serengeti, by season 05 Moyo Tented Camp Central and northern Serengeti, by season Comfortable luxury under canvas, with the campfire still at the centre of the evening. Luxury tented camp·Tented accommodation·Year-round; Jul–Oct in the north View the property Nasikia Mobile Migration Camp, Ndutu in the south, Kogatende in the north 06 Nasikia Mobile Migration Camp Ndutu in the south, Kogatende in the north·Serengeti Intimate, practical luxury under canvas — a camp that follows the herds. Mobile tented camp·Separate Ndutu and Kogatende configurations·Dec–Mar Ndutu; Jun–Oct Kogatende View the property S. Serengeti Under Canvas, Ndutu, South Serengeti 07 S. Serengeti Under Canvas Ndutu, South Serengeti A mobile camp that follows the migration to the Ndutu plains for the January-to-March calving, high-society luxury on the short-grass. Mobile tented camp·Canvas suites·Dec–Mar View the property Serengeti Kati Kati Tented Camp, Seasonal camp positions, Serengeti 08 Serengeti Kati Kati Tented Camp Seasonal camp positions, Serengeti A traditional tented camp that moves with the season, run by Tanganyika Wilderness Camps. Traditional tented camp·En-suite safari tents·Year-round View the property Tarangire Kati Kati Tented Camp, Tarangire safari circuit 09 Tarangire Kati Kati Tented Camp Tarangire safari circuit Tarangire Kati Kati: canvas, en-suite, and elephant country on the doorstep. Traditional tented camp·En-suite safari tents·Jun–Oct View the property Woodlands Camp, Naabi Hill, South Serengeti 10 Woodlands Camp Naabi Hill, South Serengeti A semi-permanent camp at Naabi Hill that follows the herds, twelve tents in an acacia grove, with the Gol Kopjes and cheetah plains for a backyard. Semi-permanent camp·12 tents + 2 family·Dec–Mar View the property
Lantern-light at a classic canvas camp

What it’s actually like

Nine tents on the plains, and the whole sky above them.

Serengeti Pioneer Camp holds twelve 1920s-style tented suites among the Moru Kopjes, with four-poster beds, flushing toilets, vanity basins and the signature hot safari shower. Sundowners are taken on a granite kopje, and ancient Maasai rock art and the Gong Rock lithophone are a short walk away.

Under Canvas runs just nine tents, dressed with custom rugs, brass samovars and chandeliers over the bed, plus a private butler and a heated bucket shower under the open sky. The camp moves with the herds: Ndutu for the January to March calving, the north for the Mara crossings from July.

Woodlands Camp is the closest base to the cheetah-rich Gol Kopjes, with 24-hour power and two two-bedroom family tents. Elephant Springs is built around a natural spring that draws game into camp around the clock. Canvas books three to six months ahead for peak season.

Tier 01 of 04

What’s included

Planned around you, for a seven-night tented itinerary.

Includes the camp nightly rate, shared vehicle and guide, all meals and drinks, internal park fees, and the in-country flights between regions. Excludes the international flights and tips for the on-the-ground team.

Plan Your Safari

Karibu sana. The bush is three hundred yards from your bed.

Compare all three tiers