Karibu · what this is
Canvas.
The classic safari. Canvas walls. Paraffin lamps in the mess tent. Bucket showers heated on the fire. Hyenas calling three hundred yards from your bed. The sound of the bush at night is the closest thing to silence you have heard.
This is the tier our repeat clients arrive at after their first trip and stay at forever. The wildlife is the same wildlife. The polish is lower, the immersion is higher, and the trip costs a third of what the top tier does. Russel and our team know the camps personally.
Camps in this tier
A handful of camps run by people who have not changed the recipe in thirty years.
Central Serengeti (mobile)
Serengeti Safari Camp
Nomad Tanzania's classic mobile camp; the camp moves with the migration so guests are always close to the river crossings or the calving grounds.
Tarangire (permanent)
Olivers Camp
Asilia's long-standing Tarangire camp, on a private concession; walking safaris and night drives permitted, which is rare in this tier.
Ndutu (seasonal)
Lake Masek Camp
Seasonal camp on the southern Serengeti grasslands; positioned for the December to March calving season when the migration is on the open plains.
Other camps we use at this tier (Kati Kati, Lemala Nanyukie, Mbuzi Mawe). Ask Russel about the right one for your dates.
Honest expectations
What canvas costs you, and what it gives back.
The shower is heated by the fire. The toilet flushes with a bucket. Wi-Fi is in the mess tent on a good evening. If you are someone who needs the room temperature within one degree of perfect, this tier will frustrate you. Say so up front and we will point you to the boutique tier instead.
If you are someone who came for the wildlife and the place, not the room: this is the tier. Nothing between you and the bush. The food comes out of a kitchen tent and it is honest, plentiful, well made. Three meals, three drives, the rhythm is the same every day. By the third night you stop noticing the canvas.
Mobile camps move with the migration; permanent camps stay put. Both book three to six months ahead for peak season, less than the higher tiers.
Tier 01 of 04
Indicative pricing
From $4,500 per person, 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 SafariKaribu sana. The bush is three hundred yards from your bed.
Compare all four tiers