Lodges, tented camps and campsites: safari accommodation explained

What kinds of safari accommodation are there?

Kenya Wildlife Service sums up the range: from luxury lodges and tented camps to private budget campsites, with KWS itself running public and special campsites and self-catering bandas in its parks. Tanzania and Uganda have the same broad mix, and the names matter less than what is actually included.

What is a tented camp like?

A permanent tented camp is not the same as camping. At Miti Mingi Eco Camp, which our budget Mara journeys name, the camp’s website describes permanent, self-contained tents with a private toilet and a hot and cold shower, and our own photographs show canvas tents on raised bases with wooden beds, mosquito nets and tiled bathrooms.

Lodges are built differently. Jambo Mara Safari Lodge, on our three-day Mara lodge safari, presents separate cabins among gardens with a restaurant, bar and pool on its website. Neither description promises a particular room: the quotation does that.

What is a public campsite?

Public campsites are run by the park authority rather than a hotel. Tanzania National Parks says guests at its public campsites, such as those at Seronera in the central Serengeti, bring their own tents and camping equipment. An older Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority brochure describes toilets, showers and kitchen facilities at Simba campsite on the crater rim, and tells campers to bring tents, food and cooking equipment.

On an organised camping safari, ask exactly what the operator supplies: tent, mattress or bed, sleeping bag, lighting, meals and water. Campsite facilities change, so ask what is operating for your dates.

Should I stay inside or outside the park?

Both can work. Tanzania National Parks describes stays for Lake Manyara ranging from a few lakeside camps inside the park to lodges and guesthouses in the towns of Mto wa Mbu and Karatu. Outside the park, the first and last drives of the day include the road to and from the gate; inside, you are already where the animals are.

Our own named stays show the range. Miti Mingi Eco Camp’s website places it about 500 metres from a Maasai Mara gate, while Buraha Zenoni is a hotel in Nakuru town, from which game drives start with a drive to Lake Nakuru National Park. Ask how far your stay is from the gate, and how that affects the time you have in the park.

How accommodation works on our journeys

Our catalogue names specific properties on many budget journeys, such as Miti Mingi Eco Camp for the Maasai Mara and Nyati Safari Camp for Amboseli, while midrange and luxury journeys stay at lodges discussed with you during planning. The approved itineraries name each night’s stay or its category, and the room, meals and inclusions are confirmed in your written quotation. Our accommodation pages describe every named stay, and budget, midrange or luxury explains what changes between the levels.

Questions to ask about any safari stay

• Which room or tent will we have, and what is the bed arrangement?
• Is the bathroom private, and is there hot water at all hours?
• When is there power, and where can we charge cameras and phones?
• Which meals are included, and are drinks extra?
• How far is it from the park gate, and how long is that drive?
• Is there Wi-Fi, and how reliable is it?
• Are there steps, long paths or other access issues we should know about?

Power, water and Wi-Fi in remote stays

Remote camps do not always have mains electricity or constant connectivity, and what they publish can change. Miti Mingi Eco Camp’s website describes generator lighting in the evening and sockets in its tents for charging cameras and phones, while Nyati Safari Camp’s website lists power in the camp and free Wi-Fi. These are the properties’ own descriptions; ask what applies for your dates.

Bring a power bank, charge whenever power is available, and download what you need before you lose signal. If hot water, charging or connectivity matter to you, say so when you enquire, and we will confirm them in writing.