Tented Camp

Today’s safari tents are a long way from camping. Many permanent tented camps have proper beds, en-suite bathrooms with flush toilets and hot showers, solar power, and private decks, and the most lavish add plunge pools. What they share is canvas walls, which bring the bush close: at night you may hear hippos grunting, lions calling, and elephants feeding nearby.

Mobile or seasonal camps are lighter and move between sites, including camps in Tanzania that relocate through the year to follow the Great Migration. They put you where the wildlife is at the right time, often with simpler facilities such as bucket showers that staff fill with hot water on request.

Tented camps are safe when you follow the rules, which usually include being escorted to and from your tent after dark. Many have fewer rooms than lodges, so they book early for peak months. Compare the styles in safari lodge vs. tented camp.