Serengeti Safari Camp West
Africa, Eastern Africa | Tanzania United Republic Of | Adventure, All Inclusive, Eco Friendly, Escorted, Exclusive Luxury, Family, Group, Honeymoon, Safari, Solo, Sustainable, Tailor Made | Camp, Safari Tented | National Park | comfort
Embark on the wildlife excursion of a lifetime and witness the Great Migration at Serengeti Safari Camp West, a spectacular Nomad mobile camp that seeks to place you at the heart of the action, wherever in the Serengeti that may be. Stalking these movements as predator would prey, you have the opportunity to view an expansive variety of wildlife as seasoned Nomad guides take you on a catalogue of highly insightful and engaging safari activities, comprising game drives, bush walks, bird watching and the finest bush cuisine. A splendid variety of sumptuous meals serve to please all the fine dining enthusiasts, featuring three daily meals which includes a lavish three course evening banquet. Luxurious tented safari accommodation will leave you residing in lavish comfort, featuring an impressive array of furnishings and amenities for a mobile camp of this type.
Camp location varies depending on migration location.
May to Early July sees the camp located along the Western Corridor. The migration patterns can be unpredictable at this time of year, but the wildebeest rut (May) and the crossing of the Grumeti River (June/July) are spectacular if caught. From mid-June to November, the camp moves to the northern Serengeti, close to either the Mara or Sand Rivers, offering great game viewing and crossings of either of the rivers. Come late November, the camp heads south again, arriving on the southern Serengeti Plains around mid-December. From December to April, the camp is situated on the southern Serengeti Plains, with access to the main herds as they calve through to February. Birding is excellent during this time, as is general game viewing.
The Tanzanian landscape is defined by an intrinsically diverse array of geography, comprising lush savannahs, arid deserts, stretching wetlands and mountainous terrain – as with Mount Kilimanjaro on the north-eastern border with Kenya. This is without mentioning the plethora of national parks and Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) that dot the landscape.
- Comfortable 4-star mobile safari camp that follows the movements of the Great Migration
- Fully inclusive rates, including all standard food and beverages
- Airy Meru-style tented units with al fresco bucket showers and eco-flush toilets
- Pristine stargazing amid the unpolluted night sky
- Various safari activities led by experienced guides
- Opportunities to view the Mara or Sand River crossings
- Western Corridor game viewing in prime wildlife location
- Children aged 8 years and older welcome
Serengeti Safari Camp West moves seasonally 4 -5 times a year to locate the best possible location to view the herds, however, the camp will remain stationary during your stay. Camp movements are pre-planned to be within reach of the wildebeest migration, but this cannot always be guaranteed given the unpredictability of nature and weather conditions.
Activities include early morning game drives (with an option to upgrade to a private car & guide for additional flexibility) in custom built 4×4 safari vehicles, guided bush walks with experienced Nomad guides, birdwatching, stargazing, sundowners and fine dining. However, the main attraction is undoubtedly the great wildebeest and zebra migration, where you have the chance to witness large herds of plains game, featuring the highest concentration of predators in Africa.
Accommodation consists of 5 large walk-in safari tents, each with a dressing room area separating the beds from the new eco-flush toilets and safari bucket showers. The khaki hue of tented canvas imparts a bold safari feel, presenting an airy and luxurious aesthetic that compliments the bushland surroundings. There’s a spacious bedroom and dressing area, with a sink and big jugs of cold water, and hot water provided in the morning and evening or whenever you need it. The safari-style bucket shower is en-suite at the rear of the tent. The beds are comfy and made up with fresh linen and soft pillows. There are chairs on the veranda where you can relax and enjoy unfettered Serengeti Vistas.
Amenities Include:
- En-suite bathroom
- Al fresco bucket shower
- Twin or double beds
- Veranda
- Pure cotton linen
- Laundry service
These family units are comprised of two interleading Meru style en-suite tents, designed in accordance with the standard Meru units, featuring double twin or double beds, al fresco bucket showers, en-suite bathrooms, a veranda and cold jugs of water, with hot water provided in the mornings and evenings on request. Interiors are eloquently furnished in the classic East-African safari style, surrounded by views of the encompassing landscape. This unit is ideal for visiting families.
Amenities Include:
- En-suite bathroom x2
- Al fresco bucket shower x2
- Twin or double beds x2
- Veranda
- Pure cotton linen
- Laundry service
Three meals are served daily, comprising a continental bush breakfast, midday picnic lunch (served between activities), sundowners, and a lavish three course meal served in the evening. With the options of both open air and under cover dining, there are options to suit all guest preferences, including both communal and private tables for the option of romantic bush dining. Serengeti Safari Camp West offers the finest in bush cuisine, comprised of fresh, local produce, cultural flavours and classic crowd pleasers, ensuring all pallets are accounted for. If you have any specific dietary requirements, then be sure to inform the catering staff in advance so they can accommodate you.
All standard drinks and beverages are covered in the initial fee. With fully inclusive rates, you’re free to indulge in a mouth-watering range of alcoholic and none-alcoholic beverages at your own discretion. Premium and imported products are charged at additional fees.
Set off at the break of dawn and experience the spectacular sights of Serengeti wildlife as the early morning action ensues. Seasoned Nomad guides and all-round safari veterans, familiar with the lay of the land and the abundance of wildlife that roams it will lead you on a migration game viewing experience of a lifetime. Exotic Big 5 game viewing awaits your gaze, with regular sightings of all the big cats and predator and prey alike as you survey the landscape in open 4×4 safari vehicles, stalking the movements of this profoundly magic natural phenomenon.
For all those in search of an authentic, down to earth safari excursion, guided bush walks will allow you to soak up the intricacies of nature while traversing the land at a more intimate and insightful pace than conventional game drives. Knowledgeable Nomad guides will discuss with you the features of the land while pointing out local flora and fauna. Watch birds, walk in the footsteps of a lion herd or wildebeest, sit in stillness of the shade of an ancient tree, unravel the stories behind animal tracks or simply enjoy the marvellous Serengeti landscape.
The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is one of Africa’s Endemic Bird Areas, featuring over 500 exotic species waiting for you to discover. Bird watching in the Serengeti is phenomenal year-round, but at its absolute best during November through April. Not only is this when European and North African migratory birds are present, but it is also nesting time for resident species. Keep your eyes peeled for the likes of the black-headed gonolek, Fischer’s lovebird and Verreaux’s eagle.
Take in the atmosphere of the tantalising Serengeti night sky while gathered around a cosy campfire in the company of friends and family. Untarnished by light pollution, the remote areas of the Serengeti bush provide the perfect arena for a picturesque star-gazing experience. Marvel at the infinite sky, which features the Big Dipper in the northern hemisphere and the Southern Cross and Pointers in the south.
Nomad utilises planes, cars, camps and their teams in order to offer aid to the more remote and isolated regions of Tanzania and provide educational support. Nomad donates safari experiences to auctions in order to raise money for these projects. Nomad’s educational support includes investing in nursery centres and meal programmes to provide children with an education as early as possible, and the nutrition to get them through the school day. Nomad also funds scholarships for gifted children and provides internships within their camps. This gives youth a chance to learn about the tourism industry and how they could forge a career here. Additionally, Nomad works with partners who support education programmes that centre around sustainability and conservation.
The Nomad Tanzania Trust also provides support to medical facilities so that they can reach remote people in need. Nomad has partnered with The Plaster House in Arusha, a facility that offers corrective, orthopaedic, plastic surgery, neurosurgery and post-op care to children with disfigurements. This means that children can get the care they need and prevents them from being hidden by their families.
Nomad also provides medicines, vaccinations, and mosquito nets for village clinics so that they can support the local communities. Additionally, they run health education and awareness campaigns and projects so that communities can learn basic health protocols and protect themselves from common and preventable illnesses. This includes teaching the community about sanitation, safe water, and pregnancy and childcare.
Nomad Tanzania sources local ingredients and materials and employs local people to invest in the communities in which they operate. This supports the local economy and provides an income for the families that live alongside Nomad’s camps. Biashara means ‘business’ in Swahili. The way in which Nomad conduct their business in Tanzania is a huge part of what makes them the company they are today. From inception, their founders have always believed in investing in local communities and providing opportunities for both staff, and the wider community. From the way Nomad camps are built, to the ways in which they source and purchase their interiors, to the microfinance model that is unique within the industry.
Many villages on the outskirts of National Parks are sustained on a shoestring of resources and are in serious need of support. Nomad are staunch advocates of these communities and seek to offer help and support in whatever way possible, with a firm belief that they too should share in the spoils of tourism. As such, Nomad work to improve the basic healthcare and education opportunities for these communities, seeking to improve the situation faced by all individuals wherever possible.
The Watato Go Wild programme seeks to welcome local Tanzanian school children into various Nomad camps to identify top performing students and provide them with future career prospects by imparting first-hand skills and knowledge of the tourism industry. Collaborating with local schools, children can broaden their horizons by partaking in wildlife lessons and workshops, headed by experienced Nomad guides while embarking on safari game drives.
In the Beds for Meds initiative, Nomad staff actively search for spaces within camps, or an empty safari vehicle and guide, and use any opportunities to organise a medical outreach clinic for neighbouring communities. Working with health professionals from hospitals in Arusha and beyond, citizens of all ages from neighbouring villages are brought into camp to receive medical treatments. This initiative helps to fill the gaps in health services in remote communities. Camp teams are requested to remain vigilant, and upon finding individuals in need of plastic surgery or other specialised cases, they are put on planes to get the treatment they need from programme partners in Arusha.
Community training workshops are actively run-in neighbouring communities, focussing on relevant eco-friendly activities that can help families become more self-reliant and secure by diversifying their income options. Employment opportunities in villages bordering National Parks can often be quite limited, causing many communities to live off the land with few other available prospects, despite the risks and challenges. These workshops seek to educate, encourage and equip communities to be able to engage in ventures more financially sustainable, while promoting ecologically friendly land practices.
Nomad utilise their presence in Tanzania’s wild areas, and partnerships with well-established conservation institutions in order to help organise and fund internship opportunities for determined, conservation-minded young Tanzanians. These opportunities provide keen young adults with conservation focused field experience and the knowledge and understanding to be ambassadors for the environment back in their own communities.
The Frankfurt Zoological Society works to protect Serengeti’s wildlife, using patrol teams to remove snare-traps one by one. For every night’s stay at one of Nomad’s camps, one dollar is donated to the de-snaring Serengeti Programme.
Numerous Mogumu Hope Centres are based in the villages that border the Serengeti National Park, offering refuge to young girls fleeing from female genital mutilation (FGM). Although FGM is illegal in Tanzania, it is sadly still practiced in some rural villages. The centre works to ultimately reunite the girls with their parents on the agreement they will not be at risk of FGM or early child marriage, as well as raising community awareness, changing minds, and standing up for girl’s rights.
Operating a mobile camp which moves around the Serengeti up to 4 to 5 times per year poses certain practical and logistical challenges, especially when striving to maintain comprehensively sustainable and eco -friendly standards. However, Nomad Tanzania has addressed these challenges head on by optimising all applicable modes of operation to coincide with responsible, environmentally friendly travel. All fixtures within the mobile camps can be transported with little notice and effort, such as the Meru style stents that comprise guest accommodation, ensuring that the immediate environment is left untouched upon departure. Water conservation efforts are conducted with the utmost diligence.
Stores of clean, cold water are provided in each tent, while hot water is provided in the mornings and evening upon request for bathing and is heated close to the guest tents. New cutting-edge eco-flush toilets are provided in each tent which use only a small fraction of the water used by conventional flush toilets, saving thousands of gallons per year as a direct result.
Nomad Tanzania works to protect the wildlife and environment from harm. Nomad tackles the threat posed by poachers and illegal bushmeat traders by supporting conservation organisations that monitor wildlife populations and protect these creatures from humans. Many communities face conflict with wildlife, especially when livestock are attacked, threatening the livelihood of local people. Nomad runs campaigns to persuade people to live harmoniously with wildlife and offer training for alternative sources of income to livestock agriculture, such as beekeeping and composting projects which both benefit the environment.
Nomad Tanzania runs several village clean-up projects in the villages that lie close to their camps and border the National Parks, gathering large groups of volunteers including football teams, schoolchildren and fishermen to help pick up rubbish and keep the villages clean. After this, rubbish is sorted and appropriately disposed of. Nomad also runs village film nights that display documentaries focusing on the challenge of waste disposal and the issues posed by waste plastic. These films educate the local communities and help to persuade people to keep the villages and surrounding areas clean and plastic-free. Nomad limits the amount of plastic used in their camps as much as possible to reduce the amount of waste plastic produced.
In the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the Maasai have lived alongside wildlife for decades, but as human populations increase, conflicts and pressure inevitably mount, sadly resulting in the decline of local lion populations. KopeLion is an initiative that seeks to alter this trend by employing former lion hunters and equipping them with the skills needed to actively protect the remaining lions and reduce conflicts with their local communities and villages.
Through the conservation and protection of grasslands, measures can be implemented to ensure healthy herds of wildlife, as well as communities of local Maasai and their livestock are able to contribute indefinitely to the overall health of the Maasai Steppe ecosystem and Tarangire National Park. The degradation of this delicate ecosystem poses devastating implications for local communities, and as such, the only way to combat this threat is to implement regulatory grazing measures to ensure lands are not left barren.
The Selous Game Reserve has unfortunately been severely affected by ivory poaching in the last decade, and the elephant population has suffered tremendously. Nomad are a firm supporter of the Selous Elephant Research Programme run by Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI). Monitoring the population movements and more, the TAWIRI team aim to provide valuable data and knowledge to ensure their long-term survival.
Ruaha Carnivore Project, part of Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, works with local partners to come up with effective conservation strategies for carnivores within the wider Ruaha eco-system.
By sharing technical expertise, building local capacity and empowering women and girls, the Tuungane project is providing local people with the practical tools and information they need to build healthy and prosperous families, secure fish stocks, wildlife habitats, and adapt to climate change.
This educational campaign aims to halt non-retaliatory killings of endangered lions in the Katavi ecosystem. Through fostering education in surrounding communities, they aim to protect the population for generations to come, thereby ensuring that endangered lion populations can grow throughout subsequent generations.
Serengeti Safari Camp West welcomes all families with children aged 8 years and older. Please note, children under 12 years are not permitted to partake in walking activities. Due to the potentially hazardous and sometimes unpredictable nature of the environment, children must be supervised by an adult at all times.