Types of Safari Accommodation - What are Camps and Lodges?

Learn the Safari lodging lingo…

When you hear about Safari accommodation, you will often hear “Camps and Lodges”. If you haven't been on an African Safari, you probably associate the word “camp” with a small tent, and basic facilities, or perhaps even some kind of army setup with ration packs! The word “Lodges” probably conjures up images of dimly lit old cabins. Both of these are very wrong when it comes to Safari lingo! I will take you through the different types of accommodation on Safari and what to expect! Keep in mind that I work with destinations ranging from mid-luxury to upscale luxury from anywhere between $400- $1,800 per person per night.

Classic Tented Camps

This is your old Africa, “Hemmingway Style” accommodation. Expect big canvas tents furnished with beautiful fittings and often more outdoorsy ensuite bathrooms. This is the closest you can feel to the wild whilst still in luxurious comfort.

The Lounge tent refers to the communal area where you’ll find stunning views, delicious food, books, games. This is the “chill-out” area where you’ll spend your time when it’s too hot to be on a game drive in the heat of the day or when you’re having your evening drinks watching the sunset!

The Tented Camps will either be permanent or mobile.

Permanent Tented Camps
These camps will not move season to season and will be located in great locations year-round. When staying at a permanent camp, you will usually have larger rooms, indoor and outdoor bathrooms, more space in the lounge area, and have amenities like a spa, etc.

Kuro Tarangire, Tarangire, Tanzania

Alex Walker Serian, Masai Mara North, Kenya

Namiri Plains, Serengeti, Tanzania

Mobile Tented Camps
There are small tented camps that are semi-permanent or move season to season. They might sound simple but these more intimate camps are perfect for an exclusive Safari feel and a proper Safari bush experience.

Alex Walker Serengeti Camp, Serengeti, Tanzania

Safari Lodges

Safari Lodges are usually more permanent structures built into the surroundings and have a more homely feel. With more amenities such as bigger bathrooms, larger dining areas, and indoor fireplaces, lodges are a step up in comfort and luxuriousness whilst still keeping that feeling of being in the wild.

Lamai Serengeti, Serengeti, Tanzania

Singita Sabora, Grumeti Reserve, Tanzania

MalaMala Main Camp, MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa

I recommend staying at a mix of Tented Camps and Lodges to get the most from your Journey To Africa Safari.
Let’s chat and start planning your Safari of a lifetime!

What type of Safari vehicles will you ride on your wildlife Safari?

When on your Safari, you are going to enjoy game driving for at least 8-10 hours a day, sometimes more, sometimes less - you get to choose in most cases and sometimes your guide/weather. You may start early around 6:00 a.m. and end as late at 6:30 to 7:00 p.m when the areas close. You may even go out at night on your night game drives from certain lodges.

During this time, you will learn to appreciate your work-horse - your Safari vehicle.
Your 4×4 vehicle expertly maneuvered by our experienced knowledgeable Safari guide is your safe house. It will keep you cocooned from the wildlife, the rough terrain bumpety bump ride, and the range of weather elements you will encounter. The vehicle will act as your photography hide, breakfast and/or lunch table especially the bonnet/hood, your napping spot - happens to the best of us, your evening ride home.

In conclusion, where you will spend a lot of your waking hours. For this very reason, I take my vehicle selection from my Safari partners very seriously as it will be a big part of how you will enjoy your Safari!

So, what type of vehicle(s) will you have on your wildlife Safari?
Depends on which area you on Safari.

For Tanzania and Kenya, when you fly in an area, like Northern Serengeti or Masai Mara from a city like Arusha or Nairobi, you will hop into an open vehicle. South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, where you mostly fly into an area; open vehicles are your go-to ride.

The open vehicles here will have a roof on top and plastic canvas on the sides should you need to protect yourself from rain. The open vehicle may look different in many areas in South Africa like MalaMala Game Reserve or Sabi Sabi Lodges where they will have open vehicles with no roof giving you a completely open feel.

If you are driving from the city to the parks, especially in Tanzania, you may be in a closed vehicle because doing a drive through the main-road in an open vehicle is not advisable. Going down Ngorongoro Crater is recommened in a closed vehicle.

The closed vehicles that we like, and chose our Safari partners accordingly, have to have large unobstructed windows and a pop-up roof so you can have shade and a panoramic view to enjoy the magnificient scenery.

Regardless of what type of vehicle you will have, your vehicle will have lots of amenities.
A cooler with water, soft drinks, wine, beer, etc., plugs to charge your spare camera batteries or iPhone, bean bags for your camera - big or small, binoculars for spotting, lots of guide books, snacks – you do get hungry on Safari,  blankets to keep you warm from the wind, and raincoat/poncho for the expected or unexpected rain.

If you have any special requests such as need a step stool to get on board, pillow for your back, extra water, etc., we can cater to that as well.

All in all, your vehicle with our professional guides will be ready to show you a great time on Safari with Journey To Africa. Now let’s get you on your Safari.

When you are not listening to your guide.

A funny story - I think.

On Safari in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania, close to the noon time-frame so the sun was high and the light was not really on our side, our guide Elly told us he has spotted a steenbok walking up the hill. I was with my friend and many times travel partner Sally at that time; she and I both, in the lunch-time daze, had our eyes focused on a large ‘steenbok’ on top of the hill. Elly went on to explain that the steenbok are small antelopes that are solitary, territorial, and usually have one life partner. All this is being said but our eyes are still focused on the larger ‘steenbok’. I am thinking, why is the animal, this supposed to be small, but looks large to me animal not moving a muscle - really strange this animal. Elly keeps going on and on about the steenbok and the stranger this animal seems. As we got closer, Sally and I both burst out laughing.

We both realized at the same time that ‘our’ ‘steenbok’ was in fact a sign-post; a large metal antelope sign-post by the park authorities giving directions. The ‘real steenbok’ was still walking up the hill and is indeed a small antelope. What a laugh we both had at ourselves.

Elly, sorry, we will listen more carefully next time. Fun times!

A bit silly on my part I must admit but hey, TANAPA’s sign post are very realisic and fooled me.

Let’s see if you get duped by this sign-post on your Safari in Ruaha National Park, a wild large amazing park in Southern Tanzania.

Served with a smile!

Be ready to come back with new friends after your Safari. It sounds cliche but that is really what happens. Our Safari guests come back and tell us they were sad to say good-bye to their new friends even those they met for a short time. Some guests keep in touch for years and even return to go on a Safari with their favorite guides in their favorite areas. Besides my guide friends, I still keep in touch with some of the lodge crew and rangers who I met on my journey. Who knows, may you too will come back with a friend or two after your Journey To Africa Safari.

Your Safari dollars support:

When you are on Safari, the people who you will come across are genuinely happy to see you for a myriad of reason; they have a job in the tourism industry which is one of the better-paying jobs in most Eastern and Southern African countries, good tips from you = better standard of living for the whole family - think better education for the children, good healthcare, living conditions, etc. Statistically, 8 other people will benefit from the one person you ‘touched’ on Safari - the community at large is supported by you.

Our friends in Africa, especially our guides, through our past guests have traveled to visit homes and places in the US - sometimes, Safaris can form friendships for life!

When you are ready to travel, we will be waiting for you with a huge smile - me from behind the phone call, email or zoom [the new reality - which hey, sign up for a few planned get-together sessions] - and my friends; soon to be yours - somewhere in magical Africa. We can’t wait for you!

And in this new post-Covid world, if you are up for it, and hopefully can, a hug with a smile awaits!

Leopard Day!

One of my favorite animals to photograph is the leopard. In the presence of the leopard, you feel so privileged as you have now entered a group that has seen an animal not easily spotted on Safari.

Leopards are elusiveness; they hide up in the trees, in the cracks of kopjes, and because they are usually solitary animals, searching for them is that much trickier and the excitement level high. Our guides will be finding subtle clues; the birds call, the shake of a branch, the handing leg of a recent kill - a good guide is a must on Safari.

When you do see one, especially up-close, you can’t help but have your hair rise because you can see the powerfulness of this predator and if your eyes meet, you can see through their soul.

Photographing them has been a goal on every Safari of mine because every encounter solidifies my love for these beautiful predators. I have been lucky to see them on most of my Safaris. Some from really far away and others really close. I remember seeing one really far away in Ruaha National Park, Southern Tanzania. We were on the hunt for this leopard called Onca - names because it’s spots were really dark like the jaguars in the Amazon forest. Well, we did not see Onca but we did see a silhouette of the leopard from far away.

The closest I have been was in Botswana. We were on an early morning game drive from Machaba Camp when our guide got a call to come quick. We held on to our seats and boom - wild dogs and two leopards. A mama and young leopard perched on a tree limb, looking at the beautiful sunrise. Magic moments on Safari.

Leopards can be spotted in all the parks in Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana, and South Africa.
Where will you be on Safari to see your leopard?
Let’s chat Safaris.

Africa in the time of CoVID-19

To my guests going on Safari in 2020 - Thank you - you have been patient and kind while working with me in postponing your Safari to the many parts of Africa; your Safari deposit funds have kept our many initiatives going at this unprecedented time.

Conservation. Community.
The Safari deposit funds you have paid are being used for wildlife conservation and community. My amazing Safari partners and my curated list of Safari lodges, who support wildlife directly or by partnering with many organizations that are responsible for keeping our wildlife safe are working hard to keep wildlife safe as we 'speak'.

Also supported are the many communities surrounding the parks/ conservations. The symbiotic relationship between the community and the Safari lodges is a win-win in so many different ways depending on the location, the Safari lodge, etc.

Besides continuing our support for Big Life Foundation, David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, RCVC to name a few, we are doing our best to send money to friends in Kenya and Tanzania who are giving meals to people who can't go out to work due to lock-down to small clinics who have lost all funding with only a trickle of tourists. 

All in this together.
I am hopeful that once the world is safe to travel again, we will travel with consciousness.

We are grateful that our Safari partners and Safari lodges that we work with value conservation and are committed to personally being custodians of the wildlife or partner with companies in the front line taking care of our wildlife. Besides wildlife conservation, without supporting the community, wildlife is in peril. All of these components are essential to sustainability practices.

This was very important to us before the crisis and we are even more committed to making sure this is the cornerstone of all our partners.

Many of you - hello friends - have seen our Safari partners' commitment in-depth first hand. You will have visited the villages/ schools to see first hand how your funds have helped; from clean water, education, de-snaring, farming produce, and more. If you have any special stories you want to tell us more about how their commitment impacted you, please do share.

How you can help my friends?
If you want to support right now when travel is at a standstill please email me and I can point you in the right direction - either a gofundme created by our Safari partner for their initiatives, your specific Safari guide, the Safari lodge, and the crew, a charity you visited, etc. we are here to help.

If you want to know more about what your Safari will be funding, please contact me and I can send you information.

Stay safe and healthy rafikis [friends].
This. too. shall. pass. I look forward to chatting with you about your Safari somewhere in magical Africa soon.

What will this day be like [on Safari], I wonder?

I just love this photo of my daughter walking to the Safari vehicle. The song from the musical, The Sound of Music pops up, ‘What will this day be like, I wonder?’. The excitement of what lies ahead.

It was the first morning on Safari and the anticipation of what will I see? What wildlife will I enjoy on Safari? The glorious landscapes in the wide-open space. The sunrises and sunsets. The birds, the insects, the flowers, the trees, the stars - oh yes, so lovely to notice. The sharing of information with the Safari guides - the knowledge he/she will impart about the animal kingdom, the people of the country, the tribes, and so much more.

I know this is what she was feeling when she was skipping to Jacob, our wonderful Safari guide with Rekero Camp in Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya.

This day is coming for you.
Let’s chat Safari.

Planning Your African Safari

A guest recently asked me how do I come up with the Safari itineraries. Are the places I have suggested places I would go to? What would be something different if I was going?

Here is what I am doing when I am planning and mapping your Safari - I am physically taking your Safari in my head - from arrival to departure; just like the Safari somewhere in Africa you will take.

A little background:
Majority of the Safaris I suggest are to parks, reserves, conservancies, etc. I have been and Safari lodges I have stayed at or visited on my travels. Personal, first-hand knowledge. Some are sister-lodges to the places I know so I can be sure of the quality and attention to details. There are a few times I will plan Safaris to places I have not been but my guests have either traveled with me before [my Journey To Africa family is strong] and trust me to plan again.

So when I am planning your Safari to, for example, my home country of Tanzania, I am visualizing my own arrival into Kilimanjaro International Airport to departure from say Dar-Es-Salaam Nyerere Airport after some beach time in Zanzibar Island or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. If you are going to South Africa or Botswana’s Okavango Delta, how it was for me when arriving into Johannesburg O.R. Tambo, South Africa so I can choose the right routing.

I will put myself in your shoes with the information you have given me - length of Safari, must-see things to do, Safari lodge style and budget, age of the Safari goers, interests, etc.

I will ask myself many questions. Is the length right? How can I make this a slow Safari so you are immersed in the experience? Would I want to do that drive? Should I fly them? Will walking with Maasai be fun for a Family Safari? Would I want to stay longer here because the season is just right? Can I ask you to add more time as I think it will make the Safari more seamless? Is this place their style? What Safari guide will I request for this Safari?

Sometimes, you will come with Safari lodges that are recommended or favored by a magazine or a Safari itinerary suggested. I will decide what I like and when I need you to trust me and my judgment especially when we are not comparing apples to apples.

In the end, I plan a Safari I would like to take, with your interest in mind!
The Safari itinerary has to be a Safari we both get excited thinking about. I want to send you off on a Safari with complete confidence you will be bitten by the amazing Safari bug - very harmless and no cure found. The intent is you will want to take another Journey To Africa Safari and also tell everyone you know about your experience.

"You will never kick the ancient dust of Africa off your boots." - unknown author

Now, pick my Safari information filled brain and let’s get you on Safari somewhere in magical Africa.