Southern and East Africa are well-known as safari destinations. Home to the Big Five and the site of many natural marvels including Mount Kilimanjaro, Victoria Falls and the Skeleton Coast, it is little wonder that people flock to the various nations that comprise this part of Africa, year after year.
The rise of glamping (glamourous camping) now gives travellers a new way of experiencing wildlife. With a variety of options to choose from, the most difficult part of your journey will be picking your ideal glamping spot.
Tanzania Travel
Unequivocally one of the best safari destinations in Africa, Tanzania is home to the famed Serengeti bearing witness to the incredible wildebeest migration. Accompanied by zebra and antelope, with predators hot on their heels, this wildlife wonder is the reason many flock to Tanzania.
Selous Game Reserve, the largest in Africa and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is another. To accommodate the demand of visitors from far and wide wishing to behold the wonders this nation has to offer, safari lodges have sprung up, as well as glamping destinations.
Sanctuary Swala will astound you with the style and comfort it offers in the heart of the Serengeti. More than just mere tents, guests stay in luxurious canvas pavilions shaded by acacia trees and located near a waterhole frequented by lions, leopards and elephants. Activities include a variety of game drives and walks, picnics and hot-air ballooning, as well as a visit to the Mwika Beekeeping Project.
There is more elephant entertainment at Chada Katavi, as they are regular visitors to the glamorous campsite. You’ll also spot buffalo grazing nearby, and plenty more when you embark on a game drive, or take a walk through the bush.
But if it’s the migration you’re after, then a stay at Serengeti Safari Camp is in order. Highly exclusive, there are just six walk-in tents overlooking the Serengeti National Park, giving you a front row seat to one of nature’s grandest spectacles.
Keen for Kenya
For those wishing to see more of the Serengeti, you can visit neighbouring Kenya. With a multitude of options to choose from, it is undoubtedly one of Africa’s top glamping destinations.
Take your seat and behold the action of the Serengeti migration at Sala’s Camp. The seven tents are filled with large beds, soft linen, hanging cupboards and en-suite bathrooms, giving you all the comforts of home. With sweeping views of the Serengeti and the Northern Corridor, you will be ideally located to watch wildlife arrive at their first and final stop.
Travel back in time with Cottar’s 1920s Safari Camp. They’ve been organising safaris since 1919, so you can be assured of quality and experience. Exclusivity remains the name of the game, as there are only ten tents in the camp. These consist of one honeymoon tent, five double tents and four family suites. They all have en-suite bathrooms, while the family tents have living rooms with fireplaces, leaving you in no doubt about the level of luxury you will experience.
Where there is prey there will be predators, and at Lewa Safari Camp the prey is abundant, making it a hotspot for lions, leopards and jackals. Besides staying in a luxury safari tent with an en-suite bathroom and a spacious verandah, you can go on walking safaris, track dung beetles and go horse-riding.
Zest for Zambia
Another Tanzanian neighbour is Zambia, marking its spot on the map with a fast-emerging economy, thriving music scene and, of course, wildlife destinations.
There’s nothing quite like glamping by the riverside, which Kakuli Camp offers with its walk-in safari tents located on the confluence of the Luwi and Luangwa Rivers. With only four tents, the camp is incredibly exclusive, and also boasts a bar and dining area. The traditional 4×4 and walking safaris are available all-year round, while boating trips are available from January to April, helping you make the most of your river-bound safari.
If you like to be waited on hand and foot, then you may want to book a glamping trip at Chongwe River Camp, another riverside safari destination. Located in the Lower Zambezi, guests can take boat trips in addition to their usual safaris. There are a variety of accommodation options which include the Albida Suite. With two bedrooms, a dining room, lounge area, plunge pool and fire pit, as well as a private butler, you are assured an unforgettable glamping holiday.
More luxury awaits at Chiawa Camp in the Lower Zambezi National Park. There is plenty to keep you busy, such as game drives and walks, canoeing, angling and boating; while the timber-floored tents promise the best style and comfort.
Even More Luxury
These East African destinations just scrape the surface of the glamping world in Africa. Head south and you will find even more. In Botswana you can visit Camp Okuti – a unique glamping destination situated in Moremi Game Reserve, where guests stay in luxurious masasas.
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In Mozambique you can go on a beach safari in Inharrime at Dunes de Dovela – although the wildlife you see will be of the more marine persuasion.
More water action, but this time at a waterhole in the bush, awaits in luxury at Kanga Camp in Zimbabwe, a glamping site which includes an expedition to the Zambezi flood plains in Mana Pools for canoeing and fishing trips.
The celebrated Etosha National Park in Namibia is only a stone’s throw away from Etosha Village, a glamping spot with luxury canvas suites constructed on raised timber decks.
In South Africa, Marataba Safari Lodge offers a variety of wildlife and luxury amidst the foothills of the Waterberg Mountains.
The resurrected concept of glamping has made these top international destinations more alluring than ever. Combining the best of both worlds, it’s time to rough it in style and add a glamping trip to your holiday bucket list.
Featured image by more.co.za
