Delve into the heart of the spectacular Serengeti in search of luxurious safari camps and Africa’s wild legacy.
It’s a little disconcerting. I haven’t been marched to bed since I was a mischievous tyke, banished from the joys of post-8pm television with the usual threats of boogeymen. And yet here I am, being escorted by a spear-toting Maasai warrior wrapped in a traditional red wool shawl, whose job it is to literally stop me from being eaten. He waves his torch across the tree line, searching for the telltale reflection of a lion’s eyes or the silhouette of an elephant, but it’s probably more for my benefit; in the inky darkness of the Serengeti night, things that go bump don’t disappear when you turn on the light.
That we’re not alone among the acacia trees of Tanzania adds a unique element to the all-encompassing serenity of Africa once the sun has slipped beneath the curtain of dusk. The silence of my spacious tent seems to amplify every far-off sound – is that the benevolent laughter of a jackal, the shuffle of an elephant, or the purr of a lioness? That’s why an African safari is such a unique experience – it’s all about proximity.
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We had arrived at Asilia Africa’s Olakira Camp earlier in the afternoon, after a fascinating game drive from the dirt strip to which we had flown by light aircraft from Kilimanjaro International Airport. It’s the first stop on an itinerary created by Africa specialists Robert Mark Safaris, designed to ensure we see the very best of the Serengeti.
A family of warthogs, their tails in the air like radio antennas, go to ground in a puff of dust with our passing and a herd of elephants emerge from the trees, one ‘toddler’ raising a trunk wrapped around a clump of reeds as if in welcome. On an expansive plain of dancing savannah grass, a cheetah bathed in late afternoon sunshine ignores us with the disdain of assured feline superiority while nearby, a trio of giraffes stride like models on a catwalk.
Night comes quickly in eastern Africa, as if a vacuum cleaner drains the sky of light. The acacia trees that ring the camp quickly become gently swaying silhouettes against an increasingly indigo sky. The nine-tent Olakira Ndutu Camp moves seasonally, and between December and March can be found in a shaded forest clearing on the cusp of the acclaimed Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, one of the most important conservation reserves in Africa and home to hippos, elephants, black rhino, crocodiles, Cape buffalo, and a large concentration of lions.
Despite seeing plenty of other camp Land Rovers in the bush we have Olakira to ourselves, save for friendly, ever-smiling staff who serve a three-course dinner with gusto despite our remote location, and afterwards, tell tales of the Serengeti past and present by the light of the fire. Finally, our Maasai warrior, his trusty leaf-shaped eremet sero spear and a heavy torch in hand, escorts us to our tents, each of which boasts queen-sized beds, canvas floors, separate snugs, flushing toilets and bucket showers. We’re left alone to fall asleep to the sounds of nature infinite.
Life on the plains begins early and before the golden arrival of dawn, we’re already up, bleary-eyed but excited as we leave Olakira in search of other early-risers. A pair of fearless honey badgers dart across the road, and two-spotted hyena eye us casually before scampering off in their signature skipping rhythm. A cheetah sits motionless in the gentle breeze, one eye on our slow approach, the other on a herd of dik dik. Beyond, a pride of lions pretends not to notice us as they lounge on a rocky peak surrounded by gently swaying savannah grass the colour of manuka honey.
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It’s a short flight northeast to Namiri Plains, a true African story of conservation and rehabilitation. Closed for 20 years to create a safe haven for cheetah, the reserve, and its intimate Asilia Africa camp, opened in July 2014, promising an unrivalled ‘big cat country’ experience. One of the joys of Namiri is that, unlike in other reserves, we have this slice of Africa all to ourselves. Following a long dirt track across the flat landscape, we encounter more yelping hyenas, circling white-backed vultures that soar effortlessly in the thermals, and a pair of male lions cooling off in the shade of a desert date tree, their dusty manes halos of bronze-coloured hair wreathing battle-scarred faces. In an acacia tree, an auger buzzard feasts on a plump green chameleon.
We arrive at the camp in the early afternoon and as we dismount from the safari 4×4, our guide whispers to us, “Do you see? We’re being watched.” It takes me a while to catch on, eventually spying a pair of golden ears and an attentive face peeking up from the tall grass less than 50 metres away. It’s Namiri’s resident lioness, a beautiful cat who shares her time between the shade of a tree across from the camp’s dining tent and the tall reeds of the riverbed below, where her cubs safely play. The idea of a lion lurking, only a few bounding leaps from where we sit with our gin and tonic sundowners, is exhilarating. It’s why we’re here.
Namiri Plains is less hardy than Olakira, veering towards the pampering side. The migration passes through Namiri Plains from October to May and unleashes spectacular predator sightings during December and January as the resident big cats feast on the passing herds of wildebeest and zebra. The camp’s eight tents are well spaced apart and offer cavernous bathrooms with flushing toilets, screened off snugs, and king-size beds. My tent, the furthest from reception and thus the most isolated, offers stunning views across the dried riverbed, where warthogs and wildebeest graze in the early morning sunshine.
On an afternoon game drive, we watch as zebras drink at a waterhole framed by emerald reeds and play hide and seek with cheetahs in a pile of ancient boulders the size of a block of flats. As the sun sinks into the golden grass that evening, our guide serves cocktails from a picnic hamper while steps away, a pride of lions enjoys some family time, two three-month-old cubs taking turns to stalk our 4×4 before their mother recalls them with a growl that reveals rows of brilliantly white teeth.
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Evenings at Namiri are a laidback affair. After drinks around the fire pit, we move across to the candlelit communal dining table set beneath a giant acacia tree draped in fairy lights. Just because we’re remote doesn’t mean we don’t live well, and the kitchen team serve up a delectable meal of potato and leek soup and a zesty fish curry with fluffy saffron rice, followed by a long, quiet session of stargazing and contemplation. I can’t help but wonder if the lioness is enjoying the same view as we are, or if she
is already out hunting in the darkness.
That night, I hear the things that go bump as a hyena and a family of warthogs walk through the camp, one of them pausing to rub itself on the thick canvas of my canvas-floored tent. There’s very little risk of them
getting in through the double zipped layers, so I just lie in my king-size bed, hold my breath, and listen to the night close in around me.
Our final stop is Sayari Camp, another short bush flight away and our third Asilia Africa retreat. From the plane, I watch the landscape below change. We leave the flat savannah for the Mara River, on the border with Kenya. Here, the earth has been scorched to help regenerate the grasslands before the great migration arrives, revealing undulating hills dotted with massive, polished boulders. But even in the absence of the migratory animals, the Northern Serengeti is famed for its populations of elephants, antelope, buffalo, and cats, which can be seen throughout the year.
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In a camp 4×4, we skirt around the Mara’s deep river bed, watched by massive Nile crocodiles and a clutch of hippos cooling off in the deeper water. The river is a popular spot for great migration viewing as hundreds of thousands of wildebeest attempt the crossing, the resident crocodiles doing their best to catch a few in the process. But today, the landscape is quiet. A family of elephants, including two babies, stands in the shade of a kigelia tree and watch our progress; beyond, the tan-coloured tents of the camp can be seen on a low ridge.
Sayari is built in two wings, one dedicated to families and groups travelling together, and boasting its own facilities. With spacious, air-conditioned living spaces, a small signature spa, and an infinity pool that offers captivating views and a welcome respite from the afternoon heat, Sayari is no hardship. My spacious, hard-floored tented suite, one of 15, features a little patio, a deep-soak tub, a flushing toilet and flowing shower, and a king-size bed. Outside, only 100 metres away, a mother elephant and her baby stroll past without a care in the world. A northern goshawk circles above us like a drone, its broad wings casting a perfect silhouette in the late afternoon sunshine.
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With the sun low in the sky, we set out on our last game drive, heading north towards the Kenyan border in the wake of a herd of elephants that trace the dry riverbeds in search of grass. A family of mongoose race across the landscape and a hundred-strong herd of Cape buffalo eye us closely as we skirt a ridge above them. The leopards that many travellers venture north to find elude us this afternoon, but as we stop at the top of a gentle rise to welcome the sunset with ice-cold sundowners, we spot a pair of rare black rhino in the distance.
There are less than 70 black rhinos left in the Serengeti due to endemic poaching, and the rare encounter is the topic of the table when we return to camp and a glorious three-course dinner served under the African stars and serenaded by the timeless folk songs of local Kuria tribesmen.
It’s a breathtaking finale to an unforgettable African adventure.
Travel Essentials
Kenya Airways operates its new Boeing 787-800 Dreamliner between Hong
Kong and Nairobi via Bangkok, with connections on to Kilimanjaro National
Park in Tanzania.
Robert Mark Safaris is Asia’s leading African experts and specialise in
bespoke Serengeti itineraries for travellers looking for the true safari
experience.
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