Last Updated on September 9, 2024
A group camping safari in Tanzania is one of the best ways to experience Tanzania’s national parks like the Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater.
It’s one of the more budget-friendly and sustainable approaches to seeing wildlife in Tanzania, and it gives you the chance to experience camping like you never have before.
You’ll watch epic sunsets over the plains of the Serengeti, hear the sounds of hyenas in the middle of the night, and wake up at the crack of dawn for early game drives.
Below, I’m sharing what to expect on a camping safari in Tanzania, answers to common questions, and 10 tips for going on a camping safari – all based on my own experience.
- Group Camping Safari in Tanzania: What to Expect
- Camping in Tanzania: Common FAQs
- 10 Tips for Going on a Camping Safari in Tanzania
- 1. Bring a Zoom Lens or Binoculars
- 2. Pack a Headlamp
- 3. Prepare for Dust and Mud
- 4. Pack Plenty of Warm Clothing
- 5. Prepare for Long Drives
- 6. Take a Power Bank Along
- 7. Don’t Leave Anything Outside Your Tent
- 8. Have Cash on Hand for Snacks
- 9. Bring Cash for Tipping Safari Guides
- 10. Plan For a Rest Day After Safari
- Why You Should Go On a Camping Safari in Tanzania
Group Camping Safari in Tanzania: What to Expect
Wondering what to expect on a camping safari in Tanzania? Here’s what our experience was like.
We booked a 5 night, 6 day camping safari through G Adventures. The safari started and ended in Arusha, Tanzania. We chose to go with G Adventures because we wanted to join a group versus doing a private safari, and we appreciate their attention to responsible tourism practices.
The first day of the safari was orientation. Everyone in our group arrived in Arusha, and checked into a lodge where we had a short introduction with our lead guide, and then a group dinner.
The following day, we officially started safari. There were 10 tourists in our group. We were split between 2 safari vehicles, both of which had a driver. Our lead guide, Moses, switched between the two vehicles every day.
There was also a 3rd vehicle that carried our camping equipment, food, and water. In this vehicle was a support team of three. They took care of setting up and tearing down our tents, and cooking meals.
Our days started early in the morning – we were typically on the road by 7:00 AM – and ended in the early evening. We always had breakfast and dinner at the camp, and a packed lunch in the middle of the day.
It was quite an operation but it ran very smoothly! All our meals were hot and delicious, and our tents were spacious and dry.
Camping in Tanzania: Common FAQs
Here are the answers to some common questions about going on a camping safari in Tanzania.
Is it safe to camp in Tanzania?
Yes, it’s safe to go on a camping safari in Tanzania. Animals in the national parks won’t break into tents. When leaving your tent, particularly at night, just be sure to always zip the tent completely shut. When walking around the camp at night, carry a flashlight or wear a headlamp so you announce yourself to animals, and can see what’s ahead of you.
When is the best time of year for a camping safari?
The best time to go on a camping safari in Tanzania is during the dry season from late June to October. During this time of year there’s little to no rain, and you’ll have the chance to see the “Great Wildebeest Migration,” which is when wildebeest journey in large masses through the Serengeti to Kenya.
Does it get cold camping in Tanzania?
It can get cold while camping in some of Tanzania’s parks, depending on elevation. For example, camping on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, which is at 7,500 feet, can be quite cool at night. However, with a sleeping bag and warm layers, you’ll stay warm enough while you sleep.
What are campsites in Tanzania’s national parks like?
The campsites in Tanzania’s national parks have all the basic amenities you need to comfortably camp: toilets, showers, cooking areas, seating areas, and a few power outlets for charging devices. Some, but not all, have wifi and hot water.
10 Tips for Going on a Camping Safari in Tanzania
Let’s dive into 10 essential tips for a camping safari in Tanzania.
1. Bring a Zoom Lens or Binoculars
If you’re investing in going on a camping safari in Tanzania, make sure you go on the trip prepared with the right camera.
While on safari, animals will sometimes venture very close to your vehicle. On ours, several elephants walked right past us on the road!
But that won’t always be the case. Some animals, particularly rhinos and cheetahs, are more elusive. You may only get the chance to spot them from afar.
To help with getting a better view of animals that are more shy, bring binoculars.
You can also reach out to your camping safari operator to see if their vehicles will be equipped with binoculars. Our vehicle had 2 pairs, shared amongst our group of 6.
You’ll also want a camera that has good zoom capability so that you can capture animals that are further away.
Many phones these days can zoom quite far. If you’re bringing along a DSLR camera, consider investing in a solid zoom lens for the trip (if you don’t already have one).
2. Pack a Headlamp
A headlamp is essential for a camping safari because many of the camps will have limited lighting after dark. You’ll use your headlamp to see while inside your tent, and to navigate around the campground after dark.
While you can definitely use the flashlight on your phone for lighting, I found that using a headlamp was more comfortable because when wearing it, your hands are free.
When you need to pack your bags inside a dark tent before the sun rises, you’ll be grateful for the headlamp!
3. Prepare for Dust and Mud
While on a camping safari in Tanzania you’ll be driving on mainly dirt roads. During the dry season, this means lots of dust, and during the rainy season, it means dust and mud.
Because safari jeeps typically have windows that open and a pop-up roof, a lot of dust and mud ends up inside the vehicle… and all over you.
To stay comfortable, you’ll want to prepare for this by packing hand wipes (or baby wipes), a microfibre towel for showering, and flip flops for showering.
Hand wipes are useful throughout the day if you’re feeling the need to clean up your hands or face.
At the end of a long day of driving, you’ll be ready for a shower. Some of the campsites we stayed at only had cold showers, but still, we wanted one every night.
A microfibre towel is easy to pack and dries quickly, and flip flops are comfortable to wear walking to and from the shower, and while showering.
4. Pack Plenty of Warm Clothing
Tanzania’s national parks are at various elevations, and so temperatures will change throughout your camping safari. Depending on the season, you’ll also need to be prepared for rain.
It’s best to pack layers with plenty of warm options like socks, leggings, and sweaters. Bring a lightweight good-quality raincoat.
Most days you’ll want to start out wearing comfortable lightweight pants, a t-shirt, sweater, and a light jacket. Throughout the day, temperatures will rise, and so you’ll likely remove layers as it warms up, and then layer back on as it cools down in the evening.
5. Prepare for Long Drives
The main parks that are part of a camping safari itinerary in Tanzania are Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and Serengeti National Park.
The distances from Arusha to these parks are quite long, and you’ll also be on daily game drives that are typically 3+ hours long. The roads can be quite rough (most of the are dirt roads) and so this adds driving time as well.
Daily drive times will vary depending on the tour operator you book with, and their itinerary, but it’s safe to assume that you’ll be driving for several hours a day.
While the amount of driving sounds tiring, it’s all part of the experience. I found that the driving wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected it would be because there was always so much to see. Even when driving between the parks, you’ll spot tons of wildlife.
Prepare for these drives by doing a few stretches in the morning before hopping in the jeep, and downloading some travel podcasts to listen to (like my podcast, Curious Tourism!).
6. Take a Power Bank Along
While on a camping safari there will be two options for charging your devices. Safari jeeps have charging outlets that can be used while driving.
And, the campsites will usually have a few outlets for charging. These outlets are typically in a shared, public space like the bathrooms or cooking areas.
Bringing a good-quality power bank is a nice back-up for charging your phone or camera in the moments where you can’t access an outlet. I used a power bank to recharge my phone in our tent overnight.
7. Don’t Leave Anything Outside Your Tent
While camping in the Serengeti, I left my favorite pair of Teva sandals outside our tent one night before going to sleep.
The next morning, I discovered them a few feet away from our tent, with the straps completely chewed off. When I showed our camping safari guide, Moses, he couldn’t believe it! Definitely hyenas, he told me.
Luckily, the soles of my sandals were totally untouched, and so I was able to get them fitted with new straps in Moshi, Tanzania, for just a few dollars.
Learn from my mistakes! Don’t leave anything outside your tent overnight while camping in Tanzania.
Here I am with my sandals the morning I found them, and then in Moshi with the sandals just moments after I picked them up from the street vendor who re-strapped them.
8. Have Cash on Hand for Snacks
Most camping safaris in Tanzania will include all of your meals, and so there won’t be much else to spend money on. But, there will be occasional rest stops where you can buy coffee, tea, and snacks.
For example, the park entrance gates usually have a small canteen, and we were always happy to grab a coffee there.
9. Bring Cash for Tipping Safari Guides
You’ll also want to bring cash for tips. A camping safari involves a lot of logistics, and the days are long. Please plan to generously tip the team supporting your safari. This includes the lead guide, drivers, and cooks.
What you choose to give is entirely up to you, but the guidance we learned is to tip your guide and driver around $8-10 USD per person, per day, and to tip the cooks / chef $5–10 USD per guest, per day.
10. Plan For a Rest Day After Safari
After several days of driving and camping you’ll be pretty tired, so you’ll want to plan to have a relaxing day after your safari.
Not only is your body tired, but you’ll have had such an incredible experience seeing landscapes and wildlife, you’ll need a day to process it all!
We spent three days in Arusha after our camping safari taking it easy. We spent lots of time journaling, recording what we had seen and experienced, and of course, seeing Arusha.
After safari, consider visiting more of the region around Arusha, or take a Precision Air flight to Stone Town to enjoy sunshine, beaches, and more on the island of Zanzibar.
Why You Should Go On a Camping Safari in Tanzania
I recommend a camping safari because it’s one of the more sustainable tourism approaches to safari.
When you travel into Tanzania’s parks, you can see how much is involved logistically in running lodges, particularly luxury lodges. A lot of resources are used to create these luxury experiences in such remote locations.
On a camping safari, the amount of resources used to support the trip is reduced. Our support team brought only what we needed.
We also noticed that our meals were all packed using reusable containers and cutlery, whereas other groups we saw in the parks ate meals packed in disposable containers and wrapping.
A camping safari is also one of the most budget-friendly ways to go on a safari in Tanzania – And, it’s exciting! Camping means you’ll be as close to Tanzania’s incredible nature as possible. You’ll fall asleep and wake up to the sounds of wildlife.
More From Pina Travels:
- Is Stone Town Worth Visiting? 14 Reasons to Go
- What Not To Do in Tanzania: 20 Essential Tanzania Tips
- Precision Air Review: How to Fly Domestic in Tanzania
- What Not To Do in Stone Town: 18 Essential Stone Town Tips
Erin has been traveling for over a decade, both solo, and with her partner. She’s now traveled to countries across 6 continents, and has lived in 2 countries abroad. Erin also hosts the travel podcast, Curious Tourism, where she interviews travel industry thought leaders and experts about responsible tourism. Learn more about Erin, and get in touch with her, here.
