Camping and Bush Experiences
Sleeping closer to it
Camping in East Africa covers a wide range: from a basic tent you pitch yourself to a canvas suite with a bed, bathroom and someone bringing coffee at dawn.
What these experiences share is being inside the environment rather than looking at it through a window. You hear what is moving around at night, which is either the appeal or the problem, depending on the person.
Plan My SafariCamping Safaris
Camping safaris use public or private campsites, with tents, bedding and a cook provided. They are an affordable way to see several parks and are popular with younger travellers and groups.
Tented Camps
Tented camps are permanent or semi-permanent, with proper beds, en-suite bathrooms and full service. Canvas walls, everything else like a lodge.
Mobile and Fly Camping
Mobile and fly camping moves with you, setting up in a different place each night. It is often combined with walking.
Special Campsites
Special campsites are private sites inside parks, usually with no facilities and no other visitors, booked exclusively for your group.
Suitable conservancies and private areas can offer activities that national parks may not allow, including night drives and guided walking safaris. Availability depends on the conservancy, camp, guide and current operating rules.
Walking changes the scale of everything. You notice tracks, dung, birds and smaller details that you pass at speed in a vehicle, while experienced guides manage distance and safety around larger animals.
Camping suits people who do not mind basic facilities and cold water in exchange for being somewhere remarkable.
Tented camps suit almost everyone, including those who would never describe themselves as campers.
Tell us honestly where you sit on this scale, because the gap between the two ends is considerable.
Where to Go
The Mara conservancies, Laikipia, Tsavo, Samburu and parts of Amboseli all offer good camping and walking options. Laikipia in particular is built around conservancies rather than national parks, so activities can be more flexible.
When to Go
Dry months are easier for camping. Wet months are harder work, although a well-run camp copes well and the ground drains better in some parks than others.
Tell us how rough you want it
From a basic camping safari to a tented camp with full service, we will match it to what you actually want.