Types of accommodation in the Serengeti

Understanding the types of accommodation in the Serengeti is usually one of the first steps in planning your Tanzania safari. It is one of those tricky things that can have a great impact on your safari experience in the Serengeti. WhatIn this article, we will delve into three popular types of accommodations available in the Serengeti: Classic lodges, Tented Lodges, and Tented Camps. We will explore what each type offers, their locations, advantages, disadvantages, and identify who they are best suited for.

Let’s embark on a journey to discover the types of accommodation in the Serengeti for your safari dreams.

Classic Lodges

What are they?

Classic Lodges in the Serengeti are permanent structures that offer a seamless blend of comfort, luxury, and an immersive safari ambiance. These lodges feature well-appointed rooms or suites with private facilities, ensuring a luxurious and relaxing experience amidst the wild landscapes. With amenities such as restaurants, bars, swimming pools, and lounges, lodges provide a refined and convenient retreat within the Serengeti. Most classic lodges blend their design into an African styling, giving you a unique experience that can only be had in Africa. Classic lodges in the Serengeti can range from 3 star affairs all the way to luxury 5 star stays like the Four Season.

Advantages

• Comfort and convenience: Lodges offer spacious and well-equipped rooms or suites with private facilities, ensuring a comfortable stay.
• Facilities and amenities: They provide a range of amenities such as restaurants, bars, swimming pools, and lounges for relaxation and entertainment.
• Family-friendly: Lodges are suitable for families, offering a secure environment and facilities that cater to the needs of all family members. This is especially important when travelling with young children or with adults/elderly who have mobility challenges.

Disadvantages

• Less intimate: Because of their size, classic lodges can feel like a less intimate wilderness experience: Lodges, due to their permanent structures and larger size, may offer a less immersive feel compared to tented accommodations.
• Less privileged locations: Again, because of their size, they do not have the best vantage points. From a conservation sense, the larger lodges are built around areas that do not affect the animal movement in a massive way.

Tented Lodges

What are they?

Tented lodges offer a unique and enchanting experience, fusing classic style lodges with a deep connection to the natural surroundings offered by tented camps. These accommodations consist of spacious canvas tents set on raised platforms or wooden structures. Inside, guests will find well-appointed interiors with comfortable beds, en-suite bathrooms, and often private verandas or decks. Tented lodges provide a harmonious blend of modern comforts and a sense of being immersed in the untamed wilderness. They are a great blend of Classic Lodges and Tented Camps.

Advantages

• Close connection to nature: Tented lodges offer a more immersive experience, allowing guests to feel closer to the sights, sounds, and sensations of the Serengeti.
• Exclusive and intimate: The smaller size of tented lodges often translates into a more private and exclusive atmosphere, ideal for couples and honeymooners. Most tented lodges are half the size of their bigger brother, classic lodges.
• Unique ambiance: Staying in a tented lodge offers a blend of comfort and luxury with adventure, combining the comforts of modern amenities with the charm of a traditional safari experience.

Disadvantages

• Potential for less privacy: Tented lodges may have thinner walls compared to permanent structures. While most tented lodges fairly spaced out rooms, if your rooms are closer together than you may lack a slight sense of privacy.
• Limited availability: Tented lodges are often smaller and in high demand, making it necessary to book well in advance, especially during peak seasons.
• Mobility challenges: Tented lodges often do not feature paved pathways. This can make it difficult for adults/elderly who have difficulties in mobility. If you are staying at one, check with the lodge, or your Safari operator, about such challenges beforehand.

Tented Camps

What are they?

Of all the types of accommodation in the Serengeti, tented camps are probably the most immersive, and popular. Tented camps, whether mobile or permanent, epitomize the essence of an authentic safari experience immersed in the wild. These camps feature comfortable tents with beds, en-suite bathrooms, and dining facilities, offering a genuine taste of adventure and exploration. While the level of luxury may vary, tented camps ensure an intimate connection with nature and a thrilling wilderness encounter. Tented camps can be a time travel portal that transports you back to the early days of African exploration.

Advantages

• Immersive wilderness experience: Tented camps allow guests to fully immerse themselves in the sights, sounds, and atmosphere of the Serengeti, offering a close-to-nature experience.
• Location: Mobile tented camps follow the Great Wildebeest Migration, maximizing wildlife viewing opportunities. They provide the chance to experience different locations and ecosystems within the Serengeti.Permanent tented camps also afford you some of the best views and proximity to the wildlife.
• Adventurous atmosphere: Staying in a tented camp evokes a sense of adventure and provides an opportunity to disconnect from modern distractions and embrace the untamed beauty of the wilderness.

Disadvantages

• Basic amenities: Unless you are staying in the luxury tented camps, the mid-level tented camps, especially mobile ones, may offer fewer amenities compared to lodges, with more focus on the safari experience itself.
• Potential for limited comfort: While efforts are made to provide comfortable accommodations, tented camps may have simpler facilities and a more rustic feel compared to lodges, especially with the mid-level offerings.
• Child policy: Some tented camps do not allow children under a certain age for safety. Even where they do, child safety can be something of a concern when you are in the heart of the wilderness with every tent opening up into the wild. Always check with the lodge and your safari operator if you are staying with young children.

Which type of accommodation is right for you?

Selecting the right types of accommodation in the Serengeti sets the stage for an unforgettable safari experience. Lodges offer luxurious comfort and convenience, tented lodges provide luxury combined with a profound connection to nature, and tented camps offer a thrilling and immersive encounter with the wilderness.

Which one is right for you? You be the judge: But by understanding what each type offers, their locations, advantages, disadvantages, and the ideal guests they cater to, you can embark on a safari adventure perfectly suited to your desires in the breathtaking landscapes of the Serengeti.

The article originally appeared on the Travel Blog at Napenda Adventures Ltd.