You don’t love camping; we get it. Bugs, and sleeping in a smelly sleeping bag on the rough ground. Where’s the fun in that?
But have you tried “glamping?”
Luxury camps were invented in Africa out of necessity: to accommodate visitors on safari in safety and comfort, and as close to the game drives as possible. While accommodation in traditional Game Park lodges certainly provides all three of these elements, luxury glamping offers an immersive experience that has the added benefit of vastly reducing your footprint, since most luxury camps are powered by solar energy, employ locals, and use local suppliers for provisions. True, you do sometimes have to share the camp with a passing family of giraffes, but they quickly move on.
Each luxury camp accommodates about 25 visitors in 10-12 “tented rooms.” This makes for an intimate experience that gets you away from the crowds into the wilds. “Tented rooms” are roughly 400-500 square feet structures: a raised wooden platform with hardwood floors, a full-sized bed with proper sheets, antique rugs and furniture, and a full-service bathroom. While you have complete privacy, you also are right in the middle of nature. The walls of your tent are made of canvas with mosquito netting to ensure you are not pestered by bugs.
A Day in the Life of a Glamper
Life on safari begins early. Just before sunrise, your personal butler will awaken you with a cup of coffee or tea, and then you are off on the first drive of the morning, returning to camp around 10:00 AM for breakfast, served in the elegant Mess Tent. Then you emulate the wild animals by resting in the noonday heat before the afternoon drive between 3:00 - 7:00 PM.
Sundowners is a time-honored African tradition, and there is no better place to sip this famed cocktail and watch the sunset than over the plains of the Serengeti. When darkness falls, dinner is served under the star-studded African sky in the Mess Tent. Like all the other meals in the luxury camp, the ingredients are locally sourced or picked in the camp’s organic vegetable garden, exquisitely and expertly prepared, and delightfully served by the friendly and experienced staff.
Once dinner is over, pour an after-dinner tipple and settle in to enjoy some “Bush TV,” otherwise known as storytelling around a fire and under the stars. Guides and staff will regale you with tales of Africa. It’s a marvelous exchange in which you will make lasting friendships and gain a unique understanding of the fascinating life of the African steppe.
Glamping provides a superior level of comfort that is in no way stuffy. The dress code is always casual, and the pace is always relaxed.
Excited from your day and everything you’ve seen, snuggle into your comfortable bed and fall asleep to the sounds of the animals lulling and the wind whispering the Song of Africa.
Glamping is just one highlight of Alexander + Robert’s popular
On Safari in Kenya + Tanzaniai tinerary, which includes a stunning hot air balloon ride over the Mara. Speak to one of our knowledgeable reservation agents to learn more about many exciting glamping opportunities that are available to you.