Africa Safari Planning >> Types of Safaris >> Types of Safari Accommodations

What are the Different Types of Safari Accommodations?

Standards can vary widely for each type of accommodation so use this as a general guide to different types. Keep in mind that it is often possible to combine different types of accommodation on one safari to vary your experience.

Permanent Tented Safari Camp
Seasonal Tented Safari camp
Mobile Safari Camp
Lodge
Self Camping

Permanent Tented Safari Camp

These are camps that remain in one location and thus have a permanent structure, typically canvas walls but they are placed on wooden floors or concrete bases and usually have full en-suite bathroom facilities with flush toilets and hot water sinks and proper showers. Often times there is a thatch type roof over the tent to protect the canvas. They may or may not have full electricity, partial solar or generator power, or just paraffin lantern lighting. This same style camp may be built as chalets with reeds or other indigenous materials rather than canvas.

Permanent locations are usually carefully chosen to take advantage of key landscape features and/or rich wildlife concentrations. Most camps have a large central area for dining and lounging, most often with a bar and fire pit social areas. It is not unusual for such camps to have a small pool. This should not be confused with what most people would call camping or roughing it, this is usually a luxurious experience with very attentive service out in the bush. This is a highly recommended type of accommodation that can provide the intimate “out in the wilderness feel” while living a completely pampered status. In fact some tented camps could rival virtually any lodge or luxury hotel in the world for decadent luxury and tremendous service. Such luxury in remote places is expensive and these tend to be a costly accommodation option, with the smaller and more remote camps commanding top prices. In some areas more rustic and or larger permanent tented camps can be had at much lower prices than the high luxury styled camps. Permanent tented camps are the dominant accommodation type in Botswana and all the other major safari countries have some excellent permanent tented camps.

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Seasonal Tented Safari Camp

Seasonal tented camps move from time to time, typically every few months to locate according to expected wildlife movements. These camps are most prevalent within the Serengeti ecosystem of Tanzania where the great migration causes huge seasonal shifts in the wildlife concentrations and seasonal camps can be positioned to increase lodging in the vicinity of the prime areas.

Seasonal camps do not usually have permanent structures and thus ordinarily lack some of the infrastructure of permanent tented camps, for example there will not be running water for the bathroom facilities and any power resources will tend to be more limited if available at all. Lodging consists of canvas tenting for living quarters as well as lounge and dining. Most camps have an ensuite bathroom that is a small tented area attached to the larger living quarters. Bucket showers and simple sink setups are available. A bucket shower consists of a staff member heating water over a fire and then filling a bucket that is hoisted above the tent. You turn on your shower head and gravity lets the warm water flow through for a wonderful shower. Note, the best way to take a bucket shower is to get wet and then turn off the water while you soap to ensure that you have plenty of water to rinse with. Long drop toilets or chemical toilets (similar to those in a camper) are the norm. Size of tent and luxury level can vary greatly, some tented set ups can rival permanent tents for size and décor while others may be much more simple and basic. Many have proper beds and other comfortable furniture while others may have a thick mattress on a cot and not much else.

Because there can be so much variance it is important when making your selections to try and see photos and get detailed descriptions of the camps to ensure they are the standard that you desire. Even more important is to ensure that the camp has a good reputation for anticipating the wildlife movements and being in the correct locations at the correct times.

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Mobile Safari Camp

Mobile Camps are used for accommodation on a Mobile Safari, where a private party or a group travels by vehicle from place to place. The camp is taken down, packed up and moved for each stop on the itinerary. This can more closely resemble traditional camping, although on the luxury end staff will arrive and have the camp completed before your arrival and the tent size, bedding and service can rival that of permanent and seasonal camps. This type of accommodation can also be one of the cheapest safari options as there are mobile camping safaris that require your full participation, use small and basic tents with sleeping bags, and utilize public camp facilities. In general the tent size, number of staff, and locations of the campsites will determine the cost – as will the level of participation required ranging from no duties, to limited chores, to doing most of the work. Critical information to request is the tent size, level of participation, and a feel for what type of campsites are used. Ideally your mobile camp is set up at private campsites within quality reserves or parks. On the low end it could be located in public campsites with a number of other campers. This type of accommodation is highly recommended for small private parties who can take advantage of the mobility to reach special campsites and really explore the wilderness of Africa. It can also be a great option for people who prefer not to pay for more luxurious safari options as a quality mobile camping experience can deliver outstanding wildlife viewing while saving on accommodation and mode of travel. Good Mobile Safaris are available in all of the major safari countries.

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Safari Lodge

Safari lodges can be amongst the most luxurious experiences in the world and many of them are consistently ranked as such in travel magazines. Some of them can be considered ‘camps’ in that there are very few chalets or bungalows in a remote location. Some lodges are similar in layout and size to tented camps but simply constructed of solid walls and ceilings. Usually lodges have more units than tented camps and at the high end are loaded with amenities such as private plunge pools, air conditioning/heat, mini-refrigerators, fireplaces, soaking bath tubs, etc. Such luxury lodge chalets often have a living room, bedroom, dressing area, and large bathroom. Many lodges (especially in South Africa) now have spas, workout facilities, and even internet access, they could properly be called resorts. Lodges are the best choice for those that crave amenities, are sensitive to temperatures, or want to be able to separate from nature at bedtime, however, the solid walls that make all that possible do interfere somewhat with the night time Africa experience when the sounds of the wild can be an ultimate highlight. Luckily the roar of the lion can sometimes overcome walls and air conditioning. Small luxury lodges are especially prevalent in South Africa but all major safari countries have some of them.

There are also larger lodges that can be very luxurious or approximate a very ordinary hotel in a wildlife area. Those that approximate a hotel are good for less adventurous travelers who just want to return to basic comforts and a more familiar feel every night and do not mind staying in a larger facility with more people. These are also a great choice for keeping the cost of safari down as they tend to cost less per night than most of the tented and small lodge choices. This type of lodging is most common in Kenya and Tanzania. In these areas most game drives are in National Parks and thus with good guiding it is possible to have a similar wildlife viewing experience to those who are paying much more for exclusivity in a small tented camp, thus this is a good opportunity to save on accommodation without necessarily sacrificing on the wildlife sightings.

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Self Camping

There are numerous opportunities for self-driving and utilizing campgrounds for self camping. Many National Parks and game reserves have campground facilities. These can range from large public areas with access via improved roads to out of the way small camping areas that will require a 4x4 vehicle and some skilled driving. For real adventure it may be possible to gain permission from a village Chief to drive onto his land and an intimate private camping area. Self camping requires you to rely on yourself which can be the ultimate experience if properly prepared. Careful research is needed to be sure to have proper equipment and supplies for the planned itinerary. It is possible to rent a 4x4 vehicle that comes outfitted with everything needed including rooftop tents that allow for quick set up and take down on the top of the vehicle. There are also areas where a sedan car and a trunk full of traditional supplies will be adequate. South Africa and Namibia offer the best opportunities for simple car camping, while Botswana, Nambia, South Africa, and Zambia all have amazing opportunities for 4x4 adventure camping. Kenya and Tanzania have opportunities but are generally considered more difficult to navigate and do not have as many outstanding campsites for self-drivers as the Southern Africa countries.

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