You won’t see the beige tents of the Suyan Camp until the last minute, tucked away in a shallow valley in the Loliondo border lands of the northeast Serengeti.
Privacy and solitude are what the managers, Ethan Kinsey and Estomeih Muguve, have in mind when they scour the hills for a location for their luxurious mobile camp. They move the six guest tents, dining tent and staff quarters twice a year, following the long lines of wildebeest on their migration into and out of the Masai Mara, just across the border with Kenya to the north.
For thousands of years, Loliondo has been the domain of the Masai, whose bright red and purple robes stand out against the fawns and greens of the landscape - they are “to let the lions know that we are here”, according to our red-robed guide, Patena. “Lions,” he added, “are afraid of the Masai.”
In recent years, the Masai made agreements with the mobile camp operator Sokwe, now a partner of the Asilia group that operates Suyan, for sustainable tourism around their villages of Piyaya, Ololosokwan and Soit Sambu. They receive a small income from the camps for community projects, and they can also find work as guides on the walking safaris and camping trips on offer � a rare treat for tourists who are seldom allowed to leave their vehicles in Tanzania’s game parks.
‘Are afraid of the Masai’
For an hour before sunset, Patena led us and the one other couple staying at Suyan across a grassy, acacia-dotted terrain, past grazing giraffes and the remains of a zebra (the victim of a lion, Patena told us after a brief examination with his spear).
As the giant red sun dipped below the hills, we enjoyed gin and tonics and Tusker beers around a small bonfire, prepared in advance by another attentive guide. We watched a tarpaulin of black cloud, torn now and again by forks of lightning, approach across the vast sky - and we were whisked back to camp in a 4×4 just as the rains arrived.
Location
The Suyan Camp (www.asilialodges.com) moves around the Loliondo area, on the eastern border of the Serengeti, providing immediate access to the Serengeti for game drives. From June to November, the camp sits in the valley near Ololosokwan and Soit Sambu villages, by the north-east gate of the Serengeti and an hour’s drive from Klein’s airstrip. From December to April, Suyan moves to Piyaya, in the southern Loliondo, near the Ndutu airstrip (it is closed in May).
Time from international airport: Klein’s airstrip is an hour’s flight to Kilimanjaro airport in a twin or single-prop plane, stopping at other Serengeti airstrips, including Ndutu, on the way.
Comfortable?
Aside from the canvas walls, there is little to distinguish the inside of your tent from a hotel room: the king-size bed is firm and comfy and the pillows plump; the chaise lounge in the fly-netted porch provides the perfect place to recline and read while gazing out over the Serengeti.
The bathroom area is fully plumbed, with a flushable lavatory, a brass basin to wash in and a jug of hot water always at the ready. The shower room provides enough hot water from a bucket preheated and hoisted up by the camp staff (fear not, they are outside the tent and out of sight) for a two-minute shower.
Creature comforts and sustainability coexist happily. The 20 staff combine the raw camping experience with silver-service decadence: drinks around the camp fire and candle-lit, three-course gourmet meals in the tented dining area.
Freebies: Bottled drinking water is provided, and tea and coffee served on request. All drinks, alcoholic or otherwise, are included in the overall price.
Keeping in touch: You wouldn’t want to, but should you need to keep in touch with the outside world, your driver is in radio contact.
The bottom line
�250 (about R3 400) per person per night, full board, exclusive of park fees (about R340 per person per day) and private vehicle hire (about R17 100 per person per day). Bookings are made as part of a safari package put together by a specialist travel agent: the writer booked through Imagine Africa (www.imagineafrica.co.uk) and travelled with the Arusha-based safari operator Kearsley (www.kearsleys.com).
I’m not paying that: The Serengeti Serena Lodge (www.serenahotels.com) draws its inspiration from a traditional Masai village, combining traditional African architecture with modern amenities and tremendous views over the savannah. Rates from $168 (about R17 120) per person based on two sharing, full board.
amp,creature comforts
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