Serian's Serengeti North Lamai Wing
The open plains of the Lamai Wedge are incredibly beautiful and abundant in game. The landscape is reminiscent of scenes from Out of Africa, and there is plenty of freedom to roam and explore. The camp is situated opposite Crossing Point 4, midway among all crossing points along the river – and is perfectly positioned to spectate the wildebeest river crossings. Away from the river, this area of rolling savannah, boulder-strewn hillsides and fig-tree groves, is littered with inconceivably enormous herds of wildebeest, topi and zebra – as well as all the predators that gorge on this movable feast. Needless to say, the game-viewing we have access to is world-class. Cheetah, lion and elephant especially make for fantastic sighting, but it’s not unheard of to see the Big Five in a day.
The seclusion of the camp means that you are free to have the run of the place. Comprising just 4 tents, the peaceful intimacy lends itself to exclusive bookings, or groups accompanied by private guides.
Though it’s a mobile camp, its furnishings and creature comforts are much the same as Serian’s Serengeti North – with flushing toilets and bucket showers in an en suite bathroom, enormous wrought-iron beds, Moroccan rugs, and all the trimmings make it simplistically elegant and comfortable.
Watching a crossing is something that is thrilling to the core: the intensity, the trauma and the sheer spectacle, is all-absorbing, and resonates on a deep and primal level. Hundreds of thousands of pounding hooves set the tempo, and the nasal grunting hits a frenetic pitch: creatures cease to be individuals and operate as a swarm, teeming unseeingly toward the water. The crush, dust and panic as they launch themselves in and struggle across the current – claimed by crocodiles and crushed by each other – epitomises the quintessential rawness of nature’s character.
Traditional Safari Tents
Though it’s a mobile camp, its furnishings and creature comforts are much the same as Serian’s Serengeti North – with flushing toilets and bucket showers in an en suite bathroom, enormous wrought-iron beds, Moroccan rugs, and all the trimmings make it simplistically elegant and comfortable.
Tented Suites
A suite comprises two separate tents joined by a communal living space – and we’ve found that families especially value this balance of proximity and privacy. With parents in one half and kids in the other, each has their own en suite bathroom – and if needs be, a third child can sleep in the living room.
By day, the living room is ideal for lounging and reading, lazy snoozing, playing board games or sorting through the day’s photos… In short, anything that entails spreading out and relaxing in a comfortable space.
While couples travelling together might find the arrangement a little too cosy, single friends on safari can enjoy the luxury of having their own space, but being close enough together not to fear those night noises that always seem louder when alone…
Game Drives
The cornerstone of a safari experience at Serian is that each group has their own open-top safari vehicle, and their own dedicated guide and spotter. The freedom this grants you is key to getting the most out of your stay: go where the day takes you, without the limitations of fixed schedules, or fitting in with other peoples’ plans. Nothing but personal desire need dictate what you do.
Vehicles are specially customized to be a climbing frame, and a photographer’s extra tool. They are comfortable, able to handle the terrain, and cover the distance…. And were designed for sun, rain, wind, and above all, the feeling of having as little as possible separating you from what’s out there.
Guides and spotters are intimately familiar with these special places, so they know all its secrets and the ways the animals interact with it, from the subtle changes of the seasons, to the stages of an animal’s lifecycle, to the flora that sustains it all – they are the key that can unlock it all for you.
Early Morning Walks
Although ‘Walker’ really is Alex’s surname, being born to such an identity turns out to have been a self-fulfilling prophecy. Spending his childhood days out on foot with his father’s trackers, then turning this into a full-time career as soon as he possibly could, Alex’s passion is walking, and it is without a doubt his preferred method of accessing the bush.
Walking safaris epitomize the golden chance to get away from the trails and beaten tracks and immerse in the environment in a way that the noise and speed of vehicles don’t permit. Once you slow down, there’s a whole world that you never noticed before. The beauty of walking is that it engenders an appreciation of an ecosystem’s sheer perfection: every tiny element has its place and plays its role.
Stripping away the layers between you and an untamed setting beckons forth your primal instincts: your hearing, sight and smell all sharpen in response – and your appreciation of what you perceive is heightened as a result.
In Serian’s Serengeti North, the focus is on the Mara River – water is always a concentration of so many life forms, and with the wildebeest crossing back and forth over it at this time of year, their effects on the bush, the predators and scavengers makes for fascinating exploring along the banks. We tend to steer clear of the herds though, as the idea is to steer clear of the crowds and vehicles – but this meander offers a combination of big game encounters, and beautiful countryside.
Adventure Flycamping
First off, a disclaimer: flycamping has nothing to do with flying. Rather, it takes its name from sleeping in the bush under nothing more than a flysheet, as was the camping tradition before the luxury-laden era of ‘glamping’ arrived.
The premise is that you spend the days walking, and the nights sleeping out in light weight tents, in a makeshift camp that moves each day – the end of each day’s walk brings you to your new site for the night.
Flycamping can easily be incorporated into your stay, with some nights spent in our main camp before and after – and in fact, we can’t recommend it enough. It can add a whole new dimension to your experience, and a taste of the wilderness that few others ever encounter.
LOCATION
• Serengeti National Park
• Preferred airstrip: Lamai
• S 01° 30’ 12.50”
• E 034° 50’ 46.95”
QUICK FACTS
OPEN 15th JUNE TO 15th NOVEMBER.
• Set in the Serengeti National Park, a mere kilometre from the Mara River above Crossing Point 4.
• 6 comfortable and intimate tents set among Acacias.
• Each has an en-suite bathroom with a flushing toilet and bucket shower.
• 24hr electricity powered by generator.
• 1.8 million wildebeest crossing back and forth over the Mara River, in search of grazing.
• The intimacy of this little camp makes it perfect for families or privately guided groups, and can be booked on exclusive basis for those that wish.
• Hosted dining family style in our cozy mess tent.
• Offers unparalleled access to the Great Migration’s river crossings, and additionally to the stunning Lamai Wedge and Wogakuria Kopjes.
• Incredible spot for adventures on foot and flycamping.
• Factor in a minimum of 4 nights to take in all that the Northern Serengeti has to offer.
• Exclusive use of 4WD Safari vehicle and dedicated guide and spotter.
For more information about Serian's Serengeti Mobile Lamai click HERE.
To see videos on Serian's Serengeti Mobile Lamai click HERE
