Serian The Original
“Alex Walker's Serian” is a collection of intimate East African bush camps; that allow you to flee the bustle of contemporary life & experience a blend of untamed Africa in traditional tented splendour!
Serian was the first of Alex’s camps, and it perfectly captures the essence of its name: meaning ‘peaceful, calm, serene’ in the Masai language, it was designed to be a retreat from the bustle of contemporary life, and a chance to experience untamed Africa in traditional tented splendour.
It lies in the private Mara North Conservancy, and the beauty of this location is that only 10 other camps have access to it – so the feeling of having your own personal piece of Africa is a luxury that we have in spades.
Serian consists of five vast marquees perched on beautiful hardwood decking – one of which is a family suite. Each is unique in its own way, but all are furnished with elegant simplicity, complemented by countless thoughtful little personal touches that make it feel like home.
The thatched mess area has a stunning view over the Mara River and the Siria escarpment, and is the perfect spot to share a sundowner and stories of the dwindling day. Join Adrian and Roisin by the fireside, and watch as the stars take over the sky. Comfy furniture, smooth wooden decks and an indoor fireplace give a warm feeling of home away from home – and the idea is to treat it like one: so sit back, put up your feet and succumb to the chilled ambiance and good company that constitutes Serian’s nightlife.
Marquee Tents
Serian consists of four vast marquees perched on beautiful hardwood decking. Each is unique in its own way, but all are furnished with elegant simplicity, complemented by countless thoughtful little personal touches that make it feel like home.
The beautiful bush bathrooms offer views over the river valley as you soak in your tub, and this openness simulates the delicious sensation of being outdoors. Airy and spacious, they include a shower as well as an enormous bath, twin basins, and a flushing toilet.
Family Suite
Serian's family suite consists of two separate sleeping tents, joined by a communal living area. The beds can be configured to doubles or twins, and each tent has its own bathroom, ensuring both proximity and privacy.
The beautiful bush bathrooms offer views over the river valley as you soak in your tub, and this openness simulates the delicious sensation of being outdoors. Airy and spacious, they include a shower as well as an enormous bath, twin basins, and a flushing toilet.
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.
At Serian, we walk in our own private conservation area – a strictly no-vehicle zone that only we have access to. Here, you are likely to have close encounters with elephant, buffalo, hippo as well as more rare species like Chandler’s Mountain Reedbuck, klipspringer and oribi.
We employ scouts whose job it is to patrol the area and look out for snares and walking in their company yields an insight into the land from the point of view of someone who roams it every day and knows it intimately.
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 us, 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.
Night Game Drives
For so many, the definition of a night drive has come to be a quick scan around with spotlights en route back to camp after sundowners. For us though, it’s an exploration of the enigmatic nightlife that we are oblivious to as we sit around the dinner table and proceed to bed. Nocturnal creatures emerge, the heavens are festooned with stars, and the landscape mutates into a whole other world by the light of the moon.
Take a flask of soup and a picnic dinner and set out with a spotlight: if nothing else, the solitude and silence by starlight is reason enough in itself. Using red-filtered bulbs to avoid dazzling the animals, scan the plains for that pride of lion looking ready to hunt. Once you’ve spotted them, switch to infrared floodlights, and watch the scene unfold through our infrared cameras. This is as close as you’ll get to invisibility, watching the wildlife without the fact of your presence affecting it.
For more information about Serian 'The Original' click HERE.
To view videos of Serian The Original click HERE.
