Usangu Expedition Camp
Serian’s Serengeti is a private mobile camp with 4 tent pods, and our movement is governed by the wildebeest migration. From mid-June to mid-November, we – along with 1.6 million gnus – are situated in the far north of the Serengeti plains. The beauty of Northern Serengeti is it is the heart of the crossings, and in this respect, we are all about location. Our camp is set a mere 2 kilometres from the Mara River, within minutes of the major crossing points.
The camp strikes the perfect balance between colonial camping style, and elegant accents of comfort – home away from home, in the form of four spacious, lavish tents. Each is complemented by tasteful décor that lends a touch of sumptuousness to the interiors. The en suite bathrooms include a bucket shower and a flushing toilet – classic safari simplicity with a nod to life’s little comforts.
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.
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, be it a full day out with a picnic in the wilderness, or a lazy siesta back in camp before that ice-cold sundowner… Our guides have an intimate familiarity with the landscape, and will translate and render it until you see it through their eyes.
Walking safaris are also a beautiful way to explore: set off with the first light in the company of Alex or one of our other guides, and tune into the whispering savannah silence away from the hum of a vehicle. As you ease into a slower pace, you’ll notice your senses picking up on the finer details: the intricate perfections of a skeleton, a map of secret paw prints, a microcosmic universe in a termite mound.
Traditional Safari Tents
Large en-suite tents, decorated in classic safari style with large beds and opulent rugs. Swathes of cotton soften the luxuriant bedroom furniture whilst the bathroom houses flush toilets, safari showers and vases of wild flowers conjure up idyllic East Africa.
The custom-made tents have two skins with shade cloth softening the heat of the noonday sun. All tents are positioned to take advantage of the camps immense views north over the Lamai Wedge.
The bathrooms offer organic toiletries made in Kenya by Cinnabar Green and each tent has its own dedicated 240-volt power outlets so that you can charge your batteries and devices at any time of day.
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 cozy, 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.
Our 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.
Our 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 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.
LOCATION
Serengeti National Park
• Preferred airstrip: Kogatende.
• S 01° 33’ 41.40”
• E 034° 51’ 16.94”
QUICK FACTS
OPEN 15th JUNE TO 15th NOVEMBER.
• Set in Serengeti National Park, a ten-minute drive from the Mara River and all the major wildebeest crossing points.
• 6 spacious and comfortable tents with a view over the plains.
• Each has an en-suite bathroom with a flushing toilet and bucket shower.
• 24hr electricity powered by generator.
• A mobile camp with a traditional approach and a tasteful touch of style.
• Hosted dining family style in our elegant candle-lit mess tent.
• Ideally located for watching the Great Migration’s river crossings, but also for accessing incredible game-viewing around the Lamai Wedge and Wogakuria Kopjes.
• 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 North click HERE.
To see a video on Serian's Serengeti North click HERE
