Campsites inside the safari destinations will be at designated camping areas so there will be many others camping close by. The campsite will consist of communal showers, toilets, and a fenced-in food storage area. The toilets and showers are rather basic. Some of the toilets may be squat toilets. While some of the campsites have solar water heaters, the hot water supply cannot come close to accommodating all the campers. There is nothing keeping the animals out of the camping area. During the day it is not common to spot an animal wandering through. Maybe occasionally a zebra, an elephant, or a monkey. At night, there will be animals wandering through the campsite. The animals do not disturb the tents as long as you do not have food inside. Some precautions must be taken when going to the toilet during the night. Your safari guide will give you specifics.
A cook will be along during these safaris and will handle all of the meal preparations. As long as the cook knows in advance, he can handle special diet requests such as vegetarian/vegan, gluten-free, food allergies, etc. The meals are one area where the camping experience is better than a mid-range lodge/tented camp. Our food is fresher and prepared specifically for you. Along with the guide, the cook will set up the tent for you so all you need to do is to relax and take in nature.
The tents that we use can sleep two people comfortably. We will bring foam mattresses but let us know if you prefer a camp cot instead. For camping safaris, we supply the sleeping bags. The tents should be kept zipped up to keep insects and reptiles out. There will not be an electricity source so you will need to bring a flashlight (torch). For charging electronics, this can be done during the day inside of our safari vehicles.
At times we camp outside of the safari destinations at private campsites. This is done near the town of Mtu wa Mbu or Karatu. The biggest reason that we would do this is due to the timing of travel, especially if needing to enter into Ngorongoro Conservation Area early the next morning. At these campsites, they share the grounds with lodges. There will be nice amenities such as hot water, flushing toilets, a bar, and perhaps a swimming pool. But it will certainly not be an “in the wild” experience. More like backyard camping. In most instances, we will use the food service provided by the lodge rather than cook. We only use this type of campsite when camping inside of safari destinations is not practical.