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Olakira Mobile Camp, Serengeti National Park

Olakira Mobile Camp

Olakira Camp is a classic mobile tented camp that moves between prime Serengeti wildlife areas twice a year to take advantage of the Great Migration. The camp has an intimate feel with just a small number of guest tents and two central communal tents that are open to the surrounding plains, with animals often passing through the camp itself.

Balancing a rustic style with a high level of comfort, the camp offers a friendly, personalised service, guides with an excellent knowledge of the Serengeti and its wildlife, and spacious, comfortable tents that add a hint of luxury but don’t take anything away from the authentic safari experience.

Our rating: First Class

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Rooms

Guest tents are generous in size, featuring large king sized or twin beds and en suite bathrooms with hot water safari bucket showers, wash basins and flushing environmentally friendly toilets. They’re furnished with colourful African textiles, rugs and linens, as well as a wooden writing table and rustic-style lamps. Each tent boasts a private shaded veranda where you can sit and look out over the Serengeti plains, watching out for any passing wildlife.

Location

The camp is set up in a small forest in the southern Serengeti, or Ndutu area, from December to March, where lion and cheetah hunt in the open grasslands and wildebeest and zebra give birth to their young. From June to November the camp is moved north for views of the renowned Mara River crossing, where wildebeest attempt to cross while avoiding the jaws of crocodile.

Food and Drink

Tasty, wholesome meals are served in the dining tent, outside or on your private veranda. Both continental and cooked breakfasts are offered each morning, and at lunch you can tuck into a buffet of salads and freshly baked breads alongside a hot dish. Three-course dinners are usually a social affair, with sundowners served before or after to enjoy as you share stories with fellow guests.

Families

Children aged five years and over are welcome to stay here. Families can stay in one of the larger tents with separate bedrooms. While the camp doesn’t offer special safaris for children, families of six or more are guaranteed a private safari vehicle in low season. The wild, unfenced nature of the camp means children must be supervised at all times.

Facilities and Activities

Game drives with the experienced and knowledgeable guides take place twice a day and can include bush breakfasts, picnic lunches and dinners so you don’t need to return to camp. Hot air balloon safaris allow for a bird’s eye view over the plains. If staying in the north, you can visit one of the nearby villages to learn more about the local culture of the Kuria people.

Environmental and Social Responsibility

The camp has a low impact on the natural environment as none of its structures are permanent so they can be dismantled and moved twice a year. The camp also tries to offset any fossil fuel emissions it produces through a local community forestation programme.

Our opinion

Whether in the north or the south, a stay at Olakira puts you in the heart of the action. The tents offer fantastic views, and we’ve found that the service and guiding are top class.

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