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.
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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.
Suggested itineraries featuring Olakira Mobile Camp
Classic Northern Tanzania safari
Gorillas, the Great Migration & the Big Five
Luxury Northern Tanzania Safari
Serengeti National Park itinerary suggestions
Nearby accommodation
Nearby places
Places & hotels on the map
Alternative places to stay nearby
Where possible, we like to offer a range of accommodation for each stop of your trip, chosen by our specialists as some of their favourite places to stay. To help you make the right choice, we give each property a rating based on its facilities and service, but we also look for hotels with distinct character or a location that can’t be bettered.
Bush Rover
The Bush Rovers are built from working Land Rover 110 Defender safari vehicles. With a few in the Selous and a few in the Serengeti, they offer the ultimate locations for wildlife and the camps leave no human footprint behind.
Dunia Camp
This entirely female-run camp not only offers a small, exclusive stay, but also benefits from a beautiful location perfect for exploring the southern Serengeti area. Open year round, visit during spring or early winter to see the dramatic migration of hundreds of wildebeest.
Four Seasons Safari Lodge
This is a new property and one of the larger ones in the Serengeti, with 77 guest rooms, suites and villas. Facilities include a swimming pool, spa, fitness centre and a kids club (children aged 8 to 17 only).
Grumeti River Camp
AndBeyond have built some of the most beautiful lodges in Africa. Grumeti Camp is no exception. The colourful lounge overlooking the game by the hippo pool is a lovely spot for relaxing.
Kimondo Camp
Kimondo Camp (formerly Olakira Lamai) is a classic mobile tented camp that moves between the north and the south of the Serengeti to be in the ideal location from which to try to find the two million strong herds of wildebeest and zebra during the Migration.
Kirawira Camp
Kirawira Camp is a very comfortable safari camp. The tents are very large and have all the amenities you need to make your stay comfortable and relaxing. The food and service are good and the views over the plains are stunning.
Klein’s Camp
Klein's Camp is a superb camp. The rooms are comfortable, views spectacular and camp staff and guides very friendly. It's great for getting away from the more crowded areas of the Serengeti in the high season and will mean you have a more exclusive game viewing experience.
Lamai Serengeti
Located in the fabulous northern sector of the park close to the Mara River, at the top of the Kogakuria kopje, Lamai Serengeti will have one of the most commanding vantage points in the region.
Lemala Serengeti Camp
This is a good standard safari camp with two excellent locations. The food here is of a very good standard, and the staff will do anything they can to make your stay enjoyable.
Mbalageti
Mbalageti has a superb position in the Serengeti. There are fabulous views form the camp over the surrounding plains and the Mbalageti river. The rooms are very comfortable, the food is excellent and the staff are very attentive to your needs.
Mbuzi Mawe
Mbuzi Mawe is a stylish camp and is in an excellent position when the wildebeest migration passes through. The main lounge has a lovely deck overlooking the plains where you can sit back with a cup of coffee watching the wildlife below.
Migration Camp
Having recently undergone an extensive refurbishment after a few years of neglect, Migration Camp is now a lovely camp in a great position, especially when the migration passes through.
Namiri Plains
Namiri Plains is a beautiful tented camp located east of the central part of the Serengeti. The camp is set in a small fever tree forest on a hillside overlooking the plains.
Ndutu Lodge
Ndutu Lodge is one of our favourites in the Serengeti. Its very friendly, has great staff and guides and arguable the best position in the Serengeti.
Nomad Serengeti Safari Camp
The Nomad Serengeti Safari Camp is small and personal offering great service and an intimate atmosphere. Staying in a mobile camp is the best way to experience the wildness of the Serengeti.
Sabora Plains
This luxurious tented camp is set in grasslands overlooking the plains of the western Serengeti. The six tents on either side of the living area are incredibly spacious and furnished with luxurious fabrics and colonial accessories.
Sasakwa Hill Lodge
It is safe to say that Sasakwa is one of the most luxurious properties in East Africa. It includes a few air-conditioned guest cottages all complete with antique furniture, crystal vases of roses and classic artwork giving it a real 1920's feel.
Sayari
Sayari is a luxurious safari camp in a beautiful area which is great for game viewing all year round. It combines the wonderful atmosphere of a traditional safari camp with some modern touches making this an excellent option.
Serena Lodge
The Serena offers consistently good standards of food, service and accommodation. Whilst it's not the smallest lodge in the park, all the rooms are comfortable and have good views over the surrounding plains.
Serengeti Kati Kati Camp
Located right in the heart of the Serengeti, in the prime Seronera game-viewing area, Kati Kati is a simple tented safari camp that offers a real ‘back to basics’ charm and an authentic safari experience.
Serengeti Under Canvas
Serengeti Under Canvas is a luxurious mobile camp, with lots of little details which make you forget the fact that you're actually staying in a tent.
Ubuntu Mobile Camp
This mobile camp is situated in the far north of the Serengeti. There are only six tents set overlooking the vast plains, fitted with lots of thoughtful details to make your stay comfortable.
Wildfrontiers Serengeti Wilderness Camp
This is a traditional simple bush camp with a warm and friendly atmosphere in a good area for game viewing. The main focus of the camp is to be located in spots around the Serengeti so as be as close to the annual migration as possible.
Experiences while staying here
The following activities are designed to give you the most authentic experiences of the area where you’re staying. We work with local guides, who use their knowledge and often a resident’s eye to show you the main sights and more out-of-the-way attractions. Our specialists can also suggest outdoor pursuits and activities, such as cooking classes, that will introduce you to the traditions of the area’s inhabitants.
See the Great Migration
Throughout the year, the two million strong migration of wildebeest, zebra and gazelles wanders the plains of the Serengeti and the Masai Mara in search of water and fresh grazing.
Serengeti Balloon Safari
This is one of the most popular ways to see the wildlife of the Serengeti. The flight will last for around an hour before you land to celebrate with champagne before a full English breakfast prepared and served in style in the middle of the bush.