There’s something about sleeping under canvas that transports you to a time long ago when travellers and explorers crossed the plains of Africa by ox wagon and set up camp to keep shelter for the night. Today, tented safari camps – both temporary and permanent – offer accommodation inspired by those days and provide safari guests in search of that bygone era with a reminiscent experience in the wild. The sensation of sleeping in a tent next to a dancing campfire is primitive and exciting, while dressed up walk-in tents with draping curtains and comfortable en suites have transformed the “camping” experience. Camping or glamping: we love safari camps under canvas, so this week we are showcasing our top picks!
This glamorous canvas palace is Speke’s Camp bordering the Masai Mara, and it is sublimely simple yet elegant, placed on the banks of the Olare Orok River.
If you’re humming away Vicky Sampson’s “My African Dream” like we are, you’ll have all the feels looking at this slice of Kenyan heaven. A mobile safari camp in the heart of the Masai Mara where the rivers collide and some of the greatest game viewings on earth plays out. Enaidura Camp is the luxury tented paradise we’re after to witness these migrations in all their glory.
Speaking of canvas boudoirs, this is a masterpiece of canvas and timber – a far cry from the tents of our childhoods and much nearer an invention of marvellous design and creation. Kichwa Tembo is a tented camp that not only houses guests in supreme comfort and extraordinary style, but these rooms exhibit the staggering surroundings in 360° luxury. This is a view of the Masai Mara we are not going to forget in a hurry!
Does this still count as a tent? Well it’s under canvas and it’s in one of the most unadulterated wildernesses in southern Africa, so we think so! Without a doubt, it matches our idea of heaven with its gentle structure and subtle yet significant luxuries in the remote and exclusive Linyanti concession in Chobe National Park. Only 6 of these beautifully crafted tented suites sprawl along the swamp’s edge where one’s shower is a game viewing experience all on its own. This is where classic canvas and unmatched luxury combine seamlessly: Linyanti Bush Camp.
Kalahari simplicity, with added elegance in the golden hour. As far as canvas palaces go, an elevated suite rising between tall palms, fringed by summer grasses is surely one of Botswana’s most outstanding! Camp Kalahari fits snugly into our canvas dreams, which are chock o block with retreats like this where nothing but rolling wilderness abounds and the inimitable presence of canvas adorns us overhead.
Zimbabwe in style: Davison’s Camp is an under-canvas safari favourite located in a private concession of Hwange National Park. There are eight of these tented en suite bedrooms and one family tent, all positioned under tall false mopanes and overlooking an active waterhole. The romantic Meru-style structure of these tents is given an added element of excitement with the large surrounding gauze windows which brings the outdoors right alongside the bed. Soft interiors and furnishings add warmth and comfort while drawing the curtains on all sides makes an afternoon nap a game viewing experience.
Is this also what you picture when we say “safari tent”? Probably not. And that’s because Sabora Tented Camp is not what you’d expect. With tented suites that are practically palatial, a most elegant mish-mash of old safari items, travel cases, floor rugs, and luxury fabrics gather in an eclectic jumble of things one would find many decades ago in this very spot. The Grumeti is perhaps Tanzania’s most sought after location, nestled in among a plethora of wildlife species, taken care of by experts in the industry. These safari tents are air-conditioned, with outdoor baths and showers, not to mention 4-poster beds. The swimming pool, spa, curio shop, and sublime safari activities are bound to keep you busy.
Another bedroom beneath canvas to take your breath away: Desert Rhino Camp and it’s accompanying rainbow of a sunset are exactly what our Friday fantasies are made of, from those exquisitely lush pillows to the timber plank flooring and the perfectly positioned table and chairs to seat yourself for a sundowner. And what a sunset it is! This remote and one-of-a-kind tented camp is located in the only place in Africa where desert-adapted rhino roam under the discreet protection of an armed patrol team so that we can be sure to cherish these endangered animals for years to come. If your canvas-draped boudoir wasn’t enough, the revitalising experience at Desert Rhino Camp will be.
Old Mondoro is one of those ultimate Zambian bush camps, quietly assembled beneath the tree canopies using natural reeds and topped with that classic canvas roof we are looking for. Its location on the banks of a peaceful Zambezi channel brings the sights and sounds of the Zambian landscape to the edge of each private balcony. This slice of serenity only caters for 8 people at a time, and with this level of intimacy, it’s no surprise that every occasion, from fireside chatter to after-dinner stargazing, canoeing down the Zambezi, and early morning game drives is a personalised and heartfelt experience.
Kenya is king when it comes to tented safari camps, having perfected the appeal of a canvas cocoon. Warmly lit and softly furnished, Kilima Camp fills the brief, and its location just gives it that advantage taking it to the next level and giving us every longing feeling to be there, smack bang in the heart of the Masai Mara. Between July and October, these canvas suites become your home amid one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on Earth: the annual wildebeest migration. Leaving your seductive suite is necessary only to head off on a game drive, walking safari, or horseback excursion through this East African Savannah.
