Baobab Tented Camp

Lodges outside the gate are cheaper because you only pay park fees on the days you actually drive in. Camps inside the park cost more, since the fee applies to every night you sleep here, and there are only a handful of us licensed to operate inside Tarangire. What the extra cost buys you is time, because you are already in the park during the first hour of daylight and the last hour before dark, which is when most of the good sightings happen. We have been running Baobab Tented Camp inside the park since 2018, and we are one of the few luxury camps on the Lake Burunge wildlife corridor.

We are inside Tarangire National Park, in a secluded stretch of the wildlife corridor that runs between the park and Lake Burunge. Animals move along this route every day between grazing and water, so elephants and giraffes pass the camp regularly, and lions, leopards and cheetahs move through the area as well. Because the camp sits directly on the corridor, guests often watch wildlife from their veranda without going on a drive at all.

Two nights is the usual booking and gives you a full day in the park with a morning and an afternoon drive. Three nights is the better answer if you can spare it, because it lets you add a night drive or a walking safari without cutting into your game drive time, and it means one morning where you do not have to pack. Guests who stay four nights or more often stop driving out every day and spend some of the time watching the corridor from camp instead. One night works if you are passing through on a Northern Circuit route, but you will spend a good part of it arriving and leaving.

Yes, in parts of the park, mainly during drives through woodland. Bring repellent and wear long sleeves in neutral colours. Around camp they are rarely a problem. Guests with strong reactions to bites should pack antihistamines.

No. The camp has no fence, which is why animals pass through it freely and why you may find elephants feeding close to the tents. After dark, a member of staff walks you between the mess tent and your tent, and we ask guests not to move around camp alone at night. In practice, this adds value to choosing a wildlife experience by sleeping inside the park. 

Yes. Every tent has a hot shower, charging points, and an in-room safe. Wi-Fi works in the main areas of camp.

Yes. We have one family tent that sleeps up to five, with space between the beds, and most of the twin tents can take a third bed, so families can usually be accommodated across a couple of tents if the family tent is booked. The thing worth thinking about is the lack of a fence, since animals move through camp and children need to stay with an adult, particularly after dark. Tell us the ages when you enquire and we will let you know honestly whether it suits

Yes, and this is unusual. Most parks on the Northern Circuit do not permit driving after dark, but Tarangire does, and because we are inside the park you start from camp rather than having to clear a gate. Night drives bring out animals you will not see during the day, including genets, civets and owls, and with some luck you may watch cats hunting. It needs to be booked in advance so we can arrange the guide and the permit, and it is charged separately from your room rate. Guests mention it in reviews more than any other activity here.

Yes. We are not only a camp, and you do not need a separate tour operator to travel with us. Our team plans day trips and complete multi-day safaris across the Northern Circuit, driving our own 4×4 vehicles with our own guides. One route can link all five Mawe Lodges properties, from Tarangire through Karatu to Ndutu and the Serengeti. Send us your dates and we will build the trip around them.