‘Luxury’ Serengeti camps (approximately $1,000 per person per night)
Mobile Camps - At the top end of the mobile camp market sit Alex Walker’s two Serian properties (Serian Serengeti and Serian Lamai) and the new Wilderness Usawa, which fits effortlessly into the Luxury bracket with its great locations and walking safari. Wilderness is renowned for being one of the finest operators in Africa, creating some of the most famous camps in Botswana. This is their first foray into the Serengeti – and Usawa certainly doesn’t disappoint! The Serian camps on either side of the Mara river are also outstanding, with Lamai being significantly quieter and often home to owner Alex Walker himself. &Beyond’s Serengeti Under Canvas is another mobile option here, but it’s slightly more focused on luxury. Wilderness Usawa offers the best of both worlds, combining boutique luxury with authenticity.
Permanent Lodges - Lamai Serengeti is nothing short of exceptional. With the best views of the entire area and a well-tuned team, this permanent lodge is usually my go-to place for top-end safaris. Its sister property Mkombe House is also sublime – a private family house option for small groups and families. Competition to Lamai is Asilia’s Sayari, but the location and sheer character of Serengeti Lamai wins for me.
Across the river from Lamai is Singita’s Mara River. This is an exceptionally finely tuned property where luxury levels skyrocket, albeit in a fairly ‘light’ camp. I find the price quite eye-watering considering the camp has no pool, for example, but the sheer quality of Singita Mara is undeniable. It’s the place to go if incredibly high service levels are important to you.
The final place to mention is the Singita Reserve in the western Serengeti. This is a great option to end for a few nights of sheer luxury but not an area to get the river crossings even if they do still have good migration herds. The best of these is Faru Faru, while Sasakwa deserves its own special mention for being a genuinely 5-star luxury hotel option in the bush, the likes of which I have not seen elsewhere in Africa.
My suggestion for the ‘Luxury’ price bracket – If you are looking for a mobile camp and want a genuine ‘bush’ experience then go and stay with Alex Walker at Serian, as there are very few companies that epitomise the essence of safari in this way. For something a little more luxurious, Wilderness Usawa is the stunning new arrival, with great locations and activities. For a more permanent type lodge, I can’t get enough of Lamai Serengeti – there is a character about this property that few camps can match. However, if truly 5-star luxury is your focus then start with either Usawa or Serengeti Lamai and move down to Singita Faru Faru (one of my Top 3 camps anywhere) or Singita Sasakwa, a destination in itself.