Tag Archives: best African safaris

Travel Tip: Top Desert Tented Camps

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Sometimes adventure travel isn’t always conventional, sometimes the adventure is embracing nature in full form by camping outdoors! What better way to connect with nature than to fully surround yourself in it. For our adventure travel month we wanted to bring you the most extreme luxurious desert tented camps around the world!

For a list of the best camping gear for the outdoors lover, check out our article here.

1. Erg Chigaga Camp

 

Nick and Bobo’s luxury tented camp is located about 9 hours into the desert from Marrakech, Morocco. This may seem like a long drive, but it is a timeless one and not to be missed. If you’re interested in skipping this drive, you can always arrive via private helicopter or small plane. Main Camp is adjacent to the highest dunes in Morocco, the camp is traditionally Berber designed with all the modern amenities a discerning traveler would need. The devil is in the detail as they say; each item in the 10 tents has been handmade in Morocco, fit for an African King. If you’re looking for something more discreet and private, they also offer a private camp a 10-minute drive from Main Camp.  Activities include: camel trekking, guided walks, picnic lunches and sundowners on the dunes.

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2. Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp

 

Hoanib Camp is strategically located in a deep valley in between two tributaries on the dry Hoanib River in Namibia. This camp is definitely not for the first-timer to Africa, it is a trek to get to because it is located in one of the most remote areas of the Skeleton Coast. The ecosystem there has adapted to a desert lifestyle such as elephants, giraffe, gemsbok, and springbok. The camp consists of seven large tents and one family unit, each comprising stylish en-suite bedrooms with shaded outdoor decks. The camp faces east which shows off the moon-like landscape. 

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3. Voyages Longitude 131°

 

Located in the spiritual heart of Australia, in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, this camp is definitely more on the modern glamping side. Filled with rugged beauty and aboriginal culture, this camp offers much more than the standard tented camp. Ride camels across the desert or take a class on Astronomy, there’s a little something for everyone. The main lodge offers a library, delicious Dune House Restaurant, swimming pool, and the Dune House, a perfect place for sunset cocktails. There are fifteen luxury tents, they honestly feel more like private apartments, perfect for solitude and serenity. If slumming it in these smaller tents is blasé for you, stay in the Luxury Tent, which was meticulously designed to remain cool in summer and warm in winter and spans 40m².  The Tented Camp also offers a Spa and private tours.

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4. Damodra Desert Camp

 

Situated like a gleaming mirage in the dunes of the Thar Desert in India, lies Damodra Desert Camp. This camp offers a unique insight into the rich cultural heritage of Rajasthan, traditional Rajasthan food, and dancing. The camp prides itself on it’s traditional Indian hospitality, warmth, and modern conveniences. Damodra Desert Camp has 10 deluxe swiss cottage tents with comfortable beds, either one king size or two twin size beds.  All premium white bed linens and towels are included, as well as premium toiletries. Included in your rate are camel rides through the desert with a tour guide to point out local flora and fauna. If you’re looking for a little extra adventure try sand surfing on the dunes!

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Mwiba. Serengeti Plains, Tanzania.

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Heard of Mwiba Lodge? No? Well you’re not alone, the lodge is so new and exclusive it doesn’t even have it’s own website yet! Known in circles as the safari lodge where the super-famous go to hide, Mwiba is in a league of it’s own. When you arrive, the staff is there to warmly great you with champagne and hand-towels after your journey to the camp. The camp is so expansive and exclusive; the only thing around seems to be the wildlife. Mwiba Lodge is located on 125,000-acre private wildlife reserve in the heart of the Serengeti Plains and was designed to make you feel as if you have the private reserve all to yourself.

There are only 8 tents, all beautifully identical; the only thing that changes is the view. The tents are sophisticated but understated; however they offer the height of luxury and serenity. The lodge and the tents are situated on the big beautiful Arugusinyai River, so Tents 1 – 4 are low and along the riverbed, while Tents 5 – 8 are higher up on stilts and offer more of a tree house feeling. Anywhere in the world you can eat a meal indoors, so at Mwiba Lodge most meals are eaten outdoors, to truly soak up the atmosphere and wildlife. While the menu varies and caters to each group’s individual needs, it is consistently traditional Western palates, featuring dishes such as butternut squash salad, steak, and a fig tart with a South African Cabernet.

The center of Mwiba is the main lodge. The entrance is set amongst two massive boulders, narrowly set apart, that open up into an elegant and vast space. The view from the main lodge expands miles across the Serengeti Plains. There’s also a stone fireplace, a bar and a separate library accommodating the beautiful main lodge. Coming this close to the great outdoors most people only get to experience through National Geographic. It is awe-inspiring and had me speechless. It is an indescribable feeling seeing an animal so magnificent out in the wild, and something you need to experience for yourself.

All the activities, meals, etc are very flexible and adjustable to each guest’s needs and desires. Because the Lodge is on a private reserve it creates a lot of flexibility within the schedules of each guest. Guests are offered private bush walks (with a well-equipped guide) and night game drives with a spotlight, which in a lot of places are prohibited. Mwiba truly is the way of the future for African safaris. It is the only place in the world that you could dangle your legs in their infinity pool, cocktail in hand, as elephants and zebras come to drink at the springs below. I can honestly say that falling in love at Mwiba Lodge would not be a hard fête.

 

Photographs courtesy of the property.