Set between the baobab trees, Olkeri Camp perches right on the edge of Tarangire National Park. It’s a handy position because you can pop into Tarangire when you like, but otherwise stay in the quieter Randilen Wildlife Management Area, which serves as a wildlife corridor from the park. The little bush camp offers a heap of activities, from bush walks and after-dark game drives to overnight fly-camping adventures. And in between all that, you can watch elephants head to the waterhole from your tent’s deck or take their lead and cool off in the camp pool.
Nesting arrangements
Olkeri Camp has eight tented suites on raised wooden decking, furnished with wicker chairs and sisal mats. En-suite bathrooms have solar-powered hot water and flushing loos.
All but tents one and two (which are next to the communal areas) overlook the seasonal waterway, and there are two interconnecting rooms for families. From the canvas-backed chairs on your elevated deck, you can watch elephants or buffalos heading to water – the ideal way to spend an afternoon (for all concerned).
Food philosophy
Fresh, healthy and seasonal are the watchwords at Olkeri. All meals are served in the mess tent (unless it’s a special bush lunch), with guests seated at individual tables, and food served family style. Most dietary requirements can be catered for with advance notice.
At breakfast, help yourself to fruit, yoghurt and muffins, with cooked items ordered separately. Lunch might be a platter of salad, meat skewers and fries, with something light and zingy for dessert like fruit or sorbet. Dinner is three courses, which might include soup, a hearty main, and cake for afters.
Secret sauce
In the Randilen Wildlife Management Area on the edge of Tarangire National Park, Olkeri Camp has a great location for wildlife sightings without the crowds you’ll often find in Tanzania’s popular northern parks.
One of the perks of Olkeri being outside the national park – aside from dodging day-trip crowds and vehicles from other camps – is that you have more choice of activities, such as fly camping. But you can still enter the national park for game drives to see the huge herds of elephants and Tarangire’s famous baobab trees, allowing for the best of both worlds.
On game drives and bush walks, you might also see buffalo, giraffes, leopards, hyenas and zebras. Night drives maximise your time in the bush – you could find lionesses on the hunt or an aardvark sniffing around the dirt if you get lucky.
One more thing…
Fly camping is included in the “adventure package” and thoroughly recommended for full nature immersion. Sip a cold beer or glass of wine as the sun sets. Dinner is cooked on the fire. In basic pop-up tents (albeit with comfy mattresses), you’ll sleep in the wild – with the security of armed rangers, because otherwise no one’s getting any rest, let’s be real. Through the gauze sides of your tent, you’ll be woken by the glow of sunrise. Magic.
