Serengeti Bushtops

Serengeti Bushtops

Sitting in the Wogakuria region of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, Serengeti Bushtops Camp is a stylish tented camp close to the Mara River—one of the prime viewing spots for the Great Migration. Featuring some of the largest and most luxurious tents in the park, the camp offers spectacular game viewing and a polished standard of service while delivering privacy in spades. Indulge in five-star luxury when you take a refreshing dip in the infinity pool, as strong hands knead your shoulders during an aromatherapy massage, while being pampered by your butler, or when luxuriating in your private hot tub overlooking the savannah.

Children aged seven and up are welcome at Serengeti Bushtops.

What we love about Serengeti Bushtops

If you’re yearning for luxury and seclusion, you’ll love Serengeti Bushtops. This gorgeous camp is set a little further back from the main viewing areas on the Mara River, so it offers a more relaxed Serengeti safari option. Game viewing around the camp is excellent and guests have a real opportunity to surround themselves in the remote seclusion of the African bush. Add to that a whole host of luxurious amenities—exceptional dining, indulgent massages (complimentary), beautifully-styled interiors, and private hot tubs—and you’ll understand why Serengeti Bushtops oozes exclusivity and tranquility at every turn.

With fewer communal spaces than other camps and well-distanced tents, this property is a great option for travelers who aren’t especially interested in mingling with other guests.  

Serengeti Bushtops’ unique conservation and community model

Community and conservation are at the heart of Serengeti Bushtops. By employing young Kuria men, it provides a viable alternative to their only other form of income: poaching. Everyone wins—Serengeti Bushtops gains superb trackers; the Kuria earn a sustainable livelihood; and the area’s incredible wildlife is a little safer.

Environmental conservation is an essential part of the philosophy at Bushtops Serengeti. The camp relies on solar power and underground water sources to meet many of its needs. It also shares its technology and resources with local villages.

Serengeti Bushtops also supports the nearby Bisarara Primary School by providing everything from rainwater tanks to school materials. Some guests choose to sponsor a child’s education.

Getting to Serengeti Bushtops

The easiest way to get to Serengeti Bushtops is via light aircraft from Kilimanjaro or Arusha. The flights land at the nearby Kogatende airstrip.

There is also a service from Nairobi to Kogatende via Tarime, where Tanzanian customs clearance takes place more conveniently.

Alternatively, you can take a one-way or return transfer from Serengeti Bushtops’ sister camp, traveling from the Mara Bushtops airstrip to Migori. You will be met at the Isabenia border from where you will be driven the short distance to Tarime airstrip for a quick air-hop to Kogatende.

Serengeti Bushtops accommodations

Immerse yourself in style and seclusion in one of Serengeti Bushtops Camp’s 13 luxurious ensuite tents. Cleverly positioned so that no unit is overlooked by its neighbors, every tent offers unsurpassed levels of solitude and tranquility. Each tent faces the sunset and is open on two sides, rewarding you with spectacular panoramic views.

The tents come in two configurations: there are 11 tents for one-to-two guests (twin or double on request—an extra single bed can be added for a third adult) and two family tents which can host up to eight guests.

Step inside and you’ll discover an elegant space decorated in a soothing mix of canvas and wood. The décor is bathed in a neutral color palette that’s enhanced by the beauty of the natural surroundings.

The tents for one-to-two guests are encircled by vast private decks, spanning 1,291 square feet within which to sink into a deck lounger, take a refreshing open-air shower, soak in your private hot tub, or gaze out at the parade of wildlife.

For larger families or groups, two tents can be combined to create one large private suite. Each consists of two full-sized tents next to each other linked by a bridge. This enables groups of up to eight (four adults and four children) to enjoy their own private paradise.

All tents feature a beautiful sunken lounge, generous timber decks with hot tubs, an outdoor shower, a writing desk, a dining table, a telescope, safe, hair dryer, luxurious Bushtops signature bedding, and 220v air conditioning.

Serengeti Bushtops amenities

Serengeti Bushtops is an oasis of five-star luxury for serious safari-seekers. The surrounding wilderness is home to elephant, buffalo, hippo, and giraffe, making the camp the perfect place to sit back, relax and allow your 24-hour private butler to spoil you while you witness nature at its wildest.

Take a luxurious dip in the infinity pool before heading to the Serengeti Bushtops’ elegant open-sided restaurant to sample gourmet dining at its finest. The restaurant’s impressive wine wall offers an exceptional selection that’s sure to please all palates.

Conclude your gourmet meal with a drink at the outdoor campfire as you watch the sun sink slowly out of sight.

If you prefer to eat by the pool or in your tent, that can be arranged; there are no set times to eat.         

Additional camp amenities include complimentary WiFi throughout, cell phone reception in most areas, golf buggy shuttles, a local craft shop, a library, and complimentary laundry service.

Serengeti Bushtops activities

Early morning game drives: This is the perfect time for one of the Bushtops Serengeti 4×4 Landcruisers to get you close enough to the wildlife to witness the thrill of the chase.

Afternoon game drive: An evening game drive aims to find the second sweet spot in the day, as the cool of the evening rouses the big cats from their slumber.

Full-day game drive: This is the best way to explore the park’s vast plains.  

Bisalalah School visit: Meet the next generation of Tanzanian youth and learn how guest stays support community uplift.

Serengeti sundowner: Allow your ranger to set up a vantage point—be it beneath a beautiful acacia tree or in your tent’s private hot tub—from which to watch darkness fall with a drink in your hand.

Bushtops Bushcraft Challenge: Youngsters are introduced to survivalist skills like making fire without matches and spear throwing, in addition to plant knowledge and animal track identification. A keepsake certificate is issued upon completion.

Á la carte extras

Private bush breakfast: Drive through the breaking dawn to a viewing spot for breakfast in the bush.

Balloon safari: Get a bird’s-eye view over the Serengeti on an early-morning balloon flight.

Walking safari: Allow a local Kuria tribesman to lead you on a walking safari to spot the animal tracks left the night before.
Klipspringer dinner: Enjoy a superb dinner at the camp’s unique rock amphitheater, which is beautifully illuminated at night.
Sundowner at Simba’s Rock: Settle into a sundowner to remember at Simba’s Rock. Soak up the sense of tranquility as you gaze out across the Serengeti plains.

Itineraries featuring Serengeti Bushtops

Our Favorite Serengeti Accommodation on a Map