Mwiba Plains
MWIBA PLAINS IS A LUXURY TENTED CAMP LOCATED IN THE PRIVATE MASWA GAME RESERVE IN THE FAR SOUTH-WESTERN SERENGETI.
Mwiba Plains is a seasonal tented camp, offering a similar experience to sister camps Mila, Nyasi and Songa, and located in the Maswa Game Reserve which adjoins the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The camp is open between mid December until the end of March and its location allows guests to be within reach of the migration during calving season. The tents themselves are very comfortable and luxuriously furnished, whilst maintaining the feel of an authentic tented experience. The central areas offer a similarly simple but elegant set up, with sophisticated lounge and dining tents leading out to campfire areas with views out over the surrounding plains. The food and service are superb, and their guides are very good too. A key factor to consider with all Auberge Safari camps is that they focus very hard on providing an exclusive safari environment for each group of guests. A private guide and vehicle are included as standard, and private dining and private sunset drinks are also included for all bookings. Mwiba Plains is not the right camp if you are seeking communal dining and a vibrant bar in the evening, but is perfect for any couple, family or group seeking a very sophisticated and private tented camp experience.
Rooms
Accommodation is provided in 11 tented rooms including a two bedroom family tent (this is changing to nine tents including two family tents from December 2027). All the tents are built on the ground with a landscape orientation to maximise the views. The tents are very comfortably furnished with a large bed, writing desk, standing fan and en suite facilities including a flush toilet and plumbed shower. The family tent comprises two interconnecting en suite tents with a shared lounge. There is also the option to book the smaller side of the camp (which currently includes two standard tents and the family tent; and which will include three standard tents and a family tent from December 2027) on an exclusive use basis.
Central Areas
In the centre of the camp are several lounge and dining tents and outdoor dining areas – these are used to provide the maximum feeling of exclusivity.
Facilities
Wi-Fi – Yes
Power for Charging – Yes
Swimming Pool – No
Habitat & Wildlife
With an area of some 14,000 sq. km, Serengeti is probably the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world. The ecosystem includes the National Park itself, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Maswa Game Reserve and Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve, together forming one of the most complex and least disturbed ecosystems on earth. The landscape was originally formed by volcanic activity in the Ngorongoro highlands and it varies from the open short grass plains in the south, to savannah and scattered acacia woodlands in the centre, to extensive woodland and black clay plains in the west, to hilly wooded grassland in the north. Most of the permanent water is found towards the northern and western areas, the lack of permanent water and food in the south being the main reason for the annual migration.
The southern reaches of the park consist of endless ‘short-grass’ open plains. In the heart of these plains on the border of the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is an area known as Ndutu, where a series of partial soda lakes and marsh areas are surrounded by woodland. Many of the camps and camp sites in the southern Serengeti are located in this area. To the west the open plains are bordered by the woodlands of the Maswa Game Reserve, part of the 129,000-acre Greater Mwiba Wildlife Protected Area, which looks out over the vast plains of the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area.
The park is home to approaching 2,000,000 wildebeest, 500,000 Thomson’s gazelle and 250,000 zebra: the largest concentration of plains game in Africa. More than 30 species of herbivores are found here, as well as all the major predators and nearly 500 species of birds.
The southern reaches of the park consist of endless ‘short-grass’ open plains. In the heart of these plains on the border of the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is an area known as Ndutu, where a series of partial soda lakes and marsh areas are surrounded by woodland. Many of the camps and camp sites in the southern Serengeti are located in this area. To the west the open plains are bordered by the woodlands of the Maswa Game Reserve which looks out over the vast plains of the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area.
The hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, gazelles and zebra congregate on these southern short grass plains from December to April, usually calving around the end of January when the nutritious grass is at its best. During this time the ‘migration’ is restricted to local movements according to rainfall and grazing, though even within the southern Serengeti region the distances are vast. This southern region is exceptional for lion, cheetah and spotted hyaena sightings, all of which thrive on the open plains, whilst leopard, serval, African wild cat, elephant, buffalo, giraffe, eland, topi, jackal, ostrich and impala can also be seen. Wild dogs are making a comeback in the region and are occasionally encountered to the south of Ndutu in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Depending on grazing conditions and water supply, the start of the Serengeti annual migration begins at the end of this period, and the herds begin to march north/westwards, ‘lowing’ incessantly so that the air hums like a dynamo (zebra first, then the wildebeest and gazelles). Lion, cheetah, hyaena and wild dog follow, ensuring that only the fittest survive, while jackals trail behind and vultures circle overhead.
Activities
Activities focus around game drives by day with a private vehicle and guide included for each booking. Night drives are also offered. Game drives can also be taken in either the adjacent Maswa Reserve or to the Ndutu region of the Ngoronogoro Conservation area (note these options will very much depend on ground conditions as navigation can be challenging after rain). Cultural excursions with the Datoga tribe can also be arranged. With a private guide and vehicle, you have complete flexibility and can plan your day to suit. Scenic helicopter flights can also be arranged at extra cost.
Seasons
Mwiba Plains is open from mid December to March, and game viewing is generally good throughout this period with the migration usually being within reach.
Children are welcome from the age of four years. Mwiba Plains offers a good family tent option and the flexibility of a private guide and vehicle is perfect for families. However, with activities focused on game drives, it will naturally suit families travelling with older children looking for an exclusive big game Serengeti experience. The private section of camp option would offer a wonderfully exclusive stay for a larger family.
Every stay in an Auberge Safari camp directly supports the protection of Tanzania’s wilderness and the well-being of the people who call it home. Through partnerships with the Friedkin Conservation Fund and the Chem Chem Association, they help restore ecosystems, safeguard wildlife, and create lasting opportunities for local communities.
The Friedkin Conservation Fund (FCF) manages three ecologically significant wilderness areas that together form the Greater Mwiba Protected Wildlife Area — a vital buffer to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro ecosystems, spanning over 2,000 km². This landscape plays a critical role in protecting the Great Migration, particularly during calving season, which unfolds amid the short grass plains. Alongside conservation, FCF invests in education, healthcare, and infrastructure, while creating employment opportunities for surrounding communities. By ensuring that local people benefit directly from conservation, the long-term protection of this ecosystem is secured.
