Serian’s Serengeti Kusini
Serian’s Serengeti Kusini is a seasonal tented camp which locates itself on the western edge of the vast southern Serengeti plains between december and march.
Serian’s Serengeti Kusini is a traditional seasonal tented camp offering an upmarket and old school hosting experience which is getting harder to find these days. The camp is owned by safari guide Alex Walker, and either Alex himself or one of his management team are always in camp to host guests. Although technically quite mobile and offering a close to nature bush experience, the camp is very comfortable and there is an air of quiet quality about everything from the details of the accommodation to the food and service. The guiding is always good and it is great that each set of clients automatically get their own private vehicle and guide for flexible activities. The location of the camp at Kusini allows exploration of the southern short grass plains, without staying in the very busy Ndutu region and therefore allowing a little extra exclusivity.
Rooms
Accommodation consists of five elegantly furnished traditional Meru-style safari tents, including one family suite. Each tent has en suite facilities (including a flush toilet, plumbed basin and bucket shower), proper beds, luggage racks and hanging space, Persian rugs and safari chairs. The family suite comprises two en suite tents either side of a small lounge tent (note the tents do not connect internally, although they are all under one fly sheet).
Central Areas
There is a great lounge and bar tent and a further dining tent. Meals are usually taken at a communal family table and are often served alfresco if weather permits. There is a camp fire area around which to enjoy evening drinks.
Facilities
Wi-Fi – No
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 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, and a secondary hub of camps can be found along the edge of woodland, known as the Kusini area. To the east the plains are endless, stretching south-east through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and north-east towards the Loliondo Game Controlled Area which borders the eastern Serengeti.
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 on game drives (by day) and with a private vehicle and guide included for each booking timings and game viewing can be flexible to suit personal interests and requirements. Game drives will take place across the short grass plains of southern Serengeti National Park, and also into the Ngorongoro Conservation area, following the wildebeest herds. Short guided walks are also included. Whilst it is possible to arrange longer walks and fly-camping from Serengeti Kusini (fly-camping adventures are for a minimum of three nights and must be prebooked), those particularly keen on walking may prefer to stay at sister camp Serengeti South or combine both camps for the best combination of big game viewing, culture and walking.
Seasons
Serian’s Serengeti Kusini operates from December through to March each year.
The camp is very suitable for families looking for an exclusive tented bush adventure. The family tents are great, though the sleeping areas are not internally linked so it is best if the children are old enough to be happy in their own tent. The very personal and flexible style of the Serian camps, coupled with good guiding and private vehicles as standard, make the whole experience extremely exclusive and customised.
Serian offers employment and job opportunities for rural communities. 80% of their staff are from the local communities where they offer apprenticeship programmes. Any given member of staff is sending at least 70% of their salary back to their family to help pay for food, medicine and education. By staying at Serian, guests are not only contributing to the economy of Tanzania and the Government’s commitment to basic infrastructure, they are also, and very directly, touching the lives of Tanzanians related to the staff which they meet and spend time with in camp. Serian are also involved with and assist in the education of those from the communities that may not be employed by them, spotting local talent and encouraging them to join in skills and training sessions.
Serian contribute to the Frankfurt Zoological Society’s Serengeti De-Snaring Programme which sweeps the areas in which they operate their walking safaris. 25% of the cost of all Serian’s walking safaris is donated to this programme.
