Singita Mara River Tented Camp
Singita Mara River Tented Camp is located in the relatively exclusive Lamai Triangle, north of the Mara River in the far north of the Serengeti National Park.
Singita Mara River Tented Camp has arguably one of the best locations in the northern Serengeti, directly overlooking the Mara River and ideally situated to witness the spectacle of a wildebeest crossing at the right time of year. The camp is simpler in style than its sister properties in the exclusive Grumeti Reserve, but still offers the superior level of food and service that you’d expect of the Singita brand. Combining the camp with one of the Grumeti Reserve properties makes for a wonderful all-encompassing Serengeti experience, combining a true under canvas experience in the north, with the extra comfort a permanent lodge affords in the Grumeti. Mara River Tented Camp makes a great base for those that want to focus on game drives and the migration.
Rooms
The six guest tents are all positioned to make the most of the views and have either twin or double beds and are furnished to the standards one would expect of Singita. Each en suite bathroom has a toilet, vanity unit and shower with hot and cold running water, with the additional of an open air extension to the bathroom with a bathtub with views over the river. To the side of each tent is an extensive furnished deck. Two of the tents are two-bedroomed family units comprising of twin and double tents sharing a central entrance and deck.
Central Areas
The communal areas of the camp comprise of a dining room and lounge (with limited Wi-Fi access). There is also a plunge pool for cooling off during the warmer months. Spa treatments are available at an extra cost.
Facilities
Wi-Fi – Yes
Power for Charging – Yes
Swimming Pool – Yes
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 northern part of Serengeti is a huge area of open plains, rolling hills and acacia woodland, intersected by numerous small streams which flow into the Mara River. The Mara River is a natural focal point, and most camps are located in the Kogatende region to the south of the river. To the north of the river is a section of the park known as Lamai, whilst to the south of Kogatende are the Wogakuria Hills where the rolling hills are interspersed with rocky granite outcrops. The plains stretch east and west to the boundaries of the park, and in the east continue into the Loliondo Game Controlled Area.
The northern Serengeti is exceptional for lion, cheetah and leopard sightings, whilst hyaena, serval, African wild cat, elephant, buffalo, hippo, crocodile, giraffe, eland, topi, jackal, ostrich and impala can also be seen. Wild dogs are making a comeback in the region and are very occasionally encountered, whilst black rhino can sometimes be seen in the north-eastern region around the Sand River.
Although this region offers a wonderful all year round safari experience, it is busiest from July to October when hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, gazelles and zebra congregate on these northern plains. The herds usually arrive in late June or early July, travelling up from the southern and western Serengeti on their annual migration. Many of the herbivores will cross into Kenya’s Masai Mara, but large numbers remain in the northern reaches of the Serengeti, where the Mara River provides permanent water. This movement of so many animals can be dramatic, especially when they cross the Mara River, which can happen at any time between July and early November. ‘River Crossings’ are a favoured highlight for wildlife enthusiasts and photographers, as hundreds of wildebeest stampede into the river whilst crocodiles lie in wait. Around October/November, as the rain clouds gather, the herds head south once more to calve on those nutritious short grass plains before starting the cycle again.
Activities
Activities focus around twice daily game drives in open four wheel drive vehicles.
Seasons
Singita Mara River Tented Camp is open from June until the middle of January. The migration season is between July and October, but outside of this period, general game viewing in the northern Serengeti is still good, and the experience is more exclusive with fewer camps open and far fewer tourists around.
The minimum age for children is 10 years. There are two family units which comprise two full-size en suite tents sharing a deck, so while they provide plenty of space, the tents do not connect internally, so are better suited for more confident travellers and older children. Singita does offer a range of activities to cater to children from mini ranger courses to cookery, activity books and board games. Mara River Tented Camp will tend to suit older families who are looking for a camp with an adventurous but luxurious feel, happy to focus on game drives and great wildlife sightings.
Singita Serengeti adopted a sustainability framework which serves as a basis for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, saving water, improving waste management and recycling, having a positive impact on local economies and conserving precious natural resources. These sustainability principles are critical to the fulfilment of Singita’s goal of being a completely carbon-neutral operation.
Singita Mara River Tented Camp consciously seeks to eliminate the unnecessary use of energy and nonbiodegradable materials. In keeping with this, the camp is “off-the-grid” and relies entirely on a custom-designed solar power system and uses recycled and natural materials.
The major part of Singita’s Tanzania conservation and community work takes place in partnership with the non-profit Grumeti Fund to generate the funds necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the 350,000 acre Singita Grumeti Reserve, where the other Singita Tanzania properties are situated. Some examples of this work are given below.
The Grumeti Fund Anti Poaching Unit has over 100 anti poaching scouts working to protect the area from illegal hunting with the help of a canine unit who are trained to track and uncover items such as snares, ammunition, rhino horn and ivory by Working Dogs for Conservation (WD4C). Their handlers also undergo training by WD4C to manage, train and look after the welfare of their dogs. It is hoped that just the presence of the dogs on the plains will deter would be poachers from entering the protected areas.
To better understand local ecological systems and measure the effectiveness of community and conservation work, the Grumeti Fund invests significantly in research and monitoring programs. Established in 2020, RISE (Research & Innovation for Serengeti Ecosystem) aims to develop and support research initiatives that provide tangible and sustainable solutions to benefit the people and wildlife of the Serengeti ecosystem and beyond. They are committed to supporting local talent and early-stage conservationists, and making space for women in the conservation research and protected area management.
The Fund supports an annual all-female three day run across the Serengeti which takes place to raise funds and awareness for female empowerment programmes, helping to encourage a new generation of female conservation leaders.
The Grumeti Fund’s Teaching Support Program (TSP) addresses challenges to local education by placing 52 young, passionate, and recently graduated teachers in 26 local primary schools to boost the teacher-student ratio, improve academic achievement, and increase students’ potential to realise their future ambitions and potential in life.
