Songa
Songa is a luxury tented camp located in the kogatende area of the northern Serengeti.
Songa is a seasonal tented camp, offering a similar experience to sister camps Mila and Nyasi, and located in the Kogatende area of northern Serengeti between mid June and early October to be within reach of the migration during river crossing 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 camp fire 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 Legendary Expeditions 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, but Songa also provide private dining and private sunset drinks for all bookings. Songa 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
The camp accommodates up to 20 guests in 10 tents and is split into two separate “mini camps”, each operating independently from the other (however, they may be combined for a large group) – they face in different directions and use the natural bush habitat to create seclusion between the two sections. 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.
Central Areas
There is a separate central area with a lounge and dining tent and campfire for each section of the camp.
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 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.
Songa is located in the northern Serengeti near Kogatende, from mid June to early October.
Activities
Activities focus around game drives by day with a private vehicle and guide included for each booking which gives complete flexibility. Hot air balloon flights can also be arranged. There is no set schedule at Songa, you can plan your day to suit with the benefit of a private vehicle and guide.
Seasons
Songa is open from mid mid June until early October, and game viewing is generally good throughout this period when the migration is in residence.
Children are welcome from the age of four years, however there is no family-specific accommodation so families wanting to be all under one roof would be better suited to other camps in the area, including sister camp Nyasi. With a private guide and vehicle for every booking, the camp makes a good choice for families travelling with older teenage children wanting an exclusive and adventurous Serengeti experience.
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.
