Kiota Camp Serengeti
Kiota Camp is permanently located in the Central Serengeti, taking advantage of the year-round Seronera Valley wildlife viewing and surrounding areas. The Central Serengeti is famed for its healthy population of large cats, permanent game around the Seronera River, and Rettima Hippo Pool. Kiota is the sister camp of Chaka Camp. Combining Kiota and Chaka Camps for a four-to-six-night stay in the Serengeti ecosystem is an excellent way to experience the bounty of wildlife the Central Serengeti has to offer. Embark on a thrilling array of staple safari activities such as 4×4 safari game drives, guided bush walks, bird watching excursions, evening sundowners, stargazing and hot-air balloon excursions, all headed by experienced Chaka guides. Local inspirations add an abundance of flavour to all freshly prepared meals, including classic indulgences for those who favour convention, and a spectacular selection of airy canvas tents for those seeking luxury bush accommodation with all the trimmings.
Kiota Camp, Tanzania
Situated in East Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, with Kenya to the north and Mozambique to the south, the Tanzanian landscape is defined by an intrinsically diverse array of geography, comprising lush savannahs, arid deserts, stretching wetlands and mountainous terrain. Featuring some of the highest game concentrations on the continent, this vast land is synonymous for the Great Migration, a plethora of national parks and expansive Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) that dot the landscape. Perched on a hilltop, Kiota Camp offers a spectacular birds-eye view of the Seronera River Valley. The Great Migration traverses the length of the Serengeti, and its central region is a point of regular convergence.
The Seronera Valley features an abundance of rivers and year-round water sources that attract a varied and diverse array of wildlife, featuring prowling predators and illusive prey. Travellers have the chance of viewing the lion, cheetah and leopard in the same day, not to mention a whole host of additional safari staples. Just as the area attracts the wild, the wild attracts visitors, and Kiota is strategically situated at a distant recluse to avoid high volumes of visitors. The Seronera airstrip is only twenty minutes away from camp, and many of the most famous landscape features and game concentrations can be almost immediately accessed.
- Comfortable 4-star safari camp situated within the Central Serengeti
- Fully inclusive rates, including all standard food and beverages
- Breezy canvas tents with al fresco bucket showers and en-suite bathrooms
- Concentrated game viewing and exotic birdwatching featuring over 500 endemic species
- Pristine stargazing amid the unpolluted night sky
- Various safari activities led by experienced guides
- Locally inspired cuisine and classic crowd pleasers
- Children aged 8 years and older welcome
Accommodation is comprised of eleven light and breezy units, many of which can be reconfigured to facilitate either double, twin, triple, quad or family configurations. These tented units are spaced at 20-metres apart, intimately entwined with the essence of the surrounding bush, ensuring optimum privacy for all guests. Interior design compliments the encompassing wilderness, furnished in the classic East African style with handcrafted artisanal furniture.
Birds play an important part in Kiota’s design and atmosphere. Hand-painted lilac-breasted rollers decorate the bed covers and every side table holds an ornithology reference and a pair of binoculars. These units feature an en-suite bathroom and al fresco bucket shower with heated water on demand, mosquito nets shroud your choice of either single, double, twin or king-sized beds, and a veranda with which to soak in the early morning bushland vistas is externally accessible.
Amenities Include:
- En-suite bathroom
- Veranda
- Al fresco bucket shower
- Mosquito nets
- Electrical outlets
- Safe
- Tea & coffee
This family unit is comprised of two interleading canvas tents and offers a family sized guest capacity. Furnished in the classic East African style, following the design of the guest tents, these spacious and airy units feature two en-suite bathrooms, an al fresco bucket shower with heated water on request and a generous selection of amenities. Mosquito nets shroud your choice of bed, with options for single, double, twin or king sizes, and a tent-front veranda with which to soak up the early morning vistas.
Amenities Include:
- En-suite bathroom x 2
- Veranda
- Al fresco bucket shower
- Mosquito nets
- Electrical outlets
- Safe
- Tea & coffee
The menu is informed by the best of Swahili cuisine, with more familiar but equally delicious alternatives. Seasoned chefs are trained to accommodate guests with dietary constraints, ensuring all preferences are accounted for. Three meals are served daily, including a hearty breakfast, followed by an atmospheric spot of alfresco bush dining and picnics between safari activities. Come the evening, a lavish three-course banquet awaits you, with dishes ranging from light and healthy to lavish and indulgent, prepared from the freshest locally sourced ingredients. With fully inclusive rates, you’re free to indulge at your own leisure, including a refreshing range of locally sourced alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. You’re free to stop by the camp bar any time to grab a refreshing beverage of your choice.
Embark on daily game drives amid the sprawling, fertile plains of the Central Serengeti to stalk the movements of the Great Migration. Seasoned guides, familiar with the lay of the land and the abundance of wildlife that roams it will lead you on a safari game viewing experience like no other. Spectacular game viewing awaits you, with regular sightings of all the big cats and predator and prey alike as you survey the landscape in open 4×4 safari vehicles. The abundance of water sources makes for regular, concentrated game sightings, as diverse ecosystems merge following the arduous exodus of the migration.
Guided bush walks allow you to soak up the intricacies of the landscape at a more leisurely pace than is applicable with other modes of safari game viewing. Knowledgeable guides will discuss with you the features of the land while pointing out local flora and fauna. Watch birds, walk in the footsteps of a lion herd or wildebeest, stop amid the bushland landscape for an impromptu picnic, unravel the stories behind animal tracks or simply enjoy the sights. The choice is yours.
The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is one of Africa’s Endemic Bird Areas, featuring over 500 exotic species waiting for you to discover. Bird watching in the Serengeti is phenomenal year-round, but at its absolute best during November through April. Not only is this when European and North African migratory birds are present, but it is also nesting time for resident species. Keep your eyes peeled for the likes of the black-headed gonolek, Fischer’s lovebird and Verreaux’s eagle.
Take in the atmosphere of the tantalising Serengeti night sky while gathered around a cosy campfire in the company of friends and family. Untarnished by light pollution, the remote areas of the Serengeti bush provide the perfect arena for a picturesque star-gazing experience. Marvel at the infinite sky, which features the Big Dipper in the northern hemisphere and the Southern Cross and Pointers in the south.
Traverse the skies of the Central Serengeti for an exclusive birds-eye view of the Great Migration below. Watch as vast mammal herds pass beneath you as the morning winds direct your course from the vantage of a basket high in the sky. This truly unique game viewing experience draws to a close with a delicious breakfast spread in the heart of the Serengeti plains. Please note, hot-air balloon excursions are charged at additional fees and are accessible via external camp location.
Chaka is a firm believer in giving back to the lands which make these operations possible. All staff at Chaka camps, including guides, catering staff, laborers and renovationists are all local Tanzanians, stretching as far as the local artisans who produce the handcrafted fixtures and furnishings for the tent interiors. By incorporating local talent, craft and knowledge, Chaka ensure that employment opportunities are prioritised for local people, thereby pumping income into local economies and keeping the money where it is needed most.
In an on-going effort to give back to local communities and improve the situations of those close to heart, Chaka’s US-office and guest-alumni regularly organise shipments of supplies and children’s toys for distribution at neighbouring Tanzanian schools.
Kiota Camp, liken to the sister camp Chaka Camp is optimised with eco friendly initiatives in mind wherever possible. By utilising the abundance of sun inherent to the land, solar power presents itself as a highly viable and efficient option to meet energy demands without having to resort to an over-reliance on conventional diesel-powered generators that are detrimental to the surrounding environment. Solar power is utilised in the heating of water for bucket showers, as well as charging electrical equipment and other miscellaneous components that require an energy source.
Municipal solid wastes such as plastics, cans, wood and applicable debris is recycled. The importance of recycling is a theme which needs little introduction, yet the importance of recycling in an ecologically sensitive area such as the Tanzanian bush is paramount. Refuse is sorted accordingly and sent to neighbouring cities for processing.
Chaka’s indigenous tree planting initiative seeks to offset fuel consumption and lighten the collective carbon footprint of operations. Indigenous trees are important as nonlocal species risk offsetting the delicate balance of ecosystems, risking more harm than good. As these trees grow, they will consume the CO2 in the atmosphere and produce oxygen, thereby offsetting the emissions inherent to local operations.
Kiota Camp welcomes families with children of all ages. However, due to the potentially hazardous and sometimes unpredictable nature of the environment, children must be supervised by an adult at all times. Children under the age of 12 must share accommodation with an adult.