Namiri Plains, Serengeti
Completely refurbished and upgraded in 2019, Namiri Plains is in Tanzania’s eastern Serengeti. This remote camp is also a conservation initiative, protecting an area crucial to cheetah and other big cats.
Before Namiri Plains was built, these grasslands were closed for 20 years to allow the cheetah population to restore. The nearest other camps are over an hour’s drive away so you can experience the vast plains all to yourself. When not out in the bush spotting lion and other big cats or watching huge wildebeest herds, while away an afternoon around the pool or schedule a massage in our spa. Feed your mind in the library and information centre, or simply chill out and soak up the views from your own private deck.
ABOUT NAMIRI PLAINS, SERENGETI
Meals and refreshments
All food is made in camp, including fresh bread, biscuits and muffins. Breakfast is a continental buffet or full English, and lunch is a light buffet with salad or fresh vegetables. If you opt to extend your game drive in to the day, we can pack your lunch for a bush picnic. Later, a three-course dinner is served in the dining tent or under the stars.
We are able to cater to most diets. Please let us know of any dietary requirements ahead of your arrival.
A typical day on safari
Our game drives depart at the coolest times of day — early morning and late afternoon — when animals are most active. Times differ slightly with the seasons. If you have hired a private vehicle, you can plan your schedule with your guide.
Start the day bright and early with a wake-up call and tea or coffee. Enjoy breakfast before you depart for a morning game drive (or have it packed as a picnic to take with you). Arrive back at camp mid-morning, with a chance to freshen up before lunch.
After a leisurely lunch, enjoy siesta time. Read a book or just relax and soak up the sights and sounds of the bush. Refuel with afternoon tea, then depart for an afternoon/evening game drive with sundowners. You’ll be back in time for drinks around the campfire and dinner — the perfect chance to unwind after a long day in the bush.
Rooms
Ten spacious, stylish tented suites (including one family tent) overlook the Serengeti plains. Since our 2019 refurb, tents are bigger and have sliding doors running the width of each room and opening on to an expanded viewing deck. The walls are made from calcrete, a sedimentary rock created from the ashes of the Ngorongoro volcanoes, that helps to regulate the temperature. Interiors are all decorated in natural materials and tones. Each bathroom has a view over the plains and a standalone resin tub on your private deck for an al fresco bubble bath with a chilled glass of fizz.
Location
Namiri Plains is positioned along the Ngare Nanyuki River in the eastern Serengeti. The vast grassland plains are mostly open, aside from the occasional acacia tree. The hard calcrete layer beneath the topsoil prevents many trees or shrubs from growing here.
As it’s one of the few locations in the eastern Serengeti with permanent underground water sources, game viewing is excellent. The seasonal riverbed is where plains game, such as zebras or reedbuck, come to quench their thirst, making it an ideal spot for viewings. It’s no surprise that predators have cottoned on to this, too. Keep an eye out for lions lurking nearby, ready to ambush their next meal.
The short grass of this area makes it popular with cheetahs, who can more easily chase down their prey. It is particularly gratifying to see cheetahs here, as this part of the Serengeti was closed for around 20 years to allow the population to recover. It’s now a haven for these big cats, as well as lions and a few leopards.
The migration heads toward Namiri between October and May. During this period, you may see the plains covered in wildebeest, gathered here to feast on the lush grass.