Nomad: Tanzania’s Best Walking Safari Camps

By: Scott Dubois, Fauna Travel Designer

There is no greater experience on Planet Earth than walking through the African wilderness. Immersing yourself in a vast natural area filled with potentially dangerous animals sharpens your senses and brings you deeply into the present moment. You feel alive in a way you have never imagined. Tanzania is home to some of Africa’s most iconic landscapes, and the best way to see them is on foot with Nomad Expeditionary Camps.

This year, Nomad is opening a new walking camp in Ruaha National Park in southern Tanzania. Ruaha is one of Africa’s most underrated wildlife destinations. To celebrate this new offering, I’d like to share a little more about their remote walking safaris, which make a great counterpoint to a standard safari lodge in a longer Tanzania itinerary.

The Walking Experience

A walking safari has a similar cadence to a traditional game drive safari. You wake before dawn to start your walk in the coolest part of the day. Exploring the landscape on foot opens up your senses to the sights, smells, and sounds of the bush. You will also stop to investigate the smaller things like insects, seeds, and animal tracks. And you will undoubtedly see large mammals. You can’t approach these as closely on foot because they see walkers as fellow animals and a potential threat. However, there is nothing like seeing a herd of elephants outside the protection of a vehicle, even if you aren’t quite as close. Despite appearances, expertly trained guides make walking safaris incredibly safe.

As the sun rises higher in the sky, return to camp to rest and enjoy the landscape and silence of nature. Walks are tailored to your fitness level but generally last 3-6 hours per day. Every day or two, the staff will pick up camp and move locations for a new walking experience.

Tented Accommodation

The Nomad camps are designed for low impact and portability. The four A-frame tents in each camp are simple yet a perfectly comfortable place to relax after a long morning walk. Each tent features a cot with cotton linens and a bucket shower with heated water. All meals are shared in a communal dining tent. On clear nights, you can remove the fly sheet above the tent to look up at the stars.

Locations

The Nomad mobile camps are seasonal and highlight some of Tanzania’s most exciting wilderness areas in the best months for walking. Each will appeal to a different sort of traveler.

Ruaha National Park

Open: July – October

Ruaha is Nomad’s newest offering in one of Africa’s last unspoiled wildlife areas. The park is over 7,800 square miles and has fewer visitors than the northern safari areas. The mix of forest dotted with baobabs and winding sand rivers makes it ideal for exploration on foot.

Serengeti National Park

Open: November – June

The Serengeti is Tanzania’s most well-known wildlife area and is a truly incredible walking experience. The walking camps operate in off-peak seasons in more remote areas of the 10,000 square-mile park, giving you the rare opportunity to see this majestic landscape away from the crowds.

Ugalla National Park

Open: August – October

Ugalla National Park is a relatively new national park that is perfect for travelers who like to get away from the usual tourist trails. This area has diverse terrain surrounding the Ugalla River, which attracts abundant wildlife during the dry season.