Oliver's Camp

Location

Oliver’s Camp occupies a remote position in southern Tarangire National Park, approximately 90 minutes from Kuro Airstrip and four hours from Arusha. The camp overlooks the Silale Swamps, an area that transforms dramatically with the seasons—from verdant marshland attracting vast herds during dry months to flowering wilderness perfect for walking safaris when rains arrive. This southern section sees minimal tourist traffic, as most visitors never venture beyond the park’s northern circuit, leaving this wilderness remarkably undisturbed.

The camp’s position near both the Silale and Lormakau marshes means wildlife congregates here when water becomes scarce elsewhere, particularly from June through October when the Tarangire River and these permanent water sources become magnets for the park’s estimated 3,000-plus elephants. The location provides some of Tarangire’s most reliable wildlife viewing, with elephants, buffalo, and plains game gathering in extraordinary numbers during the dry season.

Rooms

The design philosophy at Oliver’s embraces authentic safari aesthetics without unnecessary embellishment—canvas walls under makuti thatch, reclaimed hardwood furniture worn smooth by years of use, and writing desks positioned to catch morning light filtering through acacia branches. Each tent rises on wooden platforms that elevate you just enough to watch elephants amble past at eye level.

Oliver’s offers fifteen large tented rooms raised on low wooden platforms and suspended under thatch. Standard tents accommodate two guests in either twin or double bed configurations, with solid wooden furniture including bedside tables crafted from massive tree trunks, campaign chairs, and lockable storage boxes for valuables. The en-suite bathrooms feature both indoor and outdoor showers—the outdoor option lets you shower while watching the sunrise paint the Tarangire landscape. Private verandas furnished with comfortable daybeds overlook either the Minyonyo floodplains or surrounding bushveld, depending on tent location.

Two family tents provide space for four guests with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, solving the perpetual safari challenge of maintaining family togetherness while ensuring everyone gets proper sleep. A honeymoon tent offers additional privacy at the camp’s edge, though with tents spaced generously apart and wildlife providing the only interruptions, every accommodation here feels secluded.

Little Oliver’s Camp operates as a more intimate sister setup with just five exclusive tents positioned about a kilometre downstream. Connected by a raised walkway that doubles as an elevated game-viewing platform, these additional tents offer the same rustic comfort with views over the Minyonyo Pools where elephants excavate water during the dry season.

Communal Areas

The main area houses interesting paperbacks on the surrounding region and its wildlife, with well-worn, deep leather sofas providing a perfect place to sit with a gin and tonic while soaking in your surroundings. The dining tent and lounge occupy separate but connected spaces under canvas, creating natural gathering points without forcing interaction.

Communal meals happen in the dining room where long tables encourage the kind of conversation that flows naturally when everyone has spent the day encountering leopards and elephants. The camp library, stocked with field guides and well-thumbed novels, provides afternoon refuge when temperatures soar. A cocktail bar and pool deck offer spots to decompress between game drives, though the pool seems almost superfluous when the Tarangire River provides such compelling viewing just beyond.

The fireplace becomes the camp’s social nucleus after dark, where guides share stories that would sound like fiction anywhere else—except here, where lion footprints in morning sand prove last night’s tales were understated. Solar panels and a backup generator provide electricity for charging cameras and limited lighting, though most guests quickly adapt to the rhythm of sunrise and sunset.

Activities

Walking safaris represent Oliver’s greatest distinction—the camp offers guided walking safaris within Tarangire National Park, a privilege shared by only two other camps in the entire park. These aren’t token strolls around camp but genuine wilderness expeditions lasting anywhere from an hour to a full day. Walking among elephants, giraffes, and zebras while learning about the ecosystem from expert guides, you experience the bush at its most elemental level. The minimum age for walking safaris is typically 12-16 years, depending on the guide’s assessment. Walking may not be possible from January to June, depending on bush density.

Night drives leave camp around 6:30pm equipped with night vision scopes that make for mind-blowing experiences. These drives offer rare opportunities to observe Tarangire’s nocturnal wildlife—leopards, genets, porcupines, and hyenas. This activity, prohibited in most Tanzanian parks, transforms familiar landscapes into entirely different ecosystems where eyes glow in darkness and night sounds create nature’s own soundtrack.

Fly-camping strips safari back to its essence: you, the African night, and whatever chooses to investigate your campfire. Walking out to a satellite camp during the afternoon, you’ll sleep under nothing but canvas and stars, with the genuine possibility of lions investigating camp at dinner time—though admittedly rare. The experience involves lightweight tents with campfires for company, offering an intimate and thrilling way to experience the wilderness with only bare essentials provided.

Standard game drives operate twice daily in open-sided 4×4 vehicles, though “standard” undersells the experience when the Silale Swamps provide permanent water throughout dry months, creating some of Tarangire’s most reliable wildlife viewing. The camp’s remote location means drives often head off-road (permitted here), following predators or tracking elephants to hidden wallows.

Hot air balloon safaris (additional cost applies) launch at dawn, offering aerial perspectives of the Tarangire plains and elephant highways etched across them. The experience includes champagne breakfast in the bush after landing, though pre-booking is essential as availability remains limited.