Serengeti Tortilis Camp

Named for the flat-topped acacia that gives the Serengeti its skyline, Tortilis Camp has been run by one Tanzanian family for more than three decades. It sits inside Central Serengeti National Park itself, rather than at the park boundary, which puts guests within a short drive of the plains where lion, leopard and cheetah are tracked daily by camp guides. Some of those guides have worked the route for two decades and know individual animals by name. The camp keeps its footprint modest: canvas tents raised on platforms, each with a private bathroom, hot water and a radio link to the office for anything guests need. Meals are taken together in a mess tent, and dinner can be moved outdoors under the sky when the weather allows. There is a bar and a lounge for the hours between drives. Guests can add a bush walk or a dawn balloon flight over the plains, both run from camp. It is a compact stay, built around early starts and long game drives rather than a long list of facilities. The camp's position inside the park boundary, uncommon among Serengeti properties, means the migration and its predators can pass close by, and the sound of lion carries after dark.