10 of the best intimate safari camps

Southern Africa has a wide range of safari camps that cater for 10 people or less, providing a highly personalised and exclusive experience. Tourism Update rounds up some of the best options on offer. 

Sanctuary Baines’ Camp, Botswana
With just five suites, Sanctuary Baines’ Camp has been constructed on raised platforms above a river in a private concession in the Okavango Delta’s Moremi Game Reserve. This camp is known for its elephant experience, providing guests with the opportunity to walk with orphaned elephants from the Living with Elephants Foundation. Built out of eco-friendly materials such as aluminium cans and commercially grown wood, the rooms feature four-poster beds which can be wheeled out on to each suite’s private deck for a night under the stars.

Tintswalo Manor House, South Africa
Situated within the Tintswalo Concession within the Private Manyeleti Game Reserve in Mpumalanga, Tintswalo Manor House is an exclusive-use property ideally suited to family groups. Accommodating up to 10 guests in its en-suite, air-conditioned rooms, the property also has a private swimming pool, patio, boma and bar area. The Manor House has its own dedicated staff, including a guide and tracker, as well as a private safari vehicle.  


Wilderness Safaris’ Busanga Bush Camp, Zambia
Accommodating a maximum of eight guests at any time, with just four tents, Busanga Bush Camp offers a truly intimate experience. Situated in the Busanga Plains of Kafue National Park, it is the ideal location from which to explore the surrounding floodplains and view wildlife, including its famous tree-climbing lions, which have been known to lounge on the verandas outside the guest tents. It is a seasonal camp, open from the beginning of June until the end of October each year.  


Little Oliver’s Camp, Tanzania
This five-room camp is in the heart of Tanzania’s Tarangire National Park. Situated a kilometre away from the larger Oliver’s Camp, this exclusive property overlooks the floodplains of the Minyoyo Pools. Rooms have been furnished with handmade items crafted from the timber of old trading dhows and includes en-suite facilities with indoor and outdoor showers and large private decks. Activities on offer include game drives, walking safaris and hot air ballooning.  

Little Naibor Camp, Kenya
Situated on the banks of the Talek River in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Little Naibor Camp is near the main Naibor Camp and comprises two individually designed suites. Each contains a double and a twin-bedded room, inter-linked by a communal lounge and veranda area. Little Naibor has its own dedicated staff and can be booked on an exclusive-use basis or together with the main Naibor Camp and its facilities.  


Tswalu Tarkuni, South Africa
This property was originally built as the holiday home of the Oppenheimer family, but is now also available on an exclusive-use basis. Situated in the 110 000-hectare Tswalu Kalahari Game Reserve, Tarkuni features five suites, a dedicated chef, pool area, two lounges with fireplaces and a private safari vehicle. Personal staff include a host, chef, guide and tracker. Guests can enjoy game drives, bush walks and horseback safaris, and also make use of the reserve’s spa facilities.

Somalisa Acacia, Zimbabwe
Ideally suited to family groups, African Bush Camps’ Somalisa Acacia in Hwange National Park features two family units, with inter-leading walkways between the parents’ and children’s rooms, both of which are en-suite. It also includes two standard tents. All rooms feature a glass wood-burning fireplace, overhead fan, indoor and outdoor shower and a copper bathtub. The camp overlooks a waterhole, and includes a small splash pool. Activities range from game drives to walking excursions.


Mchenja Bush Camp, Zambia
Operated by Norman Carr Safaris, Mchenja Bush Camp has just five luxury tents and is open seasonally from mid-May to early-November. Located on the banks of the Luangwa River, each of the tents has a private, open-air bathroom with a Victorian-style bathtub with a view. The camp also features a central lounge and plunge pool. Activities include game-viewing on drives and on foot.


Little Chem Chem, Tanzania
Situated on the edge of an acacia forest in wildlife management area between Tarangire National Park and Lake Manyara, Little Chem Chem features just five luxury rooms. It has private access to 16 000 hectares of wilderness and accommodates no more than 10 guests at any time. Rooms have been designed to evoke an ‘Out of Africa’ atmosphere, each with a private fire pit. A wide range of activities are available nearby, including day and night drives, animal tracking, hot air ballooning and helicopter flips.


Sindabezi Island, Zambia
Located on a private island on the Zambezi River, Sindabezi Island features just five open-sided thatch chalets overlooking the nearby national park. Each chalet has been positioned to offer guests a high degree of privacy, including the romantic honeymoon chalet complete with four-poster bed and claw-footed bathtub. Activities range from canoeing, to cultural visits and tours of the nearby Victoria Falls.