Alex Walker's Serian

Serian’s Serengeti is a mobile camp, and from mid-December to May, we set up on the southernmost extreme of the Serengeti’s short grass plains: prime position to spectate the wildebeest birthing season. Dramatic savannah storms sweep in nourishment and new life, and an innate primordial urge pulls the wildebeest to the site of their origins to reproduce. The plains literally come to life for the birthing season. Millions of gnus and zebra dominate the landscape, looking for the fresh green grass that follows the first rains – and to give birth to their young.

Serian’s Serengeti is a mobile camp, and our movement is governed by the wildebeest migration. From mid-June to mid-November, we – along with 1.6 million gnus – are situated in the far north of the Serengeti plains. The beauty of Northern Serengeti is it is the heart of the crossings, and in this respect, we are all about location. Our camp is set a mere 2 kilometres from the Mara River, within minutes of the major crossing points.

‘Ngare’ translates to ‘by the river’ in the Masai language, and the idea behind this snug little camp was to transport the serenity of the original Serian camp to the water’s edge. Hugging the banks of the Mara, Ngare Serian is cosy and intimate. It can only be reached on foot, over a narrow rope bridge – and in a way the crossover is symbolic: a call to step out of touch and out of time, and give yourself over to the natural charm of the place. There’s something special about being on the water’s edge – the water slipping and sloshing over the stones sets a soothing soundtrack, but at the same time its energy and movement lends lightness and life – green shoots, verdant growth and glossy rocks that metamorphose into hippos.

Nkorombo is Serian’s tented mobile camp, set on a private riverside site in the Masai Mara Reserve. This snug little setup is chock-full of character with a view over the rushing Mara River, bursting with laughing hippo and languorous crocodile. Much like at Serian and Ngare Serian, life at Nkorombo is low-key and tranquil. Nestled among a stand of wild olive and orange croton, the camp is right next to a lively salt lick that regularly features black rhino, and lion and leopard on the lookout for kill… There is an abundance of prey in this area, and it’s the perfect spot for spectacular game viewing.

Serian was the first of Alex’s camps, and it perfectly captures the essence of its name: meaning ‘peaceful, calm, serene’ in the Masai language, it was designed to be a retreat from the bustle of contemporary life, and a chance to experience untamed Africa in traditional tented splendour.

It lies in the private Mara North Conservancy, and the beauty of this location is that only 10 other camps have access to it – so the feeling of having your own personal piece of Africa is a luxury that we have in spades.

Our tree house, ‘The Nest’, is perched out on a limb in a lone Warburgia tree overlooking the Mara River. A mere meander away from Serian, it’s the perfect picnic spot after a trek through the bushes, and doubles as a romantic overnight tryst for two: think soup under the stars to the sounds of harrumphing hippo…

The open plains of the Lamai Wedge are incredibly beautiful and abundant in game. The landscape is reminiscent of scenes from Out of Africa, and there is plenty of freedom to roam and explore. The camp is situated opposite Crossing Point 4, midway among all crossing points along the river – and is perfectly positioned to spectate the wildebeest river crossings. Away from the river, this area of rolling savannah, boulder-strewn hillsides and fig-tree groves, is littered with inconceivably enormous herds of wildebeest, topi and zebra – as well as all the predators that gorge on this movable feast. Needless to say, the game-viewing we have access to is world-class. Cheetah, lion and elephant especially make for fantastic sighting, but it’s not unheard of to see the Big Five in a day.

Kusini is perfectly positioned to access the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, as well as the Serengeti National Park – two spectacular game-viewing areas encompassing high concentrations of cheetah, honey badger, golden-backed jackal and hyena, as well as a parade of predators feasting on the newborns.