A few years ago the Tanzanian government chose a handful of responsible companies to build small permanent lodges in the remote far northern sector of the Serengeti National Park. Nomad Tanzania was offered the prime site.

Lamai Serengeti now sits tucked amongst the rocks of Kogakuria Kopje with panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, just a few miles from where the wildebeest cross the Mara River. For roughly a quarter of the year, between late July and October, this is where you’ll find the migration. Right here, on our doorstep.

We’ve designed each of the rooms to fit into the complex geometry of the kopje and to make the most of this sensational location, its views and its natural space and light. At Lamai Serengeti we have just 12 rooms in all. These are split between two entirely separate lodges, the Main Lodge of 8 rooms and our smaller Private Lodge of 4 rooms.

Each site has been carefully thought out. Firstly and most importantly, with the elements in mind, to take maximum advantage of the view, the sun, the wind and even the rain, welcome when it comes.

This involved much sitting in quiet and careful contemplation, with binoculars, compass and sundowner in hand. But also, and perhaps of even greater importance, each site is designed such that to the casual eye you won’t see that there is anything there.

The rooms – a clever blend of canvas, plaster and natural poles – have given our ‘camp designers’ much debate, thought, and – to be honest – a multitude of headaches. The brief was simple: to become the guardian of this kopje, we needed to preserve all the things about it that has made it iconic.

Nomad understands absolutely the responsibility that comes with this.

Activities

When one of the largest animal migrations in the world crosses your door step for several months of the year, as it does at Lamai Serengeti between July and October, it’s sometimes easy to overlook what all of us who have spent so long in the Serengeti keep reminding ourselves.

It’s not all about the migration. To define the Serengeti purely in terms of the wildebeest timetable is to massively underestimate the variety of this part of Africa.

To define the Serengeti purely in terms of the wildebeest timetable is to massively underestimate the variety of this part of Africa.

Throughout the year, we use our 4×4 s to explore the variety of terrain, both south of the Mara River and (river state permitting) to the north and we’re able to offer short bush walks when the grass is low enough to make walking safe. The topography lends itself well to being on your feet; small valleys, river lines and rocky kopjes make for frequent changes of scenery…and great cover for approaching wild animals unseen.

And of course with a location like this one, of the best ways to take in the Serengeti is literally from the expansive verandah of your room, tucked away in amongst the red rocks of the kopje. The rooms are designed to maximise the panoramic views, but also to give a window onto life on the kopje.

In short, at Lamai, you can be as busy as you like with game drives and walks, or as lazy as you like enjoying the Serengeti from your room or the swimming pool.

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