My Recent Scouting Trip in Tanzania

There is something extraordinary about being on safari, something that brings you back to yourself, to nature, to stillness. My most recent trip to Tanzania reminded me of just that. Over the course of my safari, I stayed in three unforgettable camps, each with its own rhythm, its own landscape, and its own definition of luxury. Here’s a look at my time at Laba Laba Migration Camp, Singita Sabora, and Chem Chem Lodge, three places that together created one of the most soulful safaris I’ve ever experienced.

Laba Laba Migration Camp: Intimate Luxury on the Move

My first stop was Laba Laba Migration Camp, one of three camps owned by Julie Brisson and Xavier Marie, a French couple who, after careers in furniture and fashion, decided to create a legacy project focused on nature-led safari experiences in Tanzania. The Laba Laba brand emphasizes refuge, relaxation, and wellness, with a deeply personal approach to hospitality. Their touch is felt in the smallest details, from the decor to the personalized service and beautifully prepared meals.

Laba Laba is a luxury mobile tented camp that moves four times a year, following the Great Migration. When I visited, it was positioned just outside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where we were able to catch the tail end of the migration. It was calving season, a magical time to see baby wildebeests and giraffes beside lakes dotted with flamingos and sweeping views of the crater.

You might expect to rough it at a mobile camp, but Laba Laba was anything but. The tents were exquisitely designed, with furniture you’d happily take home, including a Louis Vuitton trunk repurposed as a coffee table. Brass fixtures, copper bathtubs, layered textures, and what might be the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in.

The experience was elevated further by the warmth of the team. This is a family-owned property, and you feel that intimacy in every interaction, from our phenomenal guide Moses, to the welcoming staff (shoutout to Little Moses), to Godfrey, the chef behind some truly exceptional meals. The surprise bush lunches and full breakfast spreads in the wild were standout moments.

Yes, it’s a mobile camp. There’s no air conditioning and your showers are coordinated in advance, but for those wanting to be close to the migration, it’s an extraordinary, front-row-seat experience.

Best time to visit: Laba Laba Migration Camp strategically positions itself in three key areas through the year to offer you an immersive safari experience at the heart of the Great Migration: 

• Southern Serengeti (Ndutu area): Approximately December to March, for the calving season.

• Western Serengeti (Masabi region): Approximately April to July, during the rutting season.

• Northern Serengeti (Kogatende area): Approximately August to November, for the Mara River crossings.

Singita Sabora: Polished Tented Elegance in the Grumeti

Next, we headed north to visit the Grumeti Reserve, Singita’s a private concession spanning 359,000 acres on the northwestern border of  the Serengeti National Park. The Grumeti Reserve is part of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem and is renowned for its role in the Great Migration, specifically the wildebeest crossing the Grumeti River. 

Singita operates seven distinct properties in the reserve, each offering a unique safari experience. These include Sasakwa Lodge, a classic manor-style lodge; Faru Faru, offering barefoot luxury and a deep connection to nature; Explore Mobile Camp, for the safari purist; and Sabora Camp, a tented camp that leans into the romance of safari while offering modern comfort. They also operate three exclusive-use villas: Serengeti House, Kilima, and Milele, all with stunning views and exquisite interiors.

I personally fell madly in love with Milele. Don’t you think I belong here?

Although I visited all of the properties, Sabora Camp was “home” during my stay in Grumeti. I arrived just before the full arrival of the migration, but it was easy to imagine how incredible it becomes when the plains fill with wildlife. Sabora felt immersive in a different way, being inside a tented space instead of a built structure changes how you experience the wild. It’s polished, serene, and beautifully styled.

I especially appreciated Singita’s focus on presence and restoration through yoga, meditation, and small touches like in-room crystals. Singita has a well-earned reputation for detail, and Sabora lives up to that.

Each of its nine tented suites features private fitness areas, curated in-room pantries, outdoor decks, and soaking tubs overlooking the plains. The massages were wonderful, and the in-room setup (since the spa tent was under construction) was peaceful and indulgent.

Grumeti’s landscape is flatter and more open than the south, offering expansive views and exceptional game-viewing. Sabora sits right along the migratory route, making it ideal during the season. In addition to game drives, guests can enjoy guided walks, horseback riding, and visits to the nearby equestrian center.

Singita’s presence is also deeply linked to the Grumeti Fund, a nonprofit that supports wildlife conservation, anti-poaching, and community development, another reason this stay felt so purposeful.

Best time to visit: June to October. By June, the herds move toward the Grumeti River, where water levels are low and sightings are exceptional.

Chem Chem: The Soul of Safari

Finally, I made my way to Chem Chem, located in the southeastern part of Tanzania in the Kwakuchinja wildlife corridor between Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Parks.

Chem Chem is the brainchild of a well-traveled Swiss-French couple, Fabia Bausch and Nicolas Negre, both of whom have backgrounds in hospitality and conservation. Their mission has been to restore and protect the Kwakuchinja wildlife corridor while offering travelers an intimate, culturally rich, and environmentally conscious safari experience.

I stayed at Chem Chem Lodge, one of three distinct properties in the Chem Chem portfolio, which also includes Little Chem Chem and Forest Chem Chem. While the lodge is located on the boarder of Lake Manyara, Little Chem Chem, the intimate 6-tent property, and Forest, their exclusive use property, are located on the other side bordering Tarangire National Park. The lodge sits in the Mto wa Mbu ecosystem and is part of the protected Kwakuchinja corridor, which means you can go hours without seeing another vehicle. 

Privacy is at the heart of Chem Chem.  At each of their properties, guests are assigned private game drive vehicles and every meal is enjoyed with the privacy of your own group in a different location of the property.

One of the things that makes Chem Chem so special is its ethos of the slow safari. From the moment you're picked up at the airstrip, everything begins to decelerate. It's not about ticking off sightings. It's about soaking in your surroundings, embracing stillness, and connecting deeply with nature, with culture, and with yourself.  A memorable moment was a silent walk with a Maasai guide as giraffes moved slowly across the horizon. The lodge itself feels as though it was designed to frame the land. It is open, warm, elegant, and unpretentious. Wildlife roams freely through the property, including zebras, giraffes, and wildebeest, and you often don’t even need to leave your room to see them.

The Chem Chem team knocked it out of the park. Elisabeth, Isaac, John, Nicholas, and our incredible Maasai warrior-guide were all standouts. There is something deeply human about the way they care for you here. It’s not service for the sake of service. It’s connection.

The team here effortlessly delivered on memorable surprise and delight moments taking full advantage of their natural surroundings.  On a morning game drive, we stumbled upon a beautiful breakfast set-up beneath a thousand-year-old baobab tree. At the end of our Massai-led walking safari, we made our way to the edge of Lake Manyara where a vintage bar awaited us for a stunning sundowner.   Unexpected moments like these locked in core memories and flooded my heart with gratitude. 

If you're planning a longer safari through Tanzania, I highly recommend ending with Chem Chem. It allows you to pause, reflect, and let everything you've experienced settle in — the vacation at the end of your vacation.

Whether you're considering your first safari or your fifth, we're here to help. We've explored lodges across Africa and can guide you to the right country, region, and experience for your travel style and preferences, get in touch. We’d love to help plan something unforgettable.