lmavolio

Hi Everyone - My latest itinerary has me staying at Swala camp in Tarangire for 2 nights. Any feedback on this camp? Pros/cons? Is it worth the extra $$ over Tarangire River Camp, Treetops or Kikoti as an example??

I will be going in September...Thanks!

tuckeg

I was there the end of September, 2006 visiting the managers who are friends (so I may not be totally objective). I can't compare it to Tarangire River Camp as I didn't stay there. The camp itself is well laid out with plenty of distance between rooms and the tents themselves are very nice. The food was very good, especially a Mexican lunch. I asked and the chef had previously worked at a Mexican restaurant in Arusha. The camp is located in front of a water hole that has a resident herd of elephant. Great viewing of them and their interaction with other animals including lions, who drink when the elephants allow.

The camp is in the extreme south of the park which has advantages and disadvantages. It is a long drive to and from the camp but since the trip is thru the park it is more like a game drive than a transfer. A plus is that there is little traffic from other camps so usually you will be alone at a sighting. We had a great leoprad sighting there and if I every get my photos posted (I'm losing hope) I post a link to a shot. Lots of different eagle species in trees near the camp. One neat thing we did was stop next to group of zebra in a pond and let them walk past us. I can still hear the gentle splashing as they moved past us.

Staff was very good, especially the managers, Maryna and Steve (what else did you expect me to say, but it is actually true). If you check past threads, you will find others have posted similar comments. If you go, please tell them George says hello and to check their email (ask them about the Christmas Miracle, great story).

gene1414

Stayed at the Sopa January 2005 and it was excellent. Right in the middle of the park and game drives in all directions.

Price was ok and we never saw the camps you mentioned - but I can tell you it is important to stay in the middle of the park to maximize the time you see game. Otherwise you see the domesticated animals near the gate and on the main road - and this is not really muc hfun.

Was there two nights - 3 days - and we went east, south, and west on game drives. Saw a lot of animals. Don't think it is necessary to be real far south in the park because there really isn't much benefit. Animals were everywhere and we didn't miss seeing most all of them....

givingback

We stayed 2 nights at Swala in July 2006. The camp was one of the highlights of our trip. tuckeg has described it well. The tents are extraordinarily comfortable and attractive without seeming out of place in the bush. (We didn't like another luxury camp, Migration Camp, because it was over the top.) The hosts are absolutely wonderful. The resident wildlife are a big plus. The food was really excellent--the best on our trip. When we were there Maryna and Steve arranged for the whole camp to eat dinner out in the bush, a short drive from the camp, in a clearing they had surrounded with torches and set up with beautifully laid tables. It was an amazing experience. I didn't stay at other Tarangire camps, so cant comment on the differences, but for us, Swala was worth every penny.

jul_uk

Hi

There was a similar post some months ago - I don't know how to post a link but if you press on my name this will give you a list of my posts and there is a post about number 8 on the list. I haven't done many so it won't be hard to find. A few people give thoughts that might be of interest. Swala was my favourite camp, truly wonderful, but I haven't been to any of the others in Tarangire to compare.

Julie