Standard Tent
Canvas on a raised platform with a private deck, one super king bed or two singles, ensuite with a flush toilet and hot shower, room for one extra bed.
Lodges & partnersSeronera Central Serengeti
Ole Serai Luxury Camp, Seronera
A small tented camp in the central Serengeti, close to Seronera, where the cats are resident all year.
From $545 per person per night
01 / 06
- Tier
- Luxury
- All Inclusive board
- Location
- Seronera Central Serengeti
About
About Ole Serai Luxury Camp, Seronera.
Ole Serai Luxury Camp Seronera sits in the central Serengeti, within easy reach of the Seronera valley and its airstrip. This is the part of the park that does not empty out. The Seronera river holds water through the dry months, which keeps plains game in the area and keeps the lion, leopard and cheetah that live off them close by, so a guest arriving in February has much the same chance of a good morning as a guest arriving in August.
The camp is canvas on raised platforms, spread along a line so that each tent faces open grass rather than its neighbour. Every tent has a private deck, one super king bed or two singles, and an ensuite with a flush toilet and a hot shower. There is room for one extra bed where a family needs it. Power is solar with a generator behind it running around the clock, and there is WiFi in the main areas.
Camp life runs through a lounge and dining tent with a library, a viewing deck and a small curio shop. Laundry is included up to a daily value, which is worth more than it sounds when bush flights cap your luggage at fifteen kilos. A massage can be arranged in camp.
It suits first time visitors who want a central base, families who want one move rather than three, and anyone chasing cats with a camera. Because the central Serengeti is the busiest sector of the park, the trade for that reliability is that you will share some sightings. Guests who want solitude above all are better placed in the north or the west.
Access is easy by Serengeti standards. Seronera airstrip is a short game drive from camp, about an hour and ten minutes of flying from Arusha. Driving from Arusha is possible in a long day with an overnight in the Ngorongoro highlands.
Signature experiences
Why guests choose it.
Cats in the Seronera valley
The valley holds resident lion prides and some of the most reliable leopard sightings in Tanzania. Early starts pay here.
Sunrise bush breakfast
Breakfast set up in the open with a waiter looking after it, timed for the first light. Booked at camp as a supplement.
Private dinner on your tent deck
Dinner served on your own deck with the plains in front of you, away from the main dining tent.
Storytelling at the fire
The camp team tell Serengeti stories around the fire after dinner, for a small charge a person.
Gallery
A closer look.
Room types
Where you will sleep.
At a glance
The essentials, in brief.
Amenities
- Private Tent Deck
- Solar power with generator backup, 24 hours
- WiFi In The Main Areas
- Restaurant And Lounge Tent
- Viewing Deck
- Library
- Curio Shop
- Laundry included to a daily value
- In Camp Massage On Request
Best for
- First Time Safari
- Big Cats
- Photography
- Families
- Short Stays
Wildlife and nature
- Resident lion prides in the Seronera valley
- Leopard in the riverine fig trees
- Cheetah On The Open Plains
- Elephant, giraffe and buffalo year round
- Migration herds passing through in May and June and again in November
Best time to visit
When to go.
- January: best
- February: best
- March: not a best month
- April: not a best month
- May: not a best month
- June: best
- July: best
- August: best
- September: best
- October: best
- November: not a best month
- December: not a best month
Best months
Best months: January to February and June to October.
Location & access
Getting there.
Location
Seronera Central Serengeti
Arriving by air
About two hours in total. Forty five minutes by road from Kilimanjaro International to Arusha Airport, then about an hour and ten minutes by light aircraft to Seronera airstrip, then a short game drive transfer to camp. The camp meets guests at the airstrip when the Game Package is booked.
By road
About eight to ten hours from Kilimanjaro International, usually split over two days with a night in the Ngorongoro highlands or at Karatu. One hour Kilimanjaro to Arusha, three hours on to the highlands, then a long descent into the Serengeti and across to Seronera.
On the map
Where it sits.
2.495° S, 34.771° E
What's included
What the rate covers.
Included
- Accommodation on a per person sharing basis
- All Inclusive board: breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Soft drinks as selected by the camp
- Laundry to a value of 15 US dollars per person per day
- Drinking Water In Camp
- VAT
Not included
- Serengeti National Park Entry Fees
- Concession Fees
- Tourism Development Levy
- Wildlife Management And Camping Fees
- Game Package: shared safari vehicle and airstrip transfers
- Private Safari Vehicle
- Flights And Airstrip Taxes
- Medical evacuation cover and travel insurance
- Gratuities And Tips
- Items Of A Personal Nature
- Tanzania inbound travel insurance, 44 USD per adult (children 3 to 17 half price, under 3 free), compulsory from 1 October 2026 and bought online before travel
Frequently asked
Questions, answered.
Where exactly is the camp?
In the central Serengeti, within reach of the Seronera valley and the Seronera airstrip. That is the middle of the park, roughly equidistant from the southern plains and the northern river country.
When is the camp open?
Year round. The contract prices every month, with the highest rates from July to October and over the days around Christmas and New Year.
How do guests reach the camp?
Usually by air to Seronera airstrip, about an hour and ten minutes of flying from Arusha Airport, then a short game drive to camp. Driving from Arusha takes a long day and is normally broken with a night in the highlands.
What will we see?
The central Serengeti is best known for cats. Resident lion prides, leopard along the river and cheetah on the open ground are all realistic in any month, alongside elephant, giraffe and buffalo.
Are families with children welcome?
Yes. Children under 6 stay free of charge sharing with their parents, children from 6 to 15 pay a reduced rate, and one extra bed fits in a tent. The camp is unfenced, so children are walked to and from their tent after dark.
What is included in the rate?
All Inclusive board, which is breakfast, lunch and dinner with soft drinks, plus laundry to a daily value. Park fees, the Tourism Development Levy and concession fees are charged separately.
Are game drives included?
No. Game drives come through the Game Package, a shared safari vehicle plus airstrip transfers charged per person per day with a minimum of two guests. A private vehicle can be booked instead, subject to availability.
Is there power and connectivity?
Solar with a generator behind it, running 24 hours, and WiFi in the main areas. It is good enough for messages and email rather than for video calls.
How many nights should we stay?
Three is the sweet spot. It gives two full days of driving without moving camp, and the central Serengeti rewards repeat visits to the same valley at different times of day.
Is it busy?
The central Serengeti is the most visited sector of the park, so a good sighting can draw other vehicles. The trade is reliability: this is the part of the Serengeti where something is always happening.
Do I need travel insurance to visit?
Yes. From 1 October 2026 visitors entering mainland Tanzania must hold the government inbound travel insurance, 44 USD per adult and valid for up to 92 days, covering emergency medical care, evacuation, repatriation and lost luggage. Children aged 3 to 17 pay half and infants under 3 are free. It is bought online before you fly or on arrival, and residents of Tanzania and of East African and SADC countries are exempt. If you land in Zanzibar first, the Zanzibar policy covers you instead. It is paid by you directly and is not part of our quote.
What's nearby
Worth the short trip.
The Seronera river valley
On the daily drive circuit from camp
Where the grass plains give way to wooded hills, and the most dependable big cat country in the park through the year. Leopards rest through the middle of the day in the sausage trees along the water.
Retina hippo pool
About 45 minutes to an hour
A permanent pool where the Seronera and Orangi rivers meet, with a raised bank about three metres above the water where guests may leave the vehicle and walk to the edge.
The Serengeti visitor centre
About 30 minutes
Built around a kopje near the Seronera airstrip, with a raised walkway through the rocks explaining the stages of the migration, a video room and a shaded picnic area.
A balloon flight over the central plains
Pickup from camp around 05:30
The central launch site is the only one of the four in the Serengeti that flies through the year. The flight lifts at first light and stays up for 50 to 70 minutes, and it is booked separately from the stay.
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