Lodges & partnersTarangire National Park
Fifteen tents in the quiet south of Tarangire, close to the Silale Swamp, with walking safaris, night drives and elephant passing camp through the day.
From $825 per person per night
About
Oliver's Camp is one of the original camps in the Asilia family, and it feels like it. It sits in the southeastern reaches of Tarangire National Park, roughly two hours' drive from the main gate on a straight run and closer to three once you start stopping for elephant, which you will. That distance is the point. The day visitors who come in from Arusha rarely get this far south, so the game drives out of camp are quiet, and the camp is close to the Silale Swamp, the part of Tarangire with the most to see.
Silale holds water right through the dry months. From June the rest of the park starts to dry out and animals move towards the swamp and the Tarangire River, so the dry season here is about concentration: large herds of elephant and buffalo on a daily basis, lion and leopard, cheetah, hyena, kudu, and with luck wild dog. Asilia counts over 500 bird species in the park, and the short rains from November bring migrant birds, green growth and clean light for photography. The camp closes from mid March to mid May, when the long rains make the tracks hard going, and reopens as the park comes back into bloom.
The camp itself is two wings of tents, five in one and ten in the other, each wing with its own lounge and dining area looking out over the floodplain. Between them is a swimming pool and pool deck for the heat of the early afternoon. The tents are spacious and properly plumbed, with en suite bathrooms, flush toilets and both indoor and outdoor showers with hot water, and each has a private deck facing the bush. Two are family tents and one is set up for honeymooners. Power is solar with a backup generator, there are charging points, wifi and a limited laundry service.
Days run around the guides. On the Game Package you have scheduled shared drives in Asilia's open sided vehicles, which carry charging points and a cool box, plus one guided walk per stay with an armed ranger and one night drive per stay, when a spotlight picks out the animals Tarangire's day visitors never see. Walking runs from 1 June to 15 February, depending on the weather and the height of the grass, and is for guests aged 12 and over. Meals are made in camp, often from local produce, and turn up as buffets, picnics, three course dinners on lantern lit decks and breakfasts set out overlooking the plains.
Signature experiences
From 1 June to 15 February you can head out on foot with a guide and an armed ranger, reading tracks and dung and the small life of the bush. One walk per stay is included on the Game Package, for guests aged 12 and over.
Asilia runs night drives from Oliver's Camp, with a spotlight searching for the eyes of animals that hide by day. One night drive per stay is part of the Game Package.
From June the swamp is the only reliable water for miles, and elephant and buffalo gather in large numbers. Early drives from camp reach it before the light gets hard.
Meals move around camp: breakfast on the deck as the sun comes up, lunch under the acacias and dinner on lantern lit decks after the fire.
Gallery
Room types
A guest tent for one, under thatch, with a bed under netting, an en suite bathroom with a flush toilet and indoor and outdoor showers with hot water, and a private deck looking into the bush. On the Game Package rate, scheduled shared game drives in open vehicles and the stated airstrip transfers are included.
A spacious guest tent with a large bed under netting, an en suite bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers and a private deck facing the bush. The honeymoon tent is one of the fifteen; ask us to request it. On the Game Package rate, scheduled shared game drives in open vehicles and the stated airstrip transfers are included.
The same spacious guest tent set with two beds, en suite bathroom with a flush toilet and indoor and outdoor showers with hot water, and a private deck facing the bush. On the Game Package rate, scheduled shared game drives in open vehicles and the stated airstrip transfers are included.
For three sharing, usually one of the camp's two family tents, with an en suite bathroom, indoor and outdoor showers and a private deck. Children under 12 must share with an adult. On the Game Package rate, scheduled shared game drives in open vehicles and the stated airstrip transfers are included.
A guest tent for one, under thatch, with a bed under netting, an en suite bathroom with a flush toilet and indoor and outdoor showers with hot water, and a private deck looking into the bush. On the Full Board rate, meals and soft drinks are included; game drives and transfers are arranged separately.
A spacious guest tent with a large bed under netting, an en suite bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers and a private deck facing the bush. The honeymoon tent is one of the fifteen; ask us to request it. On the Full Board rate, meals and soft drinks are included; game drives and transfers are arranged separately.
The same spacious guest tent set with two beds, en suite bathroom with a flush toilet and indoor and outdoor showers with hot water, and a private deck facing the bush. On the Full Board rate, meals and soft drinks are included; game drives and transfers are arranged separately.
For three sharing, usually one of the camp's two family tents, with an en suite bathroom, indoor and outdoor showers and a private deck. Children under 12 must share with an adult. On the Full Board rate, meals and soft drinks are included; game drives and transfers are arranged separately.
At a glance
Best time to visit
Best months: June to October.
Location & access
Tarangire National Park
Kuro airstrip, inside Tarangire, is the nearest airstrip and about an hour by road from camp; on the Game Package that transfer is included. Light aircraft reach Kuro from Arusha Airport on a short scheduled hop. From Kilimanjaro International Airport allow about an hour and fifteen minutes by road to Arusha Airport first.
Allow most of a day. From Kilimanjaro International Airport the road runs west to Arusha, about an hour, then about two hours southwest on tarmac via Makuyuni to the main Tarangire gate. From the gate it is about two hours south through the park to camp on a direct run, more typically three hours with game viewing, which is how most guests treat it.
On the map
4.132° S, 36.078° E
What's included
Frequently asked
Most guests fly to Kuro airstrip in Tarangire on a light aircraft and are met for the drive of about an hour to camp; on the Game Package that transfer is included. By road the camp is about two hours from the main Tarangire gate on a direct drive, though it usually takes about three because you are game viewing on the way.
Oliver's Camp is open from 16 May to 15 March and closes from 16 March to 15 May for the long rains, when the roads become difficult. If your dates fall in that window we will suggest another Tarangire option or rearrange the route.
June to October is the dry season, when wildlife concentrates around the Silale Swamp and the river and game viewing is at its strongest. September and October are quieter after the peak, while November to February suits birders and photographers, with green landscapes and migrant birds.
Every rate includes full board with soft drinks, limited laundry and the Tourism Development Levy. The Game Package adds scheduled shared game drives, one guided walk and one night drive per stay, and transfers to and from Kuro airstrip. Park and concession fees, the Asilia conservation charge of USD 10 per person per night and gratuities are paid on top.
Full Board covers your tent, meals and soft drinks but no activities or transfers. On Full Board, walking safaris are USD 75 per person per walk and night drives USD 110 per person, and game drives and transfers must be arranged separately.
Yes. Asilia lists both as activities at Oliver's Camp, and the Game Package includes one of each per stay. Walks are led by a guide with an armed ranger, run from 1 June to 15 February depending on weather and grass height, and are for guests aged 12 and over; after 15 February walking depends on a safety assessment and cannot be guaranteed.
Children aged 5 and over are welcome, and there are two family tents. Children aged 5 to 18 pay 50% of the adult sharing rate, guests 19 and over pay the adult rate, and children under 12 must share a tent with an adult; children under 5 are only accepted if the whole camp is booked exclusively with Asilia's approval. In High Season, families of fewer than five guests with children aged 5 to 12 must pre book a private vehicle at USD 500 per day in 2026/27 or USD 600 per day in 2027/28, minimum two days; in Secret Season the vehicle is free, subject to availability.
There is wifi at camp and battery charging facilities. The camp runs on solar power with a backup generator, so bring adaptors and charge cameras when you are in camp.
The camp is a long way from the nearest town, so medical evacuation cover is essential and is not included in the rate. Asilia asks every guest to carry travel insurance that covers evacuation and to sign an indemnity with their insurance details on arrival.
Yes. Meals are prepared in camp, using fresh produce from local farmers where possible, and the team adapts menus for dietary requirements if you tell us before you travel. We pass your needs to the camp with the booking.
What's nearby
Close to camp. Permanent water through the dry season that draws large herds of elephant and buffalo daily, with lion often nearby.
Below the camp's lounges. Elephant, giraffe and plains game move along it as the park dries out from June.
The great baobabs that define Tarangire's landscape, at their most striking in the bare dry season months.
Asilia lists a sunrise balloon flight over the Tarangire plains as an option from camp; ask us for details when booking.
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