Camping in Serengeti

Rules for camping in the Serengeti

Do not, under any circumstances, take any food into your tent.

If you need to get up to pee in the night, unzip your tent door then shine your flashlight all around the area. If you see eyes, do not leave your tent. If the coast is clear, exit your tent with your tent-mate. It’s best to just pee behind your tent rather than make the walk to the toilet building. While doing your business, your tent-mate should stand guard and continue to sweep the area with his or her flashlight watching for anything dangerous. This is especially critical for women, who become vulnerable prey once they go down into a squat. I don’t recall being told what to do if you’re squatting and your partner spots eyes. Scream and bolt for the tent door I imagine.

While you are sleeping, do not be alarmed if you hear howls or growls, roars or footsteps near your tent. You are probably safe.

When leaving camp for the day, empty your tent of all but your sleep mat, piling all your belongings into one or two tents nearest the kitchen cage where someone will be around at all times. Leave the tent door unzipped. This way the baboons that come along will be able to get into your tent without ripping it apart and see that there is nothing in there to play with. The person who is left in camp for the day only has to keep an eye on the few tents that are closest and won’t waste time chasing all around camp to keep them away.

Liberally apply bug spray/lotion to every square inch of your body. This won’t keep the tse tse flies from biting you, but should stop the mosquitoes. So while you may get sleeping sickness, you should be spared the additional indignity of malaria.

Do not change your clothes. It is permissible, indeed it is advisable, to wear the same outfit for the entire three days as the instant you put on anything clean, you will simply collect a new layer of dirt. Plan to shower when you return to civilization.

When the sun begins to set, stop everything you are doing and watch.

When it gets dark, look up. You will see a million stars, including the constellation The Southern Cross, which is not visible in the Northern hemisphere.