Tanzania Safari

Grumeti River Camp

Western Corridor, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Return to Serengeti Camps & Lodges                     Image © CC Africa

View images of Grumeti River Camp:  Grumeti River Camp Images

GRUMETI RIVER CAMP RATES: Grumeti River Camp Rates

GRUMETI RIVER CAMP - WESTERN CORRIDOR, SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK, TANZANIA
CC Africa’s Grumeti River Camp is situated in a remote valley in the western corridor of the Serengeti National Park, just 50 kilometres (31 miles) east of Lake Victoria – Africa’s largest lake. Flanked by two hillsides, this flamboyant camp overlooks a bywater of the Grumeti River and offers a comfortable haven from which to experience the truly wild pulse of Africa.

Every year during Africa’s annual Great Migration, hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, zebra and other herbivores cross the Grumeti River, risking the jaws of some of the largest crocodiles on earth. Large pods of hippo grunt from their watery hideaway below the camp and black-and-white Colobus monkeys live in Grumeti’s bird-filled riverine trees. At night, the nocturnal orchestra of owls and bush babies is punctuated by the primeval sounds of lion and hyena.

Grumeti River Camp is set on the banks of an oxbow which is formed by an overflow of the Grumeti River. Supporting lush riverine forest, the Grumeti River provides a sharp contrast to the surrounding plains and hosts some of the Serengeti’s more unusual species. The camp is built among tall evergreen trees on the water’s edge. The river is home to families of hippo floating among the carpet of water cabbage, and the birdlife is varied and prolific. The western corridor offers more than just an annual stop-off point for the migration – its colourful topography of hills, rivers and floodplains provides a year round habitat for a wide variety of the Serengeti’s wildlife.  Grumeti River Camp is owned and operated by CC Africa.  The camp closes in April & May.

Unique Selling Points
• The remote Western Corridor of the Serengeti abounds with resident game all year round
• Grumeti lies in the path of the migration which in a typical year arrives between June and July
• The Grumeti River is renowned for its gigantic crocodiles
• Birdlife abounds and birders almost always exceed their sighting targets
• Breathtaking sundowners on Masira Hills
• There is an ever-present family of hippos in the river fronting the camp, providing endless entertainment with their antics and grunts
• Troops of black and white colobus monkeys are found only in the Grumeti riverine forest and nowhere else in the Serengeti
• Excellent Pan African cuisine
• Dramatic boma
• Lake Victoria, the second largest freshwater lake in the world, lies 50 km to the west of Grumeti– an outing which includes a safari, a visit to a local village and a breathtaking view of the lake from Speke Bay (additional cost)

Accommodation            For images of Grumeti River Camp, click Grumeti River Camp Images
Grumeti River Camp offers ten flamboyant tents under makuti (palm frond) canopies. Each of the spacious tents has a furnished deck and ensuite bathroom with hand basin, separate shower open to the stars and separate w.c. There is an overhead fan and the local sculptured furnishings and vibrant decor bring alive the excitement and romance of Africa.

The guest areas of this intimate camp include open-fronted sitting and dining areas, a lounge area and domed bar. The interior design is colourful and lively, with unusual beaded artefacts. The spacious decks are perfect for sundowners overlooking the river. A dramatic boma ensures star-studded romantic dinners. Delicious Pan-African food is prepared on traditional jikos (fires) or in stone ovens. Private dinners at the swimming pool can be arranged for any special occasion.  The camp has a rim-flow pool perched on the banks of the river where guests can view hippo at play. The Safari Shop is located at the entrance of the camp.

Included
• 10 spacious safari tents with ceiling fans
• All with en suite bathrooms
• Boma (outdoor dining area)
• Expansive game viewing deck
• Sparkling plunge pool
• Lovely guest areas
• African crafts shop

Food
All CC Africa lodges are world-renowned for their delicious Pan-African cuisine – fresh ingredients, simply prepared with an African flavour. All halaal and vegetarian dietary requirements will be catered for. When making your reservation, please inform us of any specific dietary requirements you may have, and these will be communicated immediately to the camp. Should specific items need to be flown in, there will be an additional charge, which will be quoted separately. Regrettably, we are unable to cater for strictly kosher guests at Grumeti River Camp.

Children’s Policy
Children are welcome. Travel to Tanzania is recommended for children 8 years and older. Regretfully, children 5 years and younger cannot participate in the regular game-drives. Child minders can be booked at an additional cost. Children aged 6 to 11 years are accommodated on game-drives at the Lodge Manager’s discretion. An extra bed can be arranged for a child 11 years and younger sharing their parents’ tent. No more than one triple tent in camp at any one time.

Children’s Activities
Childrens' activities depend entirely on the age of the children and may include the following:
• Special family game-drives (at the discretion of the Lodge Manager and subject to availability)
• Special one-hour children's bush walks within the camp perimeter
• Planet Manager activity books
• Special programmes can be compiled such as birding, paper making and insect safaris
• Children’s meals and menus available

Activities & Wildlife
Exciting game-drives
Twice daily game-drives in open 4x4 safari vehicles in the Serengeti National Park with sunrise and sundowner stops. Expert Tanzanian CC Africa guides will lead you on interpretive game-drives in open 4x4 safari vehicles into the game-rich Serengeti National Park, boasting the largest mass of free-ranging animals on earth. As there are only two small camps in this remote park, you almost never see other safari vehicles. Sundowners on the Kirawira Hills are a memorable way to end a day’s safari.

Grumeti River Camp offers excellent year-round game viewing including lion, leopard, elephant, cheetah, wildebeest, zebra, hippo, Nile crocodile, black-and-white colobus monkey, hyena, reedbuck, klipspringer, Masai giraffe, warthog and 341 bird species, in addition to the awesome Grumeti River crossings of the Great Migration.

Wildlife
Exceptional African wildlife: Grumeti is set in the remote western corridor of the Serengeti, boasting five distinct habitats, which are home to an astounding year-round concentration of animals.
• Resident lion prides and spotted hyena clans
• Spectacular congregations of migratory wildebeest (typically between June and July) which risk their lives crossing the Grumeti River
• Good cheetah viewing
• Gigantic Nile crocodile in Grumeti River
• Resident pods of hippo in front of the camp
• Superb birdwatching, including some Lake Victoria ‘specials’
• Splendid black-and-white Colobus monkeys
• Resident populations of buffalo, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle

Grumeti Habitats
Grumeti’s open woodland savanna is dominated by acacia and desert date trees. Grassland savanna consists of nutritious grasses which support resident herbivore populations. Bush-clump thickets of grewia, gardenia and cordia shrubs are hiding places for smaller mammals and feeding sites for birds. The level of the Grumeti River fluctuates greatly, sometimes spilling its banks, sometimes reduced to just a few pools. A large, almost permanent pool opposite the camp supports aquatic plants and birds, as well as large pods of hippo. Tamarind, river litchi and albizia trees are found in the riverine forest.

Mammals at Grumeti
Unlike other parts of the Serengeti, the western corridor has resident populations of large herbivores (elsewhere in the ecosystem, the vast majority of herbivores migrate). High densities of lion and spotted hyena hold territories around Grumeti River Camp. Resident herbivores are joined each season by huge numbers of migratory wildebeest and zebra. Bat-eared fox and serval are among regularly seen smaller carnivores. Family groups of black-and-white Colobus monkeys reside in the riverine forest. Pairs of dainty Kirk’s dik-dik inhabit bush-clump thickets. Handsome yellow-winged bats often roost in and around the camp.

Birds at Grumeti
There are 341 species recorded at Grumeti. Black crake and African jacana dance across water-weeds in front of the camp. Large flocks of gregarious yellow-throated sandgrouse visit waterholes to quench their thirst. Striking black-headed gonolek, slate-coloured boubou and rufous chatterer forage close to camp. Dazzling Fischer’s lovebirds feed alongside grey-capped social weavers and blue-capped cordonbleu in bush clump thickets. Eastern grey plantain-eater, Schalow’s turaco and double-toothed barbet feed on fruiting trees in the riverine forest. Tawny eagle, bateleur and white-headed vultures are among breeding raptors.

Birding Specials at Grumeti
• Eastern Grey Plantain-eater
• Grey-breasted Spurfowl
• Black-headed Gonolek
• Yellow-throated Sandgrouse
• Karamoja Apalis
• Rufous Chatterer
• Black-necked Weaver
• Fischer's Lovebird
• Spotted Morning-Thrush
• White-headed Vulture

Other Wildlife
Massive Nile crocodiles inhabit the waters of the Grumeti River. Colonies of pugnacious cocktail ants live in whistling thorn trees. Several species of iridescent dragonflies hunt on the Kanyanja Pool opposite the camp.

Lake Victoria excursions (optional extra)
Enjoy a day trip to Lake Victoria – Africa’s largest lake and the second largest lake in the world – situated 50 kilometres (31 miles) west of Grumeti River Camp. This exciting outing includes a safari, a visit to a local village and a panoramic view of the Lake from Speke Bay.

Cultural visit (optional extra)
This full-day excursion into the neighbouring Bunda district showcases various empowerment projects providing a fascinating insight into the lives of the local communities.

Ballooning Safaris
At dawn we take off, rising as the sun rises and float in whichever direction the winds of the morning take us. Get a unique perspective and great photographic opportunities of the wildlife below. Enjoy the enormity and wonderful panorama of the Serengeti… Afterwards, celebrate in the traditional manner with an excellent sparkling wine before sitting down to a full English breakfast prepared and served in the bush in 'Out of Africa' style.

Eco-Tourism
Grumeti River Camp is committed to CC Africa’s core principle: Care of the Land, Care of the Wildlife, Care of the people.

CC Africa’s focus: Community equity, income generation, education and health care are a primary concern. In consultation with community organisations such as the Africa Foundation – originally founded by CC Africa, now a not-for-profit rural development organisation – Grumeti River Camp has contributed significantly towards improving the prosperity and living conditions of the local community.

Various empowerment projects have been implemented in the Bunda district, 60 kilometres (37 miles) north west of Grumeti. On the ground support from Grumeti’s staff ensures ongoing success.

Ecotourism in Africa: Our guests play a critical role in helping CC Africa realise our dream and vision: to create a model in wise land management, integrating international travellers and rural people to their mutual benefit and demonstrating that wildlife can be preserved on a sustainable basis by all.

Positive Health Programme
CC Africa strongly believes in its people and was recently listed as one of three finalists in the Investor in People category of the 2005 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. The October 2005 edition of Africa Geographic featured an article on AIDS and conversation, and highlighted the activities and programmes that various African companies are implementing in order to increase AIDS awareness and, in doing so, empower the communities taking care of some of the world's richest wilderness regions.

"Probably the most attractive program ... is that of CC Africa... CC Africa launched a Positive Health program in 2003 and in April and May last year ran two seven-day courses.... Their approach focuses on home-based care, gardens, counseling techniques and gender issues.... The health of the habitat is critical to the health of the individuals in it.... The conservation industry is uniquely positioned to take the treatment of HIV/AIDS in radically new directions.... Benefits [of the program] include acquiring 'hard skills' such as maintaining clean water, producing food, and home-based methods of dealing with illnesses that are not life threatening.... It takes only the will of ecologically minded people to make sure that the wild places are not lost."
Africa Geographic, October 2005

Other Considerations
• Weather: Grumeti experiences pleasant temperatures, although summers can be hot and humid.
• Rainfall: Rainfall is seasonal with the so-called ‘short rains’ in November and December and the ‘long rains’ from March to May. The average annual rainfall is 800mm to 1000mm.
• Temperature: Generally, temperatures are pleasant, sometimes rising above 32°C/90°F. September, October and January are the warmest months. Temperatures rarely drop below 10°C/50°F. July is usually the coolest month.
• Best time to travel: There is excellent game viewing throughout the year. The migration is a 12-month cycle and the best time to see the migration at Grumeti is June and July. These months fall in the dry season. The Great Migration usually crosses the Grumeti River affording excellent viewing of the enormous crocodiles in action.
• Malaria: Please note Grumeti River Camp is situated in a malaria area and necessary precautions should be taken.
• Ratio of guests to staff: 1 to 2
• Camp closure: Grumeti closes during April and May each year during the long rains.

Top           Return to Serengeti Camps & Lodges           Return to Map of Tanzania

Wildebeest & Zebra Migration Routing & Schedule for Kenya / Tanzania:  Great Migration Schedule

For History and General information about Tanzania, click More Tanzania
For further information about the National Parks of Tanzania, click Tanzania Parks

                       

                                                 

African Safari - Home          Site Map          Currency Converter          Search          Links          Blog          Africa Weather          Budget Safaris          Photo Safaris

Botswana Safari          Kenya Safari          Malawi Safari          Mozambique Safari          Namibia Safari          Seychelles Islands

South Africa Safari          Tanzania Safari          Zambia Safari          Zimbabwe Safari

Safari Map          About Us          Our African Safaris          Scheduled Safaris          Rates and Pricing          Planning          News          FAQ's          Photography          Contact Us