Many travelers when they hear the words Tented Safari Package, may think of a dome budget tent.

The traditional African Safari started with mobile tents, and now have evolved into permanent tented Safari camps, as well as permanent lodge structures.

Tented Safari Camps:

A tented Safari experience usually depending on the level or class of the package, will mean a permanent, usually semi screened very large tent with it own en suite bathroom, and usually  a outdoor Balinese type shower facilities.

. An outdoor private deck usually be part of this structure as well.

The permanent  Safari tent usually will be  built into the ground on a usually large wooden support, usually a large A frame structure within a safari camp.

These  tents are large spacious canvas tents with larger window areas, that roll up and down ie day or night use.

The level of comfort and luxury, that some of these tented camps is to be experienced. You have all the luxury you want, for the level of package you purchasing, in a beautiful natural setting. All the tented camps have full electricity, heaters for winter, all the amenities you may need.

The furnishings that go into a safari tent are quite unique and my clients are generally so impressed with the distinctive design features.

Mobile tented safaris are different .  Here the tents are set up every night, as you enjoy a day Safari.  Generally  2 two nights  in a location. Everything is taken care of for you, and these mobile Safaris can be very luxurious. Some of the luxury tents have their own private en suite bathrooms.

Permanent Safari Units

A Tented Safari means a permanent tent, built into the ground on a usually large wooden support, usually a large A frame structure within a safari camp, vs a lodge style unit that has the same large wooden support A frame structure.

The permanent lodge unit will have the same structure, however will be finished off with generally wood, they too are generally very spacious, large with both inside and sometimes outdoor Balinese type shower facilities.

Both types of lodging have private en suite bathrooms, beds with mattresses, some if not all of them have private decks. They both types have their own unique ambiance, décor, unique features. The furnishings that go into the design and decoration of a safari camp are quite unique and my clients are generally so impressed with the distinctive design features.

As a example, below is a description of Jao camp, a luxury camp  in Botswana:

Guests are accommodated in nine large and spacious rooms. Each of the unique and beautiful twin-bedded canvas and thatched rooms has been individually handcrafted under the direction of renowned architects Sylvio Rech and Leslie Carstens. The rooms are built under a canopy of shady trees, with en-suite bathroom, hot and cold running water, a large bath and double vanity. There is an additional outside shower under the stars for those more adventurous guests who want to shower closer to nature. There is an outdoor "sala" for guests to enjoy midday siestas with a view and a breeze. The rooms are raised off the ground and offer wonderful views of the surrounding flood plains.

Dont be mislead by the term Deluxe vs Moderate Safari lodge...the animals don’t distinguish, and they wander where they want to. In Feb 04 I spent a night in the public bungalows in Kruger National Park, and had better game viewing than my next night a Deluxe game lodge.

Deluxe lodges offer  that higher quality  service, larger variety of food, larger rooms, more amenities.