Reviews of Alex Walker's Serian Serengeti
(98%) From 8 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Classic Safari experience
This camp had a great ambience. You could imagine you were on an old time safari, just with power. The guide and tracker were outstanding and having both made a real difference in terms of what we could see. The food was the best of any of the places we stayed.
Because it as the very end of the season, we were the only ones there, which was a little awkward but the camp managers handled it gracefully. The only negative is that it was extremely hot during the day and the tents had no fan. Consequently, it was uncomfortable and hard to relax between the morning and afternoon game drives. Hopefully, that will be rectified.
Amazing safari to catch the migration
We stayed at Serian's Serengeti North camp for 4 nights in mid-July, with the main goal of catching the wildebeest migration. It did not disappoint. Due to the camp's mobile nature / close proximity to the Mara River, we saw crossings on basically every day of our safari - an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime sight.
The facilities at the camp themselves were also very nice. While very comfortable, they weren't "opulent" but rather very functional. I was a bit unsure about the bucket shower at first, but it was a great reminder of how much water we probably waste at home every day! It was nice to be woken up to a cup of coffee delivered to the room each morning, and fascinating to hear the wildebeest right outside of our tent each night.
The staff at the camp were very friendly and attentive, and the meals were all good. We especially enjoyed speaking with Ainslie about her experiences - she is very warm and straightforward but a great ambassador for Serian. Our guide and spotter were also very helpful, with a focus on the first two days of trying to see as much as we could, and the last two a bit more on what we'd like to see more of. Having a vehicle to yourself is a real luxury that not every camp provides.
Alex Walker's Serian Serengeti review
Small tented camp with a classic ‘Out of Africa’ feel to it, a few km from the Mara river. Comfortable tents - bucket shower easy to get the hang of and more than adequate.
Very friendly/efficiently run with plenty of activities- morning balloon safari over the Mara river highly recommended. Lovely food in a communal dining setting.
Private vehicle with guide and tracker a definite plus point - if you don’t feel like waiting hours for the wildebeest to cross the river you can just go and see something else.
Bush breakfast during the morning game drives a highlight.
Alex Walker's Serian Serengeti review
Fantastic location! Comfortable camp and vehicles. Great guide. We did see a "crossing" of wildebeests but the opposite side was so full of vehicles that they blocked the exit for the crossing. While none of these vehicles were from the Serian it seems there should be some regulation among the camps so that the animals are not negatively impacted.
The game walk we did was the highlight of our entire Africa trip.
Alex Walker's Serian Serengeti review
Terrific guiding. Loved having private vehicle and would book the same on subsequent safari trips.
The standard of accommodation was extremely high particularly considering they are located in the middle of nowhere and are a mobile camp.
Flycamping was a highlight! They do a tremendous job of making you feel removed from your everyday life and connected to the wilderness.
Migration at AW Serian Serengeti
You only get the dimension of the number of animals in the migration if you are close to where they are and for us it was the right camp to see it!! (march)
Great staff and great service at this tented camp which fulfills all your needs.
Alex Walker's Camp Is Simply The Very Best
Alex Walker's Serengeti South Camp exceeded my very high and hopeful expectations as I had visited the Serengeti on five prior occasions. The Great Migration is an experience that I never tire of. Alex Walker is an expert's expert on the Serengeti and much of East and South Africa. He is an extremely kind, unassuming, and generous man who sets the tone and high standards for the entire experience.
His guides are first rate. There are no limitations on each guest's use of his/her car and guides. If you wish to be away from the camp for twelve hours and drive 200 miles every day, you can do so. All of the guests who stayed at the camp were, without exception, interesting, adventurous, and well traveled individuals who chose Alex Walker's camp for the same reason I did - a place where you find the best guides and are, very importantly, away from all of the camp, lodges, and tourists near Ndutu.
Alex Walker is personally responsible for making every visitor's stay special. He matches each guest/guests with the guides which he believes will be most suitable. His senior managers and staff are highly experienced experts on wildlife and masters of hospitality. It would very difficult to have an equal experience anywhere else in the Serengeti and, impossible, to have a better experience. When you leave Alex Walker's Serian Serengeti South Camp after four nights, you are leaving new and special friends who you very much hope to see again.
While I do not profess to be an expert on Africa, I have been traveling to the African continent on a regular basis since 1974. I have visited most countries on the continent, often more than once, as Africa is a magnet that keeps drawing me back. Alex Walker and his extraordinary management team and staff made my January, 2016 visit to the Great Migration the best I have ever experienced. I will return.
Great guiding, not-so-great camp
Our experience at Alex Walker's Serian camp in the northern Serengeti was mixed. The biggest strength of the camp was the quality of the guiding and the overall wildlife experience. Having a private open-sided vehicle with our own guide and spotter was amazing! The guides are very well-trained, and having a spotter in addition to a driver/guide meant that we found animals that others might have missed. Our guide Michael and our spotter Puce were an excellent team, and they went out of their way to make our experience great.
On the other hand the camp itself was very disappointing, which mainly seemed to be due to poor management. The staff was good and they worked very hard, but the tents were a bit shabby with very poor attention to detail. The main mess area was cramped and stuffy, and the camp as a whole was not a very comfortable place to hang out. The camp is located in an open area with no water or trees nearby, so it just bakes in the sun all day. The paths from the tents to the main mess area are long, dusty, and unshaded.
Strangely, we did not hear or see any wildlife from our tent or the camp over the four days we spent there. Probably just a result of timing and luck, but we missed hearing the nighttime sounds that we've experienced on other safaris.
Expert Africa comments
Alex Walker and his team were very sorry to hear this feedback and are addressing the issues raised with the management. They try their best to deliver a high quality experience and were sad that this didn't appear to the case on this occasion. They do agree that into the dry season the area around the camp can be very open and lacking in shade, but its close proximity to the river and good game viewing was the reason they opted for that site.
