Nestled in a remote pocket of Tarangire National Park, Swala is sited in a copse of majestic acacia trees at the edge of the Gurusi wetlands and the unfurling savannah beyond. The stands of ancient baobab trees, large family herds of elephants, prolific bird life and dry season concentrations of wildlife make Tarangire the classic Africa of lore – feted by explorers, immortalized in documentaries and sought after by the discerning traveller. This picturesque safari hideaway is exclusive in the southwestern corner of Tarangire National Park, affording guests private gameviewing, wilderness luxury, and a privileged glimpse of an Africa, untrammelled by tourism.
Swala’s nine private, permanent tents feature ensuite bathrooms with showers, complemented by fittings and fixtures crafted from local materials to mirror the understated elegance of the time-honoured safari style. The elevated terraces on the tents are appointed towards the waterhole that attracts wildlife year-round to ensure that your African wildlife experiences do not finish when you leave your vehicle. Throughout your stay, you will be serenaded by the resident wildlife, including impala (after which the camp is named), waterbuck, lion and various elephant groups. There is even a resident leopard that puts in the occasional guest appearance at the waterhole during dinner.
Meals are taken in the comfortable dining tent, with full silver service, Pan-African cuisine and fine wines adding to the “country house under canvas” ambience. Swala’s accomplished hosts, personal tent attendants, safari guides and Masai askaris that accompany you to your tent at night enhance your stay with their own personalized African affability, professionalism and knowledge.
As part of their commitment to this forgotten corner of Tanzania, the staff and management team at Swala have initiated a pioneering community conservation project that has recently led to the building of a school for the children of a village that borders Tarangire. Guests at Swala are offered the privileged opportunity to learn more about these projects and become involved as part of their stay.
Swala offers an experience that is both exclusive in its setting and luxurious in its style, the ambience of old, wild Africa with a breathtaking location that defines the safari as surely as the wildlife that inhabits it.