Lamai Serengeti

Lamai sits on the Kogakuria Kopje in northern Serengeti National Park, a tumble of giant boulders rising above the grasslands. The view from the rocks runs for miles across the plains, and on a clear morning it carries on towards the Masai Mara.

Twelve open-fronted rooms are spread across two separate lodges: eight in the main camp and four at Lamai Private, a smaller camp reserved for exclusive group bookings. Every room has its own verandah and deck facing the plains. Bathrooms are en suite, with double sinks and hot and cold running water, and they are open enough to let you watch the landscape while you brush your teeth. Families can take a pairing of two bedrooms with a shared bathroom, the children's side fitted with two single beds and its own entrance.

The camp was built to follow the shape of the kopje rather than overrule it, so the rooms are light-filled and hard to pick out from the plains below. Furniture and artefacts are made by Tanzanian artisans, and some pieces are upcycled finds from markets across the country. In the main area you step down into a lounge with an open fire, a fully stocked bar with seats salvaged from old Land Rovers, and a dining space with open views where dinner is served under the stars. A swimming pool looks out over the Serengeti.

The Mara River lies just down the track. Wildebeest cross these plains on their annual migration, the Mara River crossings are only a couple of miles from the lodge at Lamai Private, and the surrounding country holds resident lion, leopard and rhino. Game drives start from camp.

Lamai suits those who would rather spend a morning on the veranda with a coffee and let the plains do the talking. The camp is open from June to mid-March.