Kirawira Camp - Tanzania
The most exclusive of the Serena Group’s many Safari venues, the exquisite Kirawira tented camp is the epitome of classic safari camp luxury and a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World group.   Kirawira Camp Standing high on the bluff of a bush-cloaked ridge, commanding panoramic views over the endlessly rolling reaches and volcanic reefs of the Serengeti National Park, Kirawira Camp is the epitome of colonially-styled safari luxury. Designed in typically Edwardian style, it features an elegant central meeting tent evocatively furnished with a tasteful selection of chintz-covered chaises longues, jewel-hued Persian rugs, antique escritoires, wind-up phonograms, leather-bound travelling cases, brass shooting sticks, carved rocking chairs, and stud-backed smoking chairs.   The tent also incorporates a stained-glass and mahogany Edwardian bar and a stone flagged, khaki-and-canvas ‘Sun downer’ terrace looking out over gently sloping acacia groves towards the lilac-grey hills and lion-gold plains of the Serengeti’s Western Corridor, scene of the thunderous theatre of the million-strong wildebeest migration. As for camp views, from lilac-streaked sunrise to diamond-domed night, the searingly sensational Serengeti delivers a series of timeless volcanic vistas that are second to none.

Suites and Rooms at Kirawira
The essentially colonial ambiance of the tented-rooms evokes colourful memories of the famous safaris of days gone by, when such romantic figures as Teddy Roosevelt and Edward, Prince of Wales indulged in lavish East African shooting safaris of unrivalled elegance. Each room has a personal valet and has been accommodated in a spacious canvas tent, erected on raised platforms of rope-lashed logs and sheltered by a bush-thatch roof. The décor is a clever blend of classic opulence and camp practicality featuring generous four-poster beds, hand-made patchwork quilts, steamer-trunk wardrobes, brass lamps, sepia photographs and rosewood escritoires, whilst to the rear of each tent is an elegant mahogany-panelled bathroom with twin marble washstands, polished brass fittings and classic black-and-white tiled Edwardian shower and lavatory. The lodge offers 25 luxury tents, each with a private terrace and personal valet (5 King Size and 20 Twin Bedded Tents). Dining In keeping with the theme of colonial opulence, the elegant dining tents feature Edwardian-styled dining furniture, sprung floors, crisp-starched napery, delicate blue and white china and weighty silver accoutrements, whilst the staff are attired in classical colonial ‘mess’ uniform of white Swahili robes and turbans.   The extensive menus, meanwhile, feature full English breakfasts and five-course luncheons and suppers comprising delicate soups, lavish roasts, classic salads, home-made sorbets, local cheese boards and fresh-brewed Arabica coffee, whilst the extensive wine cellar reflects the best of both European and South African choices.

 

An Edwardian Wedding at Kirawira

If you’d like to say ‘I do’ against the exclusive backdrop of a classic Edwardian tented camp amidst the glory of the Serengeti National Park, why not say ‘Yes’ at Kirawira? It’s not only that you’ll be guaranteed a beautiful day, an elegant wedding banquet in traditional safari style and the chance to end your special day under the indigo and diamond dome of the Serengeti skies, but also that all you’ll have to do on the day, is enjoy it. We do the rest. As to formalities; from registrar to certificate, wedding cake to champagne, all will be arranged.  Options Include: - Traditional ‘safari camp’ wedding ceremony. - Cultural dancers, singers and musicians. - Champagne cocktail reception by the swimming pool. - Candle-lit honeymoon ‘bush’ dinner for two. - Luxurious honeymoon tent supplied with tropical fruit and chilled champagne. - Photography and videoing of your special day. - Special accommodation packages for the entire wedding party.

The Serengeti
The Serengeti Ecosystem Life in the Serengeti is a complex and dynamic ecological system in which all the animals and plants interact both with each other and with their environment. No organism is static or exists in isolation and all are dependant on the rains. The park is made up of several different vegetation zones: in the dry south are the short and long grassland plains, where an average of only 50cm of rain falls per year. In the centre lies an area of acacia savannah whilst the western corridor marks a region of wooded highlands and ‘black cotton’ soil curving in a great swathe to the edge of Lake Victoria. To the north is wooded grassland, which concentrates along the watercourses and tributaries of the Grumeti and Mara Rivers.   Taking the Eco Route The Serena Group is committed to an escalating eco-policy that embraces sensitivity to the interests of the local population in relation to such matters as: cultural preservation, sustainable habitat and community development. The group also abides by a code of responsible practice in relation to: energy conservation, waste recycling, sewage disposal, air emissions, pesticides, noise reduction and visual pollution.   Finally, all Serena Group properties are built to harmonise with the local landscape and to utilise eco-friendly materials, local handicrafts and products. Wherever possible we also aim to enhance the environment via landscaping and indigenous plant material reinforcement.

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