Tarangire View Camp - Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

A simple ladder to the top of a sunset viewing boulder offered panoramas over Tarangire National Park, Tanzania, that seemed both decadent and rustic. The saltwater soaking pool set into the forest below wasn’t large, but it looked luxurious. These juxtapositions permeated this new tented lodge built around rock outcroppings in the park near Mpingo Ridge.

Tarangire View Camp’s deceptively simple design offers travelers a safari “bush feeling” with a touch of comfort and privacy that preserves the natural environment. But its thoughtful details, such as appealing decor, great viewing spots, and incredible food, evidence the elevated experience travelers can expect.

We got to the camp after a smooth three-hour drive from Arusha to Tarangire National Park, a hidden gem compared to the more popular safari parks like Serengeti or Ngorongoro Crater. Tarangire, named after the river that flows through the park, is a fantastic place to spot herds of elephants and huge, ancient baobab trees. It’s drier than the other parks and the tsetse flies can get a bit intense, but it’s also less crowded and home to 550 bird varieties and other wildlife, including rare dry-country antelope such as the fringe-eared oryx.

Tarangire View Camp’s creator, who placed it conveniently within the park, has a long history of running lodges like this. Its natural surroundings are the most striking thing about it, a feature the camp highlights in its central reception structure with extensive open decks and cushy multi-platformed seating areas that gaze over baobab trees. This is the most ornate section of the lodge, decorated with unusual art of painted birds, colorful glass lamps and carved wood.

After a warm greeting and a cool towel, the attentive staff escorts guests from this main spot to one of 12 house-style tents. Tarangire View Camp offers eight double/twin rooms and four triple/quadruple rooms.

It felt like we were being taken on a hike into the middle of nowhere, but instead we arrived at a simple-looking cabin. Once inside, we realized how spacious and private it was: We hadn’t yet seen or heard another guest and couldn’t see any of the other rooms.

Our own meticulously designed space had two beds with piped wooden headboards, an en-suite bathroom, ample luggage storage, a huge window, and a private deck with a couch. It was homey but beautiful, and the large desk and chair set next to a huge chalkboard inside was a fun touch.

Tip: Bring along your own shampoo/conditioner (we only found bars of soap), a flashlight, and a portable charging brick.

There’s no WiFi at Tarangire View Camp and it runs on solar power, which is only available for guests to use from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. That was the biggest downside here. It gets really dark and it’s hard to charge up multiple devices if you’ve given your cameras and laptop a good workout that day. But you can bring your electronics to the main reception area for charging if you’re desperate.

Watch the sun go down from a set of boulders made comfortable by lodge staff who give you pillows, blankets and even your own bags of popcorn. They will take drink orders and deliver them up the ladder. This was one of the only times we interacted with other guests.

The lodge falls into deep darkness once the sun is gone, but that means you get a spectacular view of the stars. Two knowledgeable guides with flashlights escorted us to and from our room with stories to tell.

Drop by the bar before dinner and have a local drink. We tried Amarula, a South African cream liquor made from the Marula tree that suggested flavors of caramel and chocolate. Or take a Tanzanian beer down to the soaking pool to unwind. The choice is primarily lagers (a lighter beer typically found in tropical climates).

The highlight here, however, is the restaurant. Sit down, lose track of time and enjoy a bougie multi-course meal so delicious you’ll forget you are on safari. The chef seamlessly accommodated food restrictions (I had a lovely celery soup instead of butternut squash) and the medley of carrots, string beans and cauliflower was cooked perfectly. We also had roast goat with an excellent sauce. But the best part of all was the dessert: It was a passion fruit mousse so creamy and flavorful that despite being dangerously full, I made room to eat it all.

Another note about the sweets — Tarangire View Camp’s ginger cake, which we were lucky enough to have with breakfast, was also amazing. Everyone else appeared to agree with me because when I went back for more, it was gone.