In December 2025, a new base camp opened on the doorstep of Ruaha National Park — Tanzania’s largest national park and one of the least crowded of its great wildernesses. Oxpecker Camp & Lodge is family-run, family-built, and it’s quickly become one of our favourite additions to the Southern Circuit for travellers booking through Climatical Safaris.
Built by the family that guides it
Oxpecker Camp is the work of the same family behind Oxpecker Tours, who have been running game drives in this part of Tanzania for well over a decade. Every stone cottage, every timber beam in the bandas, and every path through the acacias was set by people who know this land — which shows in how naturally the camp sits into the Iringa landscape, right at the edge of Ruaha.
Three ways to stay
The camp offers a genuine range of accommodation styles depending on how you like to travel. The hand-built stone cottages come with en-suite bathrooms, netted beds and a private porch facing the bush — cool during the heat of the day, cosy once the sun goes down. The thatched bandas are raised from local timber and thatch, built in a style you can trace straight back to the surrounding villages. And for travellers who want the classic safari experience, there’s shaded camping ground under the acacias, with hot showers and meals from the camp kitchen — falling asleep to the actual sounds of the wild.
Game drives from the gate
Because the camp is run by Oxpecker’s own guiding team, there’s no waiting around for transfers. The pop-top Land Cruisers load up right at the cottages, so breakfast at camp can mean elephants by mid-morning. Days at Oxpecker typically combine early game drives into Ruaha — famous for its elephant herds, prides of lion, and some of the oldest baobabs in Tanzania — with slower moments back at camp: sundowners on the porch, dinner around the fire, guided bush walks, birding, and the odd game of darts on a baobab trunk.
Why we recommend it
Ruaha remains one of Tanzania’s best-kept secrets — vast, rugged, and far quieter than the northern parks. Having a genuinely local, family-run camp right at its edge means our guests get an authentic Southern Circuit experience without compromising on comfort. It’s an easy addition to any Ruaha-based itinerary, whether as your main base or a stop on a longer Southern Circuit route.
Ask us about adding Ruaha and Oxpecker Camp to your safari →