Located deep inside Maasai country in Tarangire National Park, one of Tanzania’s most captivating but least-visited wilderness regions, Swala Camp has been consciously crafted in every detail to bring guests closer to nature. It fits snugly and sensitively into its surroundings beneath a natural canopy of acacia trees – stilted, thatched-roof communal areas are well-placed vantage points, a swimming pool is tucked neatly at the foot of an ancient baobab tree, a bijou boutique sells locally crafted wares, and just 12 spacious tented suites (with delightful outdoor showers) are pitched precisely for optimum views of the wildlife-drawing savannah.

To venture further is to become acquainted with quintessential safari scenes: sculptural termite mounds, swaying grasslands, and the winding Tarangire River which sustains the area’s roll call of wildlife through even the toughest of dry seasons. But merely strolling as far as the elevated bar deck for sundowners affords uninterrupted views of the park’s most famous residents: elephants. In fact, such is the camp’s unobtrusive, unfenced nature, its neighbors can regularly be seen up close as they stroll nonchalantly by – and some are even known by name. Elsewhere all this might come with the downside of crowds, but Swala Camp feels for all the world like an undiscovered secret, a peaceful, approachable place where beast outnumbers man by quite a spectacular distance.