Little Oliver's, Tarangire National Park

Little Oliver's — Exclusive-Use Safari in Southern Tarangire

Little Oliver's is the intimate, exclusive-use wing of Oliver's Camp, one of the pioneering safari properties in Tarangire National Park. Originally a separate five-tent camp, Little Oliver's was folded into Oliver's Camp in June 2021 and can now be booked as a private section — giving families or small groups their own dedicated tents, guide and vehicle while sharing Oliver's broader facilities and main area.

The camp sits in the remote, little-visited southern section of Tarangire National Park, overlooking the Minyonyo Pools — a permanent water source that draws extraordinary concentrations of elephants, buffalo, lion, leopard and plains game, particularly during the dry season from August to October. Tarangire receives a fraction of the visitor traffic of the Serengeti or Ngorongoro Crater, and this southern location pushes the exclusivity even further.

Location and Wildlife

Tarangire National Park is defined by two things: elephants and baobabs. The park has one of the highest elephant densities in Tanzania — herds of 200 or more are common during the dry season as animals converge on the Tarangire River and its associated marshlands. The landscape is strikingly different from the open Serengeti plains: ancient baobab trees, dry savanna woodland, and seasonal swampland create a mosaic of habitats that supports an unusually broad range of species.

Oliver's Camp — and by extension Little Oliver's — sits near the Silale Swamps, the park's prime game-viewing area. Lion prides patrol the grassland margins, leopard use the riverine woodland for ambush hunting, and large buffalo herds graze the floodplains. During the wet season (November–May), the park's migratory species — wildebeest, zebra, hartebeest and eland — return from their dispersal areas, boosting wildlife density further. Tarangire is also one of the best birding parks in northern Tanzania, with over 550 recorded species.

Camp Design

Little Oliver's five tents sit approximately a kilometre from the main Oliver's Camp area, along the river overlooking the Minyonyo Pools. Each tent is set on a raised platform under a thatched roof, with solid wooden furniture crafted from reclaimed dhow wood, earthy tones, and an en-suite bathroom that straddles indoor and outdoor spaces — including an open-air shower under the stars. Private verandas offer direct views of the pools, where elephants and other wildlife come to drink, sometimes within metres of the tent.

The main Oliver's Camp area — shared with Little Oliver's guests — includes a large, two-tiered lounge with regal leather armchairs, campaign furniture, and a well-stocked library of natural history reference books. A fire pit provides the evening social hub, and the swimming pool overlooks the Tarangire plains. Dining is either in the tent or outdoors, depending on weather.

Activities

Tarangire's national park status combined with Oliver's special permissions enables an activity range that most Serengeti camps cannot match. Walking safaris with armed rangers are a signature offering — multi-hour treks through baobab woodland with ground-level encounters with wildlife. Night game drives reveal a different ecosystem: bushbabies, genets, porcupines, aardvarks, and big cats on the hunt. Fly camping — spending a night in a temporary bush camp under the stars with minimal equipment — is the camp's most adventurous option and one of the few genuine fly-camping experiences available inside a Tanzanian national park. Hot-air balloon safaris over the Tarangire floodplains are available at additional cost.

Who Is Little Oliver's Best For?

Little Oliver's is ideal for families, multi-generational groups, or friends travelling together who want the privacy of their own camp within a proven, well-run operation. The exclusive-use booking model means your group sets its own schedule. It is also an excellent choice for travellers who have already done the Serengeti and want something different — Tarangire's elephants, baobabs and walking safaris offer a fundamentally different safari character.