Travelogue from Tanzania: Night game drive at Ikoma Wild Camp

In May 2025, booking specialist Pernille went on a safari holiday in Tanzania for the very first time. During their stay at Ikoma Wild Camp, they had the chance to experience a night game drive – a type of safari adventure under the cover of darkness. You’ll have to imagine the photos, as this is the only one that wasn’t far too blurry. It turns out, taking pictures in the dark is no easy feat!

After dinner, we prepared for our night game drive. A ranger from the hotel escorted us to the gates of the wild camp, where an open jeep awaited us along with an armed ranger, a driver, and a guide, who was ready to light up the night.

We were heading out on a 3-hour drive across the area, and venturing out into the pitch darkness of the Serengeti was truly extraordinary. The sounds from earlier in the day gave way to a deafening chorus of cicadas, and with the darkness enveloping us, all of my other senses became razor-sharp. I found myself barely breathing, my neck and stomach tense as we set off. Every prickly bush and anthill could easily be mistaken for the back of a lion or the antlers of a gazelle. The jeep fell silent, everybody focused and peering ahead into the beam cast across the bush by our guide’s powerful torch.

We first spotted rabbits and some large buffaloes. Eyes glimmered in the night. Impalas appeared on the road ahead. Gradually, the clouds slipped away from the sky and the stars began to twinkle above us. Driving through the cool night air, feeling the night breeze on your face, and listening to the cicadas created a magical atmosphere. As the drive was drawing to a close, we suddenly caught sight of a lion joining another lioness! Our driver turned off road to follow them. They settled down in the grass and we were able to approach so closely that we made eye contact. They were stalking their next prey, and before long, a few elephants emerged not far from us. Another buffalo rustled in a nearby bush, and the sound of hyenas cut sharply through the air.

We wrapped up the evening’s game drive, accompanied on our way back to Ikoma by a couple of zebras ambling leisurely in front of the jeep. When we finally returned to camp, I felt a wave of relief wash over me—not from fear, but from the thrill and the need to let the whole experience truly sink in. On the walk back to my tent, I looked up into the inky night sky, and there stretched the Milky Way, a perfect finale to an evening that had been nothing short of breathtaking.

Pernille

TourCompass – From tourist to traveller