The Most Remarkable Dining Experiences in the Wild

By Britta Foulis – Content Marketing Manager

After waking up at the crack of dawn and spending a few hours exploring Africa’s plains while spotting wildlife on a game drive, the best place to have lunch is right where you are – in the bush, of course! Our guides love searching for the most beautiful and unique locations to stop for a snack. You’ll have the chance to stretch your legs and take in the stunning scenery while enjoying a mouth-watering breakfast, lunch, or dinner in the heart of the bush.

Enjoy a delicious bush lunch on the bonnet of your game drive vehicle. Photo credits: Fabian Fridholm

All of our camps offer bush lunches which can be enjoyed anywhere and while a beautiful setting is always guaranteed, some locations have that extra added touch of uniqueness which we thought to share with you.

Jabali Ridge, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

Ruaha National Park is famous for its excellent guides and truly wild landscape. Jabali Ridge is set high on a rocky kopje, sheltered by the boulders that surround the property and shaded by trees on all sides. The landscape of Ruaha is truly wild and untamed, while you explore the area you’ll be captivated by the unique flora and fauna as well as the sheer exclusivity and quiet that Ruaha has to offer.

The overgrown rocky areas that surround the camp create the most perfect setting to enjoy lunch after a morning game drive. A light, buffet-style lunch is served, including plenty of fresh salads to help keep you cool as the warm afternoon sun creeps through the leaves overhead. If you’re up for something a little more out of your comfort zone, enjoy a moonlit dinner amongst the boulders – the setting is otherworldly!

Ruaha‘s unique landscape and mesmerising skies need nothing else to make them special, heading out into the bush and finding a beautiful location to have a bite to eat really isn’t very difficult – just look at how incredible the scene below is, taken while guests enjoyed lunch in Ruaha National Park.

Encounter Mara, Mara Naboisho Conservancy, Kenya

Encounter Mara is located in the beautiful Mara Naboisho Conservancy in Kenya. The 50000 acres that make up the conservancy are an outstanding example of how tourism can benefit both conservation and the community simultaneously. Local people and wildlife live in harmony, and because of this the area has a higher density of game compared to the Masai Mara, and one of the highest lion densities in the world.

The routes you follow with your guide while exploring the area on a game drive have many special spots that are perfect for a bush lunch. Spectacular acacia trees, shaded forests next to streams, and sweeping landscapes of the conservancy all make for the perfect setting to sit down, relax, and enjoy a delicious meal.

Rubondo Island Camp, Rubondo Island, Tanzania

Located in the south-west corner of Lake Victoria is the truly unique Rubondo Island. Over three-quarters of the island is covered in pristine and untouched equatorial forest. The island is home to bushbuck, secretive sitatunga (Africa’s only semi-aquatic antelope), elephant, hippo, crocodile, chimpanzees, and more.

The island is also home to Rubondo Island Camp, our eco-friendly, lakefront property which is the only lodging on the island and surrounded by unspoilt and lush vegetation. Lunch on our lookout deck is a wild dining experience on its own as you overlook the waters of Lake Victoria while you enjoy a scrumptious meal prepared by our chefs.

Heading out to explore parts of the island, you’ll find there are many areas to enjoy a bush lunch – with the most spectacular scenery, of course. One of our favourite spots is on the shores of Lake Victoria, where our chef prepares your meal right there, providing a live cooking experience for you to enjoy which usually includes fresh fish caught that day with some delicious vegetables grown from our very own Rubondo Island vegetable garden.

Roho Ya Selous, Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

Roho ya Selous is found in the very heart of the Selous Game Reserve and is the perfect place from which to explore the vast wilderness. Exploring this remarkable area will leave you in awe of its beauty and diversity which means that at times, you may find yourself out in the bush and not wanting to head back to camp for lunch. This is exactly why a bush lunch is always an option, you have more time to explore the area you are visiting and be immersed in the wilderness at the same time.

There’s an extra special activity available at Roho ya Selous that allows you to spend a night or two outside of camp and enjoy an al fresco dining experience like no other. Fly camping takes you out of camp for a night in your personal campsite, deep in the wilderness. At Roho ya Selous, you’ll head out on foot and find yourself on the shorefront of one of the Selous’s many waterways where you’ll spend the night. You can find out more about this unique experience here.

As the sun begins to set, your private chef will start preparing a hearty meal over the fire – you’ll enjoy your dinner with the most glorious sunset as your backdrop. Fall asleep underneath the glittering stars, dreaming of the day’s adventures. In the morning, you’ll be woken up to the aroma of a yummy breakfast being prepared and enjoy breakfast on the banks of the river before heading out on a walking safari that takes you back to camp – this is quite possibly one of the wildest dining experiences we have to offer you and one we recommend every adventure lover to enjoy.

—

We would love to welcome you to experience one of these memorable feasts, if you have any dietary requirements, please let us know in advance and our camp chefs will be happy to cater for your specific needs.