Dining
Safari Dining in Tanzania
Camp cuisine, dietary requirements, bush dinners, and the quality of food on safari.
Safari dining has come a long way. The days of basic camp food are past. Professional camp kitchens in Tanzania prepare varied, well-cooked, often genuinely excellent food — in remote locations, using fresh ingredients, with remarkable results. After the physical challenge of a Kilimanjaro climb, returning to camp to a hot meal and cold beer is one of the simple pleasures of the Safari Kilimanjaro combination.
This guide covers what to expect at each meal, the bush dinner experience, how dietary requirements are handled, and what beverages are included. Read it before your trip — and arrive ready to enjoy the food as much as the wildlife.
A Day of Eating
What to Expect at Each Meal
Early Morning
5:00–5:30am — before departure
Tea, coffee, and a light snack — biscuits, toast — delivered to your tent before the first game drive. This ritual marks the start of every safari day. The coffee is hot, the sky is usually still dark, and the sounds of the African dawn are beginning. Do not skip this.
Breakfast
After morning game drive — approximately 8:30–9:30am
A proper cooked breakfast after the morning drive. The menu varies by camp but typically includes: eggs cooked to order (scrambled, fried, omelette), bacon or sausage, toast with butter and jam, fresh fruit, baked beans, and coffee or tea. A continental breakfast — cereals, yogurt, pastries — may also be available.
Bush Breakfast
Typically once per 3–4 day safari — arranged by the camp
Breakfast served in the open, away from camp. A table set in a clearing, the smell of wood smoke, eggs cooked on a portable stove, bacon and fresh fruit laid out. Coffee poured fresh while the sun rises. This is one of the iconic experiences of a Tanzania safari — and it is always excellent, not just romantic.
Lunch
Approximately 1:00–2:00pm
A lighter meal than dinner, served before the afternoon game drive. Common options: salads (tomato, cucumber, lettuce, onion), cold meats, cheese, rice, pasta, or soup. Some camps serve a buffet. After lunch, there is usually time for a rest before the afternoon game drive departs at approximately 3:30pm.
Sundowner
During the afternoon game drive, before sunset
Technically not a meal, but the sundowner is a dining tradition. As the afternoon game drive approaches dusk, the guide stops at a scenic spot — a kopje, a riverbank, a clearing with a view. Beers, soft drinks, and snacks are set out. You watch the sun set over the African bush. It is included in most mid-range and luxury packages.
Dinner
After evening game drive — approximately 7:30–8:30pm
The main meal of the day. At mid-range and luxury camps, expect three courses: a soup or starter, a main course (meat or fish with vegetables and a starch), and a dessert (cake, custard, ice cream, fruit). The quality of camp cuisine at established properties is genuinely impressive — trained chefs using fresh ingredients in remote locations.
The Experience
The Bush Dinner — An Iconic Safari Experience
A bush dinner is one of the most memorable experiences on a Tanzania safari. The camp sets up a table in a clearing outside the main camp — away from the tents, away from the kitchen, in the open bush. Lanterns and candles are lit. White tablecloths are laid. The food is transported from the kitchen and served course by course.
- →Served in the open, away from camp — surrounded by the African bush
- →Three courses — soup, main, dessert — prepared by the camp kitchen
- →The setting is extraordinary — lanterns, candles, stars overhead
- →Wildlife is audible nearby — hyenas, lions, the night sounds of the bush
- →Arranged by the camp — coordinate with your guide to ensure it happens on your itinerary
- →Included in most luxury packages; available at additional cost at mid-range camps
Coordinate with your guide to ensure a bush dinner is scheduled during your safari.
Dietary Needs
Dietary Requirements
Communicate any dietary requirements at the time of booking. Most safari camps can accommodate the following with advance notice:
Vegetarian
Most breakfasts are naturally vegetarian (eggs, toast, fruit, cereal). Lunch and dinner require advance notice. Specify whether you eat dairy and eggs (lacto-ovo) or avoid them entirely (vegan).
Vegan
Possible at most camps but requires planning. The camp kitchen needs advance notice to source appropriate ingredients. Breakfast may be simpler (fruit, toast). Lunch and dinner require specific instruction.
Halal
Halal-compliant meals are available at most camps. The key requirement is no pork and meat slaughtered according to Islamic law. Confirm this with each camp on arrival.
Gluten-free
Accommodated at most camps with advance notice. Eggs, meat, fish, vegetables, rice, and potatoes are naturally gluten-free. Confirm with the camp kitchen.
Allergies
Communicate allergies at the time of booking. Severe allergies (nuts, shellfish): carry your EpiPen in your daypack, not in your main luggage.
Communicate dietary requirements at the time of booking — minimum 2 weeks in advance for most camps.
Refreshments
Beverages on Safari
Water
Unlimited bottled water is provided at all times — during game drives, at camp, with every meal. You do not need to carry your own water.
Tea and coffee
Always available — with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and on game drives (the thermos flask is standard). Luxury camps may offer espresso-based drinks.
Beer and wine
Available at all camps. Local Tanzanian lagers are the standard. Wine is available at most mid-range and luxury camps, usually for an additional charge.
Soft drinks
Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite — available at most camps, often included in mid-range and luxury packages.
Premium spirits
At luxury camps, premium spirits (gin, whisky, vodka) are typically included in the all-inclusive rate. At mid-range camps, available for purchase.
FAQ
Safari Dining — Common Questions
Will I eat well on a Tanzania safari?
Yes — the food on a Tanzania safari is better than most visitors expect. Professional camp kitchens prepare varied, well-cooked meals in challenging conditions. The setting makes everything taste better: breakfast after a lion sighting, dinner by candlelight with hyenas calling, lunch overlooking an elephant herd at a waterhole.
Can you accommodate dietary requirements?
Yes. Vegetarian, vegan, halal, gluten-free, and most food allergies can be accommodated with advance notice. Communicate your requirements at the time of booking — minimum 2 weeks before departure. The more notice you give, the better the camp kitchen can plan.
What is a bush dinner?
A dinner served in the open, away from the main camp — in a clearing, with lanterns, candles, and white tablecloths. The food is the same quality as dinner in camp; the setting is extraordinary. Wildlife is audible nearby. Stars are overhead. It is one of the iconic experiences of a Tanzania safari.
Is food included in the safari price?
Yes — all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) are included in the safari package price. Bottled water, tea, and coffee are included throughout. Beer, wine, and soft drinks are typically included at mid-range and luxury camps. Confirm what is included when you receive your itinerary.
Do I need to bring my own snacks on safari?
Not for main meals — everything is included. A small supply of your own snacks (trail mix, energy bars, nuts) is useful for between meals, especially on long game drives when you are away from camp for 6–8 hours. Avoid strongly scented snacks that may attract wildlife.
Can I drink alcohol on safari?
Yes — alcohol is available at all camps. Beer is the most common. A beer or two at the end of the day is entirely normal. Drinking heavily during the day is neither safe (game drives require attention) nor appropriate. A sundowner at sunset — drinks in the bush as the sun goes down — is a daily ritual at most camps.
Start Planning
Dietary Requirements or Dining Questions?
Our Arusha team confirms dietary requirements with each camp before your arrival. Tell us your needs and we will build them into your itinerary.