Porini Camp: An Authentic Fly Camp Experience in Nyerere National Park

The last embers glow in the campfire. Above, the Milky Way arches over the Beho Beho River. A lion roars somewhere to the east – distant, deep, unhurried. This is what a safari felt like a hundred years ago. This is what Porini Camp still feels like today.

What is Porini Camp?

Porini Camp by Wanyamapori is an expedition-style fly camp deep in the heart of Nyerere National Park (formerly the Selous Game Reserve) in southern Tanzania. Located along the sandy banks of the Beho Beho River, the camp blends the raw adventure of a mobile fly camp with the comfort of a permanent tented expedition. It is offered exclusively on a private-use basis for up to six guests at a time – making it one of the most intimate safari experiences in East Africa.

At a Glance

• Location: Beho Beho River, Nyerere National Park, Tanzania

• Capacity: Up to 6 guests, private-use only

• Style: Classic fly camp with tented sleeping quarters, canvas bathrooms and bucket showers

• Energy: 100% solar-powered, mobile network available

• Season: June to mid-March (closed during the long rains)

• Rates: From 470 USD per person per night, full board including game drives

• Access: 45-minute scheduled flight from Dar es Salaam to Beho Beho or Kiba airstrip

A Day at Porini Camp

The day begins before first light. Coffee is brought to your tent in the soft dark, and by the time the horizon starts to warm, the Land Cruiser is already rolling out into the bush. The air is cool and sharp. A kudu freezes in the headlights. Somewhere to your left, a hippo trudges heavily back towards the river after a night of grazing. By 7 a.m. the light has turned golden, and you are parked on a rise overlooking a plain where elephants are crossing in single file.

Back in camp, breakfast is served under a shade tree: fresh fruit, eggs, toasted bread, a jug of coffee. The midday hours belong to rest – a book in the hammock, a nap in the tent, the occasional splash of a fish in the river below. In the afternoon, the choice is yours: another game drive, a walking safari with an armed TANAPA ranger, or a boat safari on the lakes where crocodiles drift like logs and fish eagles scream overhead.

As the sun drops, the camp staff set up a sundowner on a sandbank. Gin and tonic in hand, you watch the sky move through every shade of copper and rose. Dinner is served back at camp under the stars – three courses, local ingredients, a bottle of South African red. Then the fire, the quiet, the sounds of the night. Bed by ten. Up again before dawn.

What Makes Porini Camp Different

Most safari camps in Tanzania operate on a shared-tent basis – meaning you share your guide, your vehicle and your dining table with strangers. Porini Camp does the opposite: the entire camp is yours. Your guide, your vehicle, your chef, your schedule. That matters more than it sounds. It means you can stop when you want, wait as long as you want at a sighting, eat when you're hungry and head back to camp when you're ready. It also means a group of six close friends or a family can experience the wild without ever feeling observed by other guests.

The location helps too. Nyerere National Park is roughly three times the size of the Serengeti but receives a fraction of the visitors. In the Beho Beho area, it is entirely normal to spend a full day on safari and not see another vehicle.

When to Visit

The camp operates from June through mid-March. Late June is a sweet spot: the bush is still green from the long rains, water levels are high enough for boating safaris, and the camp is still in low-season pricing (470 USD per person per night). From July onwards, the dry season deepens, vegetation thins and wildlife concentrates around the remaining water. October is generally considered the peak for big-game viewing. The short rains arrive in November and the landscape greens up again, which many photographers consider the most rewarding season of all.

Book Your Stay

Porini Camp is bookable from June 2026. Because the camp is private-use only, availability is limited – we recommend enquiring early. You can find full details on the Porini Camp page, or send us a message directly at info@wanyamapori-safari.com. We'll get back to you within 24 hours with available dates, itinerary ideas and a detailed quote.