Singita Mara River Tented Camp in the Lamai triangle, the northernmost tip of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is an iconic destination characterized by the sheer luxury of space created by seemingly endless game-rich savannah plains.

The new camp with six guest tents – a contemporary take on the classic East African safari – offers a pared-down approach to the quintessential Africa game experience without compromising on creature comforts.

Conceptualised and designed by Cécile & Boyd’s, the subtle attention to detail throughout the camp is breathtaking – even unexpected – given the overall theme of pared-down simplicity.

The boundaries between inside and outside have been blurred, eliminating that feeling of being separated from nature despite being in the midst of it. When the tent flaps are opened up, the only barrier between you and the surrounding wilderness is insect-proof fly sheets. Beds are positioned to face eastwards so that the rising sun acts as a natural alarm clock in the early morning.

The look is cool, modern, edgy and fun without losing the elegant yet relaxed feet-up style that defines the Singita brand. Strong contemporary design puts a fresh spin on local creativity, with inspiration coming from traditional, everyday African objects like baskets, beads and pots, reworked and repurposed by young African designers and craftspeople.

Resourcefulness and sustainability are the watchwords. Wooden turned lights are fashioned from sustainable Jacaranda wood, while decorative wire baskets echo the exact shape and design of traditional grain-sorting baskets. Natural, textured, layered, neutral interiors are injected here and there with splashes of primary red and blue and black Masaai-inspired patterns.

Tom Cooper | Elite.