Bush dining
Near the equator, the sun sets fast and at much the same time all year. The half hour around it — a drink, a view and your guide’s stories — is often the best of the day.
Every safari day has a rhythm, and the sundowner is its full stop. In the late afternoon, your guide finds a spot with a clear western view — a granite kopje in the Serengeti, a bend in the Great Ruaha River, a ridge among Tarangire’s baobabs — and sets out drinks on the vehicle’s tailgate or a small folding table. A gin and tonic, a cold Tanzanian beer or a soft drink, a few snacks, and time to talk over the day as the light turns gold.
It is simple, and that is the point. Stepping out of the vehicle is regulated in national parks, so your guide chooses places where it is permitted and safe. In private concessions there is more freedom, and some camps turn it into a full set-up with a bar and a fire. Where camps are allowed to run them, a sundowner is the natural start of a night game drive.
Sundowners
Your guide plans the afternoon drive to finish near a good sunset spot.
Drinks and snacks come from a cool box packed by your camp.
Where permitted, you step out, stretch your legs and settle in.
The sun sets between about 6:15 and 7 pm, depending on location and month.
You head back before the park’s evening cut-off, or continue on a night drive where allowed.
Sundowners
Parks
Tanzania’s great plains: the stage for the Great Migration and outstanding big-cat country in every season.
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Baobab country, where dry-season elephant herds gather along the Tarangire River in remarkable numbers.
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Tanzania’s wild south at its most dramatic: baobab hills, sand rivers, big lion prides and space to yourself.
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Boat safaris on the Rufiji, walks with an armed ranger and some of Africa’s wildest country, a short flight from the coast.
ExploreAn otherworldly Rift Valley soda lake beneath Ol Doinyo Lengai, known for flamingos, a gorge waterfall and ancient footprints.
ExploreSafaris
Arusha · Tarangire · Ngorongoro Crater · Central Serengeti · Zanzibar
Couples, honeymooners and first-timers who want a complete safari followed by real beach time
Arusha · Tarangire · Ngorongoro Crater · Central Serengeti · Zanzibar
Couples who want privacy, a gentle rhythm and a proper beach finish
Good to know
It is a drink at sunset, taken at a scenic spot at the end of the afternoon drive. It is one of safari’s oldest traditions and a relaxed pause before returning to camp.
At many camps, sundowner drinks and snacks are part of the stay, though policies vary by camp and by drink. We note what is included when we plan your trip.
In national parks, stepping out is allowed only at certain places, and your guide knows where. Private concessions are usually more flexible, always subject to your guide’s judgment.
Because Tanzania lies close to the equator, sunset times shift little through the year, typically between about 6:15 and 7 pm depending on where you are. Dusk is short, so it pays to be in position early.
Experiences
Bush dining
After a dawn game drive, pull up to a table laid in the shade — fresh coffee, eggs cooked to order and a view with animals in it.
Bush dining
Dinner by lantern and firelight in the open bush, with the stars overhead and the night’s sounds for company.
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