The epitome of glamping in Tanzania is surely a stay at Serena’s four-star tented camp in Selous Game Reserve. While the drive from Stiegler’s Airstrip to the camp may seem drawn out, it’s most likely because you’re stopping along the way to do game viewing.

Just like its sister property (Mivumo River Lodge, along the banks of the Rufiji River) the Tented Camp isn’t fenced off and after sundown guests have to be accompanied  to the thatched restaurant by a ranger. By night the odd elephant drinks from the camp’s watering hole – Selous boasts the world’s largest elephant population, after all – and the resident hippo can be heard wallowing about. Soon enough the whir of my fan lulls me back to slumber.

“Selous is Africa’s largest game reserve and four times as big as the Serengeti,” our friendly guide, Jumbe Ngarama, tells us, as we embark on a day-long safari. It sounds like he’s trying to justify why we’ll be on the road for so long, but after a few hours it becomes evident: leopard, elephant, hippo, giraffe, buffalo, wild dogs and a pride of lions with a fresh kill, to name a few. Best of all, guests can tailor-make their experience, we decide to visit one of the park’s four great lakes, but there are also hot water springs and various safari circuits.

The tsetse flies may be annoying (avoid wearing black or navy and use the insect repellent provided by your guide), but a packed gourmet picnic in a treetop overlooking the grasslands is a fair trade for me. You won’t be left wanting for anything on a fully-inclusive stay, besides spending more time in the infinity pool perhaps, for respite from the humid heat.

Serena takes glamping seriously – my tent is furnished with rosewood furniture and a writing table, a crystal chandelier and plush rugs, while the Victorian-styled bathroom has a clawfoot bathtub and copper finishings. The 12 tents are spaced far apart, so you can’t hear or see into the others, while you read on your verandah. The open-air thatched bar and lounge make for a relaxing meeting place to hear about fellow travellers’ encounters with chui.

The camp is closed during the rainy season, from 01 April to 31 May.