Located on a working coffee estate on the outskirts of Arusha, Legendary Lodge is the gateway to Tanzania’s northern safari circuit. A sanctuary amid tropical gardens, the lodge features 12 peaceful cottages (including 2 family cottages) perfect for preparing for or reflecting on your safari.
Each cottage features split-level living, king-size beds with mosquito nets, deep-soaking bathtubs, a fully-stocked bar fridge, and the comforts of a modern home, including satellite television, direct dial telephone, and Wi-Fi. Dining at the lodge is à la carte, and guests can indulge in delicious meals ranging from full English breakfasts and tapas-style lunches to 3-course gourmet dinners.
Guests can spend the day relaxing poolside or in the garden, and bicycles are available for those who wish to use the cycling and walking trails to explore the estate. The lodge spa offers a range of rejuvenating treatments – perfect for de-stressing after a long flight. Those interested in exploring the area can choose from optional excursions, including coffee tours, shopping at the nearby Cultural Heritage Centre or Maasai market, or day trips to the Arusha, Tarangire and Manyara national parks.
The lodge is fifteen minutes from the Arusha Airport and 90 minutes from Kilimanjaro International Airport.
1 Night
Bed and Breakfast
All Drinks (excl Premium Brands) Included
5 Star
Lodge
Spoken Languages: English, Swahili
No. Rooms: 12
Special Interests: Birding, Cycling, Flora, Gourmet, Hiking, History & Culture, Leisure, Nature, Relaxation, Shopping
Lying between Tarangire National Park and Lake Manyara National Park in its own 40km² wildlife concession – the Bungi Wildlife Management Area – Chem Chem has beautiful views of the Rift Valley's western escarpment. This luxury tented lodge aims to be a stylish spot for travellers to enjoy the nature around the lodge, or use as a base to visit its two nearby parks.
Chem Chem has been tastefully designed in what they call 'contemporary vintage' style. The central area consists of a spacious open-plan structure of wood, stone and thatch that looks over the plains to the escarpment beyond. It's a peaceful spot to sit and read, with half an eye out for passing game in the distance. Expect chunky tree-trunk tables (made by the owner himself), leather sofas, sumptuous armchairs, telescopes, coffee-table books, and some beautiful black-and-white wildlife photos on the walls. The main lounge area looks over a sunken campfire surrounded by cushioned benches, where guests can enjoy a pre-dinner drink. The focal point of the open-sided dining area is a beautiful long table carved from a tree trunk, flanked by several smaller tables.
Situated a few minutes walk away from the main area, a number of sunloungers, some shaded under billowing fabrics, surround the pool, where there's always someone on hand to take any drink orders. There is a gym as well with a good variety of equipment.
There is also an excellent spa at Chem Chem which is run by a full-time therapist, and provides a range of treatments including massages, body scrubs, manicures and pedicures. It is possible for these to take place in the guest tents as well.
Chem Chem's eight tented rooms (one of which is a family tent) are identical in size and design. Positioned to try and maximise privacy, all enjoy similar views over the plains. Each tent is raised on a stone base, which helps to keep it cool and has two private outside areas: a stone veranda at the front with a table, chairs and sunlouger, and a wooden decked area to the side, where you'll find a low cushioned daybed which is a great place to unwind.
Inside, each tent is very comfortable, with the same natural and earthy feel as the main area. The spacious bedroom area has either a double or twin beds, skirted by wooden bedside tables, with lights. There's a large chest at the foot of the bed, a writing desk, and – behind the bed – an area to store luggage. Steps lead down to a stone en-suite bathroom which incorporates a wardrobe as well as twin sinks, a toilet, and a stand-alone bath, with a glass door leading to an outdoor shower. Soft towels, bathrobes and Molton Brown toiletries are added luxury touches.
Most guests stay at Chem Chem with their own private driver guide, who will conduct their safari activities in the national parks. Activities within the concession, which is not subject to national parks' rules, include walking, night drives and off-road driving. These are led by the owner Nicolas or a freelance guide, and are at an extra charge. Within the concession you'll find good numbers of giraffe, impala and zebra, as well as lesser kudu, cheetah, leopard, and over 200 species of birds. The occasional elephant and lion are also spotted here.
2 Nights
Fully Inclusive - Bed, All Meals, Fees and Activities
All Drinks (excl Premium Brands) Included
Lodge
Spoken Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Swahili
No. Rooms: 8
Special Interests: Birding, Flora, Indigenous Culture / Art, Nature, Relaxation, Star Gazing, Wildlife
Occupying a spectacular spot right on the rim of the Crater, Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is undoubtedly one of the most opulent lodges in Tanzania. Combining architectural hints of traditional Maasai homesteads with interior styles borrowed from European stately homes, the present lodge was built in 1995.
Don’t be fooled by the unassuming appearance of the lodge from the outside. Inside, grand antiques, gilded mirrors and local art compliment each other dramatically, resulting in a contemporary, smart, theatrical atmosphere. Crater Lodge isn't to everyone's taste: some will regard it as completely over the top, and not at all in keeping with the safari experience and local surroundings. However, if you're looking for something exceptionally special, and completely decadent, then it may be perfect.
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is comprised of three separate intimate camps – North Camp (12 rooms), South Camp (12 rooms) and the smaller Tree Camp (6 rooms). Each has its own separate dining and lounge area, which helps to maintain a small and exclusive feel – even though the lodge has 30 rooms altogether.
North and South camps are set slightly higher up the hill than Tree Camp and are mirror images of each other. Tree Camp, however, sits literally on the edge of the Crater and – as the name suggests – is built amongst the trees, with views uninterrupted by other buildings. That said, the higher location of North and South lend a better perspective, and they also have larger rooms and a greater overall feeling of opulence.
The main lounge for each of the North and South camps is divinely decorated with wood-panelled walls, large beaded chandeliers, raw silk curtains and inviting velveteen sofas. The roofs are brilliantly crafted from banana leaves (a motif created by the designers, Chris Brown and Diane Fox), while Persian rugs adorn the floors and fresh roses are set out daily. Outside each, an expanse of decking is decorated with terracotta pots filled with Maasai spears, and a large fireplace provides the perfect setting for pre-dinner drinks as the moon rises over the Crater rim.
Tree Camp is similar in style but not quite so obviously extravagant. The décor is still artistic and imaginative, but without the same rather camp 'boudoir' flair. The snug atmosphere of its communal area is balanced by floor-to-ceiling windows – with a stupendous, uninterrupted view across the Crater – and a terrace below that is a truly amazing place for breakfast. Tree has a more rustic feel to it than North and South, being built around a strangler fig – but the thick velvet and fur, and crystal decanters, mean that you might be forgiven for thinking you've entered a stately home.
The large rooms, or manyattas, in all three of Crater Lodge's camps are essentially similar, except that two of them can be connected to create a vast suite, ideal for a family. Decorated with rich colours, chandeliers and wood-panelled walls, each room has a fireplace in the corner that is usually lit in the evenings by your personal butler. This makes it feel incredibly cosy at the end of a long day out on safari.
It isn't just the aesthetics of the lodge that are spectacular; the service is also top-class.. Each room is assigned its own personal butler, who is on hand should you want anything. While some people may be put off by the idea of having someone to wait on them, the reality is quite subtle. These butlers aren't ever-present servants; rather, they offer a high level of personal service, and a lot of the time you may not even notice their presence. But it does mean that when you arrive back after a long game drive, you may find someone standing in the car park with your preferred drink ready for you on a tray, and a bubble bath waiting for you in your room; or return from dinner to find you electric blanket switched on. It simply serves to enhance the luxury safari experience further.
The shop at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge stocks a fine array of high-quality curios, as well as clothes, toiletries and postcards. There's a fascinating and productive workshop right behind the shop which can be freely visited, and Maasai ladies doing beading often sell their wares outside. Since late 2016, there's also a bespoke jewellery shop, where custom-made tanzanite pieces can be commissioned.
Although you might expect to find a swimming pool at Crater Lodge, it's rather too cold at this 2,400m (7,900ft) altitude to swim. The climate does suit wine storage, however, and there's a well-stocked wine store: an ideal space for small private drinks receptions and dining, as well as wine-tasting sessions. The store also doubles as a TV projection room, on request. As an alternative type of relaxation to swimming, there is a variety of spa treatments on offer, with massages taking place in guests' manyattas (for an additional cost).
In terms of activities, the greatest draw is to head down into the Ngorongoro Crater. The lodge uses closed-sided safari vehicles designed for game viewing, with pop-top roofs. The drive from the lodge to the descent road and down to the Crater floor takes about 40 minutes and departure times are very flexible. You may wish to take a packed breakfast and return for lunch, or perhaps have breakfast at the lodge and take a packed lunch with you, returning in the late afternoon. To maximise your time on the Crater floor you can also go for an all-day drive.
While games drives in the Crater are the main reason to stay here, guests can also visit the Olduvai Museum or perhaps hike the Olmoti or Empakaai craters. Back at the lodge, it is also possible to take a short 30–60-minute walk with the on-site naturalist between North Camp and Tree Camp to find out about the various species of plant and wildlife. There is a suggested donation of US$20 for this, all of which funds the planting of seedlings in the Crater conservation area; by late 2016, 60,000 trees had been planted as part of this initiative so far.
Near Tree Camp, there's a sundowner spot where Maasai dancers sometimes perform by arrangement at an additional cost (usually US$60 per person). Blankets are laid out on the grass and it's a fine way of spending an hour before the sun goes down.
Conservation Safari Company recommends Ngorongoro Crater Lodge as a unique property. For some it is completely over the top and out of place; for others it's the height of luxury. The whole Maasai-meets-baronial-manor concept is extraordinary; the food, service, rooms and general facilities are excellent; and the location is outstanding, with stunning views over what many regard as the world's top wildlife area. But it's also one of the most costly lodges in Africa!
Rates are fully inclusive of meals, drinks and safari activities - and we always include the crater descent fee in our quotes.
2 Nights
Fully Inclusive - Bed, All Meals, Fees and Activities
All Drinks (excl Premium Brands) Included
Safari Lodge
Spoken Languages: English
No. Rooms: 30
Special Interests: Adventure, Big 5, Birding, Flora, Gourmet, Hiking, History & Culture, Indigenous Culture / Art, Leisure, Nature, Relaxation, Star Gazing, Wildlife, Wine
Faru Faru Lodge is the most southerly of the Singita's properties in the Serengeti, and is close to the Grumeti River and the Serengeti's Western Corridor. Having opened early in 2007, Faru Faru is also the newest of the properties here. It has views over the undulating, short grass hills of the Grumeti Reserve and is surrounded by countless acacia trees. The lodge also looks over a watering hole which is popular with the passing wildlife.
Faru Faru has an elegant and natural feel to it which is reflected largely in the main areas of the lodge. A library adjacent to the bar, dining and lounge areas is well stocked with games, DVDs, a satellite television, books, a computer with internet access and a printer – all of which are complimentary. The library is furnished in much the same way as the rest of the lodge; with plenty of wood and stone, and decorated with ornaments you would expect to find in a botanist's office. It also has large, welcoming sofas covered in scatter cushions, where you could easily while away a few hours.
The dining, bar and lounge areas all flow into one another and are built overlooking the watering hole, one of the swimming pools and the bush. The areas are cool, contemporary and effortlessly chic. It is impossible to ignore the fact that nature and the natural bush have played an enormous part in inspiring its construction. The interiors have exposed, stone floors, the walls are constructed with large nuggets of rock layered on top of each other, and wooden tables and chairs all of which shelter beneath a thick, khaki, canvas roof. Simple ornaments adorn the large wooden tables and pebble-coloured sofas align the walls looking out to the bush and over one of the swimming pools.
As you walk through the dining area you reach a second swimming pool which has been inspired by a Swahili sand beach, where you can soak up the sun from a poolside lounger or lying on the sand. After time at the pool, you can make your way up to the wooden deck and enjoy more views of the Serengeti whilst having an intimate lunch.
Faru Faru also has a small boutique style shop selling a range of African inspired jewellery, ornaments and clothing.
Faru Faru Lodge has been designed cleverly, so although it's quite large, it's very easy to find a quiet, undisturbed corner to be on your own. Beyond the central lounge and dining areas, sloping walkways lead through the bush to the bedrooms, the swimming pools, a firepit and an elevated deck. All of these outdoor areas have quite a tropical feel to them – they are shaded by wooden canopies and trees and surrounded by the green bush. (This was green even though we last visited here at the height of the dry season, at the end of September!)
Faru Faru, which means 'rhino', has been based on a 1940s/50s style botanist camp. There are copies of nature books and test tube-like vases in most of the rooms, instruments and botanical prints hanging on the walls, and each bedroom has a telescope. Having said that – it has been designed in an essentially minimalist, modern way; it has a far more contemporary and stylized feel than its sister lodges, Sabora Plains and Sasakwa.
Between about June and late-August, Faru Faru is surrounded by the great migration, as it munches its way north through the reserve's lush grasses. Because of its proximity to the watering hole and the Grumeti River, it makes a wonderful base from which to view the countless herds that pass by. Whilst Faru Faru makes a wonderful safari lodge during the migration, it is also a good lodge to visit at other times of year. Grumeti Reserve has many kopjies and ravines, and thus permanent populations of game. If you enjoy walking, then during the long dry season, from July to November, guided walks in the dry bed of the Grumeti River are a big attraction.
3 Nights
Fully Inclusive - Bed, All Meals, Fees and Activities
All Drinks (excl Premium Brands) Included
Safari Lodge
Spoken Languages: English, Swahili
No. Rooms: 9
Special Interests: Big 5, Birding, Flora, Gourmet, History & Culture, Leisure, Nature, Relaxation, Star Gazing, Wildlife, Wine
