Ngorongoro & Serengeti Migration Safari - Tanzania 9 nts

Tumbili Lodge is a charming boutique property set in lush tropical gardens on the outskirts of Arusha, with views of Mount Meru. Accommodation is offered in a handful of rustic rooms in the main house and private garden bandas, each with large bathrooms, walk-in showers, and bathtubs. The style is relaxed and natural, with handmade touches that create a warm, African-boutique feel. Guests enjoy fresh, locally inspired meals served in the main house, on terraces by the pond, or out in the garden, with an open bar and fireplace adding to the atmosphere. Facilities include a swimming pool surrounded by flowering plants, sunbeds, and birdlife, as well as WiFi, complimentary laundry, and airport transfers. Known for its peaceful setting and welcoming service, Tumbili makes a comfortable and tranquil base before or after safari.

Mysigio Camp is a small, characterful tented camp set high in the Ngorongoro Highlands, offering a very different feel to the busier crater rim lodges. Tucked among ancient forests and rolling hills in the heart of Maasai country, the camp enjoys sweeping views and a sense of real seclusion, while still being only about a 20-minute drive from the crater access road. 

The style of the camp is eco-conscious and understated, blending a classic safari feel with a strong connection to its surroundings. It is seasonal and low-impact, with no permanent structures, running entirely on solar power and designed to sit lightly within the landscape. The atmosphere is warm and informal rather than overly polished, with a focus on authenticity, comfort, and meaningful interaction rather than luxury in the traditional sense.

Accommodation is in spacious safari tents, thoughtfully furnished with large comfortable beds, writing desks, and private verandas overlooking the hills. Each tent has an en-suite bathroom with twin basins, a toilet, and a traditional bucket or low-water shower—simple but well-executed, and designed to suit the highland environment. Evenings can be cool at altitude, and the tents and communal areas are designed to feel cosy and inviting.

The food is consistently highlighted as a standout feature, with meals prepared using fresh, locally sourced ingredients and served in a welcoming mess tent or outdoors when weather allows. Dining is relaxed and sociable, often enhanced by storytelling and interaction with the local Maasai hosts, which adds a unique dimension to the experience.

Facilities are simple but thoughtfully arranged, including a lounge tent with a wood-burning stove, a dining area, and open spaces to relax and take in the scenery. The camp’s charm lies less in extensive amenities and more in its atmosphere, personal service, and setting.

What truly sets Mysigio apart is its cultural immersion. The camp has a long-standing relationship with the local Maasai community, and guests can take part in authentic experiences such as village visits, guided walks, traditional ceremonies, storytelling, and even shared meals with Maasai hosts. In addition, guided walks and hikes in the surrounding highlands offer a rare chance to explore on foot—something not commonly available in many safari areas. Of course, the Ngorongoro Crater itself is a major highlight, with full-day game drives into the caldera offering exceptional wildlife viewing.

Overall, Mysigio Camp is best suited to travellers looking for a more authentic, off-the-beaten-track experience—where culture, landscape, and a strong sense of place are just as important as the safari itself.

Nyumbani is a contemporary yet intimate tented camp set permanently in the east-central Serengeti, with just eight luxury suites that ensure a private and exclusive safari experience. Each spacious tent has an indoor sitting area, elegant furnishings, and thoughtful details such as custom Indian rugs, crisp linens, cosy duvets, bathrobes, and slippers. Locally crafted, eco-friendly wood accents add warmth and authenticity, while modern comforts such as ensuite rain showers, flush toilets, writing desks, WiFi, and even a whiskey bar make it a perfect blend of wilderness and style.

The camp embraces an earthy, organic aesthetic, with rustic charm carried through its colours and textures. Guests can unwind in custom armchairs with a cocktail in hand, watching the vast Serengeti plains stretch endlessly into the horizon. Evenings are marked by campfire gatherings, storytelling, and hearty meals under a canopy of stars, with the option of romantic private bush dinners for something extra special.

Located in the quieter eastern Serengeti, Nyumbani offers a more off-the-beaten-path safari with sweeping views, fewer crowds, and year-round wildlife thanks to permanent water sources. The area features open short-grass savannas, rocky kopjes, mountains, and valleys, making it especially rewarding for photographers and wildlife enthusiasts. While the Great Migration passes through from November to February, resident game is abundant year-round, including thrilling sightings of the Big Five.

Nyumbani is well suited for couples, honeymooners, adventurers, and both first-time and seasoned safari-goers. Its light eco-footprint, with no permanent structures, adds to its appeal, and feedback from guests and local partners has been consistently glowing. Rates include all meals, drinks, safari activities, and park fees, ensuring a seamless and immersive Serengeti experience.

Intimate Camp Zebra in Kogatende offers a classic, seasonal camp that is all about being in the right place at the right time. Set in the northern Serengeti National Park near the Mara River during migration season, the camp is deliberately seasonal—moving with the herds—so guests are always close to the action, particularly the dramatic river crossings that define this region. 

The style of the camp is understated and authentic rather than ultra-luxurious. It’s a small, intimate tented camp with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, designed to blend into the landscape and keep the focus on the surrounding wilderness. With only around 10–12 tents, it feels personal and uncrowded, with a strong emphasis on warm hospitality and a genuine safari feel. 

The rooms are spacious canvas tents set on simple platforms, each with a private veranda overlooking the plains. Inside, they are comfortably furnished with proper beds, a dressing area, and an en-suite bathroom with a flush toilet and hot shower—simple but well done, striking a balance between comfort and authenticity. Solar power provides lighting and charging points, and despite the remote setting, touches like Wi-Fi and hot water add an element of convenience. 

Food is a highlight and typically exceeds expectations for a mobile camp. Meals are freshly prepared and served in a central dining tent or occasionally out in the bush, with hearty breakfasts, relaxed lunches, and three-course dinners. Guests often comment on the quality and variety of the food, as well as the sociable atmosphere around shared tables and evening campfires. 

Facilities are intentionally simple but thoughtful, centred around a main mess tent with dining and lounge areas, plus a campfire where guests gather in the evenings. There’s usually a small bar, and the overall setup encourages a communal, classic safari rhythm rather than a resort-style stay. 

Activities focus almost entirely on the wildlife experience. Game drives are the core of each day, with expert guides tracking the Great Migration and the predators that follow it. Depending on timing and location, guests may witness river crossings in the north or vast herds on the plains. Optional extras like hot air balloon safaris or bush breakfasts can also be arranged. 

Overall, Intimate Camp Zebra is best suited to travellers who value location, atmosphere, and an authentic safari experience over high-end luxury—placing you right in the heart of the Serengeti’s most dynamic wildlife areas with a front-row seat to one of nature’s greatest spectacles.

Nestled between two outcrops of coral rock and on a secluded stretch of white-powdery beach, Pongwe Beach Hotel was opened in 2001 and has gone through various upgrades since. It's a quiet, simple and great-value little lodge on a sheltered cove, dotted with palm trees, hammocks and sun loungers. At high tide the water cuts Pongwe's stretch of beach off from the rest of the east coast, while at low tide you can walk around to nearby coves, including to the immediate neighbour to the north, Tulia.

The main communal area at Pongwe Beach Lodge is a large, open-sided thatched space, and since the hotel only has 20 rooms, it can feel a bit cavernous and low on atmosphere. That said, it is cool and breezy during the day which can be a welcome relief from the sun, and when there's a full house it lacks nothing for atmosphere. While the lounge is simply decorated with white walls, the bright cushions help to inject a splash of colour.

The hotel attracts a low-key, fun-loving, crowd from all over the world. A large and stylish infinity pool surrounded by wooden decking is a welcome addition in the past few years, and is great for relaxing to catch some sun and enjoy the stunning views (however take care when using the pool as there are no depth markings). There is a second small lounge here, allowing you to relax by the pool with a drink in hand. The infinity pool overlooks a picturesque white sandy beach, fringed with palm trees. Dotted between the trees are a number of hammocks, while pairs of sun loungers and makuti thatch umbrellas sit on the soft sand. Due to its location the beach is completely cut off at high tide, and you are unlikely to see many other people strolling along the coastline.

When we last stayed at Pongwe we thought the food here was very good. There is plenty of variety at Pongwe and they can be very flexible, if you have any particular preferences or dislikes they will try to cater for you.

Pongwe's 20, whitewashed cottage rooms are all simple and bright – nothing over-the-top, but comfortable and airy. The facilities and interiors in all of the rooms are all much the same – with a very large Zanzibari bed draped in mosquito netting, ceiling fan, a wardrobe, a table and armchairs. Evening Breeze cooling system has recently been installed over the double beds for use on hotter nights. Towels, kangas and drinking water are provided and little touches such as fresh flowers make the rooms welcoming. There is subtle variation between the rooms, some have walls decorated in stucco work where as others are a little more plain. Outside, there are loungers or a hammock in the shade of your veranda. All the rooms can be set up as doubles and triples. Starting from main bar-restaurant and lounge area, the rooms are set out southwards along the beach.

The distance from the sea differs slightly. The beachfront rooms (#1-4 and #8–14) are right behind the beach and have a slightly higher price tag. The three garden rooms (#5–7) are nestled further back in Pongwe's tropical grounds, and don't have a direct sea view. Pongwe also recently added four new Seaview rooms (#17-20) to the north of the central areas of the hotel, which are the best of the lot: they're slightly more spacious and private, and they also have private plunge pools and are the closest of the Pongwe's rooms to the main swimming pool.

There is also a family bungalow at the southern end of the property, which has two interlinking rooms (#15–16) sharing a bathroom, one with two single beds and the other with a double bed.

The en-suite bathrooms are functional rather than stylish, but all have hot showers and flush toilets. The water here is always hot, thanks to an immersion heater and although it's filtered, it is slightly brackish.

Besides relaxing on the beach there are a number of activities on offer at Pongwe. Kayaks and paddleboards are freely available for guests to use, and Pongwe can also arrange a number of excursions such as diving and snorkeling to the reefs around Mnemba Island or visits to Jozani Forest in Zanzibar’s interior. While it is possible to go on a full-day excursion to Stone Town and the spice plantations, these are around an hour's drive from the hotel, and are more easily explored while staying in Stone Town.

Conservation Safari Company recommends Pongwe as a simple lodge, which isn't overly luxurious. However its excellent location, beautiful beach, friendly service and good food make it superb value. We love this place and it will always come near the top of our choices in this part of the island – a relaxed and peaceful beach getaway at a very good price.

Rates are typically half board, which include dinner and breakfast.