Set in beautiful and tranquil surroundings, Mount Meru Game Lodge is nestled between the Usa River and an expansive Garden Sanctuary complete with a newly built meandering walkway, allowing our guests to stretch their legs after a long-haul flight while getting up close to bird, plant and insect life under a canopy of acacia and other indigenous trees. The Sanctuary is home to a herd of domesticated water buffalo, birds and monkeys, including the elusive Colobus monkey. Conveniently located just 30 minutes from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), the Lodge is an ideal starting point for your safari.

In the first half of the 1900s most of the area on the southern slopes of Mount Meru was taken up by coffee plantations. The Lodge and Sanctuary date back to 1959 when Hungarian conservationist, Dr Andreas Von Nagy, bought the property as a family home. The main building (today, the site of our bar, lounge and dining room) dates back to the 1930s and was originally a farm manager's house. 

Dr Von Nagy was passionate about animals and he quickly turned his family home into an animal sanctuary and orphanage. He set up the Mount Meru Wildlife Reserve in order to protect the wildlife on Mount Meru, what is now part of Arusha National Park. He also helped the government to establish the Wildlife College and used his animal sanctuary and orphanage as a training facility for the students. His home and passion attracted visitors from far and wide, rooms were added to accommodate his visitors and the Lodge was born.

The Lodge is one of the oldest in northern Tanzania. Great effort has been made to maintain its sense of history while at the same time offering a host of modern day comforts. The Lodge has grown in popularity over the years and our visitors have included numerous presidents as well as members of European royal families.

When Dr Von Nagy retired in the 1980s, the animal orphanage stopped taking on orphaned animals. Until today, Mount Meru Game Lodge remains in family hands. New partners and onsite-managers from South Africa, Harry and Kim Bell, joined the team in late 2021. Together, we look forward to offering you a memorable experience during your stay in Arusha.