Africa’s Natural Diversity in Rwanda And Tanzania

Overview

The mid-range Dik Dik Hotel nestles within 20 acres of wildlife-filled tropical gardens by the Usa River at the foot of Mount Meru, 20km from Arusha.

The twenty three double and eight twin rooms all have a private veranda and hammock. Each room is simply furnished and features a minibar, telephone, hair dryer and private bathroom with hot showers. For families or groups there is also a further villa with interconnecting rooms, lounge, dining area and secluded garden.

The restaurant serves a variety of African and international cuisine using ingredients from their organic farm, and there is a well-stocked bar to enjoy a relaxing drink. There is free but limited Wi-Fi in the reception and there is a modest sized swimming pool and sun loungers to enjoy in the garden.

The hotel mostly serves as a base for climbing Mounts Kilimanjaro and Meru and visits to Arusha National Park, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara.

Overview

Situated on the Mto Wa Mbu escarpment overlooking the Great Rift Valley and Lake Manyara below, Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge is perfect for those seeking comfort combined with easy access to a multitude of activities.

Accommodation is in sixty seven delightful, circular thatched cabins influenced by the Maasai boma style of construction, each complete with private bathroom and verandah and some with views of the lake below. Although fairly simple, the rooms are clean and very comfortable. There is one suite, and ten pairs of rooms (20 in total) are interconnecting and specially designed for families.

There is a good restaurant, bar and communal TV room and lounge to relax in. One of the attractions of this lodge is its stunning central swimming pool overlooking the lake.

Lake Manyara comprises around 230sq km of the total park size of 330 sq km and is often home to flamingos, pelicans and a wealth of other waterbirds. Hippo can easily be found in the Simba River and there are large numbers of elephant and a resident herd of buffalo on the open plains at Mahali Pa Nyati, meaning, ‘the place of the buffalo’ in Swahili. For the fortunate the famous tree- climbing lions could also be seen. In addition to the mammals approximately 400 species of bird have been recorded in the park.

Overview

From its breathtaking position on a ridge overlooking sweeping savannah near the central Seronera area of the park, Serengeti Serena Lodge offers superb, year-round big game viewing, even directly in front of the lodge. Taking inspiration from local village architecture, the sixty-six traditional African rondavel chalets are spacious with luxury bedrooms and views of the vast Serengeti plains. All are furnished with African rugs and various decorations and feature en suite bathroom, dressing room, luggage rack and built-in cupboard.

For such a large game lodge, the service is very good. Facilities include a large infinity pool, bar and restaurant. The focal point of the restaurant is the buffet where chefs freshly prepare delicious, hearty meals in front of you. All the meals are buffet style and feature a mixture of both local specialties and international dishes, all of high quality.

Overview

Perched on the rim and affording spectacular views of the world famous Ngorongoro crater floor below, the ivy-clad Ngorongoro Serena Lodge offers good rooms, friendly service, well run facilities and delicious food.

Ngorongoro Serena Lodge is actually built into the rim of the crater itself, with the foliage-covered native stone of the lodge blending into the surrounding hillside. The views of the crater will certainly take your breath away: the 75 rooms, bar and restaurant all overlook the picturesque valley below. The rooms have attractive wooden floors and are decorated with ancient cave art. Each features modern en suite bathrooms, patios and heating as the temperatures can significantly drop here at night.

The main building contains a large restaurant, bar, gift shop, TV area and an attractive outside decking area, perfect for relaxing while admiring the view. There are buffets for breakfast and lunch but an a la carte menu is available for dinner.

Beside the exciting safaris within the crater, there are numerous walks and activities one can do from the lodge including visits to local tribal villages.

Within Ngorongoro crater is a diverse ecosystem representing nearly every habitat found in East Africa. Open grasslands are inhabited by wildebeest, zebra, lion, cheetah and black rhino; acacia woodland provides cover for leopards; swamps supply the food for elephants and buffalos; freshwater pools harbour hippos; and a small soda lake is a feeding ground for flocks of flamingos. In addition there are small outcrops of rocks which give shade for lions and even an highly arid area of shifting sand dunes.

Overview

Located on the eastern side of the Tarangire River and nestled within wildlife rich woodland, Tarangire Sopa Lodge offers good midrange accommodation for the park.

Tarangire Sopa Lodge has seventy five suites offering scenic views and is well placed in the heart of a good wildlife viewing area. Each suite has a small lounge area, minibar, en suite bathroom, two queen size beds and a balcony from which to view passing wildlife. There are four interconnecting rooms for families and an additional four for those with disabilities.

Facilities at the lodge include an excellent restaurant offering a combination of European, African and Asian dishes. There is ample seating in the large lounge area which includes a pool table and board games plus a good bar. The most striking feature of the lodge is its large central swimming pool with surrounding sun loungers, perfect for cooling off after an exciting game drive. Free Wi-Fi is available in the public areas and some evenings there are Maasai dance performances. There are no fences around the lodge allowing free movement of wildlife through the camp, so armed guards are on hand to safely accompany guests outside. The lodge can accommodate large numbers of guests so has less intimacy than some of the other options in Tarangire.

Less visited Tarangire National Park is a marvellous and somewhat underrated National Park. The 2,600sq km park has a large density of game and is known for its numerous wide-boughed baobab trees which give it a unique landscape. The park is outstanding for elephants and large herds numbering 100 or so animals are not uncommon.