Where to stay in Tanzania while on safari

Grumeti Private Reserve and Singita Sasakwa Lodge

Set in the Grumeti Private Reserve, which borders the Serengeti National Park, Singita’s flagship resort commands an amazing view from the summit of Sasakwa Hill. With its expansive, encircling verandahs and gently sloping grounds, this elegant property exudes refinement in every aspect, including the vast, tastefully designed rooms that showcase delicately carved East African antiques and African art. With nine elegantly equipped cottages with one, two, or three bedrooms and a four-bedroom villa, the lodge is more like a home than a hotel. The attention to detail is impeccable, from wine-paired, fresh produce-led tasting dinners cooked by graduates of the on-site cooking school to lavish afternoon teas on the verandah.

Jabali Ridge Resort, National Park of Ruaha

This luxurious resort is located in the isolated Ruaha National Park in southern Tanzania, which spans 20,226 square kilometers and is 40% larger than the Serengeti yet receives fewer tourists. Large lion prides and leopards are frequently seen along the banks of the Great Ruaha River, which provides as a lifeblood for the park’s fauna while they wait for their meal. Nestled between massive rocks on a kopje, Jabali’s eight futuristically styled suites, open-to-the-elements main lodge, infinity pool, and spa provide 360-degree views over the park’s huge baobabs that reach as far as the eye can see. Families can also rent a private property with a pool.

Best for: Walks, dramatic sightings of elephant and buffalo herds, an action-packed safari with a final frontier atmosphere, and those beautiful baobabs that blossom after the rainy season.

Beyond the Grumeti River Lodge in the Western Serengeti’s Grumeti River area

Located as close as possible to the Grumeti River in the western Serengeti, AndBeyond’s location has always been ideal. However, it has recently added a statement lodge worthy of the views, which are expertly framed at the entrance to the dining and lounge areas spilling onto cascading decks where you can see boulder-sized hippos jostling for space in the river, especially during the dry, low-water season (winter months).

Ideal for: People who enjoy all-African designer clothing with a focus on regional crafts and who back community empowerment initiatives. Banana leaves are weaved into ceilings, and vibrant kitenge fabric is creatively employed to bring happy color.

In the Western Serengeti, Mila Tented Camp

This low-key, explorer-style tented camp, which was once a seasonal camp, has moved to a prime location near the Grumeti River in the Nyasirori area. Its five well-appointed tents, including a two-bedroomed family tent, don’t feel decorated, even though they are the epitome of safari chic, allowing the surrounding landscapes to take center stage. This allows for fantastic year-round wildlife viewing.

Ideal for: Unplugging in the great outdoors, enjoying the privacy of a private car as standard, and having lots of room to call your own in the camp, especially during the mealtimes, which are a highlight.

Eastern Serengeti’s Namiri Plains

Namiri, which means “big cat” in Swahili, is a remote savannah east of the Seronera airfield that has been off-limits to visitors for more than 20 years. This has allowed researchers to examine how lions, leopards, and cheetahs forage on the plains. Access to migration occurs from November to June, contingent upon precipitation. With only eight suites, Namiri Plains’ chic tented accommodations provide all-around creature comforts, 360-degree vistas, and unparalleled access to the region’s plains, which are dominated by big cats.

Best for: An extravagant honeymoon safari because of the secluded, intimate location and unrivaled seclusion. Every tented room features an own balcony with an outdoor bath for the perfect way to stargaze.

The Southern Serengeti’s Mwiba Lodge

Nestled within a vast 52,000-hectare private wildlife reserve, this ultra-sophisticated and secluded resort is the ideal spot to be in the southern Serengeti during ungulate calving season. It provides unique access to genuine cultural events, such in-depth nature treks in the Hadza tribe’s bush. The 10 canvas-and-glass rooms are set on stilts on a boulder-strewn koppie high above the wide grasslands, or they are situated amongst candelabra and fever trees, overlooking a river where buffalo and elephant come to drink. Due to the property’s privacy, visitors may also partake in helicopter flips, join guided hikes and night drives, and enjoy sundowners on the escarpment.

Best for: Those seeking an off-the-beaten-path adventure in a rural location without sacrificing comforts like a well-stocked wine cellar, a yoga pavilion, a gym, or a cliffside pool with a covered gazebo for a picnic meal overlooking the scenery. You may observe migratory herds blowing up dust in the distance while swimming from December to March!

Grumeti Reserve, Singita Faru Faru

Far Faru is an alluring fusion of Scandi refinement, modern African style, 1940s botanist’s camp, and carefree, barefoot Zanzibar feelings in the bush.

The nine stone, canvas, and glass-walled apartments at the camp include a two-bedroom villa with a private pool and a family suite for four people. This property offers great year-round wildlife watching out on the plains or at the active waterhole just in front of camp, dispelling the misconception that the Serengeti is only worth visiting during the migration. A spa and fitness facility are available to counterbalance indulging in Singita’s award-winning wine list. The pool deck is the ideal spot for relaxed dining on delectable small dishes influenced by many cultures.

Best for: Those who value action-packed game watching combined with all the subtleties that Singita provides to safari. An additional excellent option for a honeymoon.