Looking for a hotel in Tanzania? Check out my recommendations below for where I stayed and why you should consider these too.
I recently got back from a two-week trip to Tanzania. I had an incredible time and I learned a lot! Want to know more about my trip, check out my previous post: Tanzania Travel Guide: What I learned on my trip to Tanzania. Seeing all the animals, that close, was indescribable. The food was delicious. And the people were so kind. If you ever thought maybe you would want to go on a safari, you need to go to Tanzania!!!
An important piece of any successful trip is lodging. Some lodging can be glamorous, others are cost-effective and some are just a place to put your head on a pillow at the end of a long day. Most of the time I pick the middle of the road.
Sure I love a fancy hotel with all the amenities but I also sometimes look at the price and want to throw up. I also don’t shy away from a good deal. I do however have a few requirements when it comes to lodging.
While my search criteria are very basic, I will not recommend any place I would not personally want to stay again. And I would not recommend any place just to get readers. Trust me, I’ve stayed at a few places hoping to get some content but found they were so bad, I could not in good faith post it as a recommendation.
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So let’s start with the basics
My basic criteria for finding a hotel in Tanzania (or anywhere for that matter):
1. A hotel must be clean. I’m not a germaphobe by any means but I have stayed in some places that can only be classified as a dump. Not an actual dump but places that really make me question if I should even take my shoes off or if I dare touch anything.
2. A hotel must be in a safe location. No hotel deal is worth it if sits between a bunch of crack houses and brothels.
3. A hotel, sadly, must have wifi available. It was not that long ago this would not have been on my list but in this day and age, unplugging for too many days is tough. A day or two is fine (something I did have to experience in Tanzania) but too many days without being able to connect back to the world, is tough.
4. A hotel must either have a restaurant/bar or some options close by. This may not be a deal breaker but having to drive everywhere all the time is not fun, and lets be real if you want that one extra drink and you are in an area where Uber and Lyft are not an option, having a bar and restaurant are a must.
Here are my recommendations for hotels in Tanzania, not in any order.
Hotel in Tanzania Option 1 – Moivaro Arusha Lodge
The first hotel in Tanzania I will recommend is Moivaro Arusha Lodge. While this may not be in the heart of Arusha city center, it does have many positives.
Where is Moivaro Arusha Lodge located?
Moivaro Arusha Lodge is a hotel about 7 km (4.35 miles) outside Arusha, Tanzania’s city center. It’s about a one-hour drive from Kilimanjaro Airport.
The property is set on a 40-acre coffee plantation with amazing gardens. Both fruit and vegetable gardens but also flower gardens. Many of the fruits and vegetables are used in the daily meals served at the restaurant.
Moivaro Arusha Lodge has 40 private brick cottages, private bathrooms, wood-burning fireplaces, and a private veranda at each cottage. The beds are quite comfortable. They include mosquito netting and 2 pillows even on a single bed!! I’ve stayed in many hotels and they rarely have more than 1 pillow on the single beds.
What amenities do they offer?
The Moivaro Arusha Lodge has many amenities to make the stay more comfortable. They have a beautiful pool with lounge chairs and umbrellas. A nice place to relax and read a book or go for a swim. There is also a 2 km walking trail around the property. You will walk through the dense forest area and into the coffee plantation before coming out the other side by the community building.
A bonfire is going on every night with plenty of seating around for you to meet new friends or decompress after a day on safari.
The bar has plenty of options from wine and beer to almost every kind of cocktail you can imagine. They also give you complimentary plantain chips and salsa. If you have never had plantain chips you are missing out. You must try some!!
The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. The meals are served on a buffet which is nice because you can try a little of everything.
Wifi is available in the common areas but not in the cottages. Laundry service is affordable. And if you just need a little pampering, they have massage services.
Why I Recommend Moivaro
I highly recommend Moivaro Arusha Lodge as a hotel to stay in Tanzania. The quiet location allows you to fully relax and unwind. Being surrounded by nature helps you connect with yourself and breathe. The cottages are very comfortable and the staff is helpful.
Hotel in Tanzania Option 2 – Burunge Tented Camp
My second recommendation for a hotel in Tanzania is the Burunge Tented Camp. This is exactly like it sounds, a tent. But not a roughing-it tent. These are the definition of glamping tents but still a fun way to experience the nature of Tanzania.
Where is Burunge Tented Camp located?
The Burunge Tented Camp is located between Manyara and Tarangire National Parks making it an ideal hotel in Tanzania. Not only for the convenience of being close to national parks but also because the elephants use natural paths between the two parks. I’m sure other animals use this path as well but elephants were the main animals we saw…and heard…
The lodge complex has 30 tents and 10 bungalows. I stayed in a tent so I can’t comment on the bungalows. The tents however were so much nicer than I could have imagined. Sitting on a raised platform, the tents have wood floors, mosquito net draped bed(s), a permanent toilet, shower, and sink.
The luxury of having an actual bathroom makes you forget you are actually in a tent. Canvas walls and all.
Each tent is covered by a thatched roof and has a private deck with a small table and chairs. It’s a perfect place to relax and watch the elephants walk past.
What amenities do they offer?
Burunge offers many amenities to make your stay more comfortable. First, they have a beautiful infinity edge pool. If you are there mid-day, you will be able to swim while watching the elephants wade in the water just over the edge. One afternoon an elephant even came over to take a drink from the pool.
They also have wifi in the common areas, a fully stocked bar, and delicious food served on the deck. They also have a nightly happy hour with free cocktails and appetizers. The Tanzanian Gin and Tonic are fantastic!!
A feature you could easily take for granted is the water cooler in the tent. In a country where even the locals can’t drink the water, having access to refill a water bottle that you don’t need to pay for is fantastic.
Why I Recommend Burunge Tented Camp
Other than the free nightly happy hour… I have to recommend Burunge Tented Camp for access to wildlife. While listening to wild animals rubbing against the walls of your tent at night can be a little unnerving, waking up to see beautiful elephants walking by your front door is an experience you can’t easily replace.
Hotel in Tanzania Option 3 – Ngorongoro Farm Valley Lodge
The third hotel in Tanzania on my list is Ngorongoro Family Valley Lodge. And the probably most luxurious of the three.
Where is Ngorongoro Farm Valley Lodge located?
Ngorongoro Farm Valley Lodge is located in the highlands of Karatu near the Ngorongoro Crater. The higher elevation makes for a cooler climate and drier air. Set on a 500-acre plantation with coffee, fruit, and vegetable plants.
The landscape views are amazing!!! Take a walk through the grounds to the coffee plantation or vegetable garden. Or take a nap on a lounge chair by the pool.
The rooms are impressive with painted concrete floors, glass French doors, cozy bedding with mosquito netting, and again, an extra pillow!! I felt like I was staying in a European flat.
What amenities do they offer?
Like the Burunge Tented Camp, Ngorongoro Farm Valley Lodge offers a free happy hour with their version of a Tanzanian Gin and Tonic, it comes with mint!!! I know, MINT in a Gin and Tonic?!?! It’s surprisingly delicious.
The onsite restaurant and bar offer a wide variety of options with food served family style. The food was amazing, partly because the chef is very talented and partly because most of the ingredients come directly from their farm. And the coffee…the coffee alone is worth the stay.
This hotel also offers massages, evening bonfires, and of course wifi. This was the only hotel I had wifi in my room. I was close to the main lodge and others I talked to on the end had some wifi but the signal was weak. Either way, the wifi at the main lodge was awesome.
Why I Recommend Ngorongoro Farm Valley Lodge
If luxury and relaxation are your thing, Ngorongoro Farm Valley Lodge is a hotel in Tanzania you need to check out. The grounds are beautiful, the food is amazing, and there is something about those mint gin and tonics that elevate a classic to the next level.
You could easily go to Tanzania and make this lodge your only destination. Relax by the pool, bonfire, on the covered veranda, or inside by one of the fireplaces. No matter where you are you will feel nothing but relaxation.
Why you should book a room at any hotel in Tanzania.
I truly fell in love with the country. There may be some questionable places to stay but I did not find one. If you want a luxury hotel or a rustic tent, you will find the experience you are looking for in Tanzania. Still trying to decide if you should go, stop thinking and just book the room!
Happy travels and remember the world is full of adventures all around you! You just need to get out and explore.
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