Lake Manyara Tree Lodge
The only lodge in Lake Manyara National Park, the Tree Lodge offers guests an exclusive safari experience.
No ordinary tree house, accommodation is in ten wooden stilted tree houses set within a forest brimming with birds and wildlife. Rooms are spacious with a living area, en-suite bathroom with an outdoor shower and private deck from which to view the foraging wildlife below. The main area of the lodge has a swimming pool and dining area, while breakfast is served on the shores of Lake Manyara.
Both day and night game drives are on offer and there is no shortage of wildlife in Manyara National Park. The diversity of the habitat means there are plenty of resident game including buffalo and elephant, and the birdlife is also fantastic. It is worth noting that the lodge is at the far end of the park so it can take a while to get there. However, we think it's all part of its remote charm, and means it's even further from the masses.
Why We Love It
Manyara is famous for its tree-climbing lions. Luckily they don't favour trees the guests stay in, but they are a good sight whilst on safari nevertheless.
Lemala Ngorongoro
A seasonal camp located on the rim of the Ngorongoro crater, Lemala is located in a quiet part of Ngorongoro National Park and has unparalleled views and wildlife.
Accommodation is comprised of nine tents, including one specifically for families. Each tent is spacious and has an en suite bathroom with flush loo and safari shower. Décor in both the rooms and mess tent evokes the authentic safari experience, with wooden chests, antiques, book shelves and rugs.
Just a ten minute drive to the crater bowl, Lemala is the closest camp to the actual crater and uses an entrance rarely used by others. This means guests can get in early doors and have the place to themselves for a few hours, with uninterrupted wildlife viewing. As well as game drives in the crater, guests can also go on walks and picnics. Lemala also works closely with the local Masai community and encourages guests to spend time with the Masai and learn of their lifestyle and traditions.
Why We Love It
Take a picnic down to the crater at dawn and have breakfast with a Masai warrior as the sun rises over the crater.
Manyara Ranch
Unlike many other park-based lodges, Manyara Ranch is located on a private ranch allowing guests exclusive access to the land and wildlife.
Situated in a grove of shady acacia trees, eight spacious en-suite tents all have their own viewing deck with spectacular views of the surrounding landscape. Dining is a simple affair, with food eaten al fresco and altogether, either at the camp or even on the shores of Lake Manyara. There is also a bar and selection of books in the central mess tent.
A no-frills camp, Manyara Ranch is all about the activities. Those on offer include riding and walking safaris, game drives and hide visits. The hides at Manyara Ranch are placed for optimum, up-close wildlife viewing. Working closely with the local Masai community guests can also visit the local school and market and immerse themselves in Masai life.
Why We Love It
You can get closer to the wildlife on a riding safari at Manyara Ranch.
Oliver's Camp
The off-the-beaten-track location of Oliver's Camp allows guests to enjoy exclusive access to the wildlife and scenery.
The colonial-style tented camp is comprised of ten tents, all with thatched roofs and wooden decks. Inside the tents are adorned with African bedspreads, old wooden trunks and wooden writing desks, in true safari style. Bathrooms are en-suite with outdoor showers attached to each tent.
There is a main tent for dining, a library and a camp fire where guests are invited to sit around and enjoy the night-time chorus of cackling hyena and roaring lions.
Highly experienced and knowledgeable guides are on hand for walking safaris, fly-camping, bush camping and game drives; and the diverse landscape is home to numerous wildlife including large herds of elephant and buffalo, and over 500 species of birdlife.
Why We Love It
Little Oliver's, a mini camp just a mile or so away from its older brother, is perfect for families or small groups who like to safari in private.
Plantation Lodge
A colonial-style, privately owned lodge on the edge of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Plantation Lodge is within easy reach of both the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara.
The rooms are spread amongst cottages and suites which fan around the original coffee lodge and the gardens. Décor is colonial mixed with a cosy, farmhouse vibe - rooms have polished terracotta floors, planter-style furniture and African artwork and carvings.
As well as a dining room, there are a number of outdoor areas where guests can sample some of the chef's delicious haute-cuisine. Suppers are often four course affairs, using vegetables from the garden. There is also a bar that is the central hub of the lodge in the evening and, unlike many safari lodges, has an extensive wine list, soon to be longer with the cellar opening later this year. Other facilities include a pool and small spa.
Plantation Lodge is the perfect starting point to a safari into the Northern part of Tanzania. Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater are both within a half an hour's drive, where wildlife includes zebra, buffalo, lions, black rhino and elephants, to name just a few. Guests can also visit a local coffee plantation to learn about the coffee-making process and go on guided hikes and nature walks.
Why We Love It
Great for families, Plantation Lodge has a number of interconnecting rooms as well as the Garden House, which sleeps up to eight.
The Manor
Housed in a colonial style manor house, The Manor is located on a 1500 acre coffee plantation, and is within an hours drive of the spectacular Ngorongoro crater.
20 suites are spread between ten cottages - Manor Cottages and Stable Cottages. The former are by the main Manor House and the latter, as the name suggests, by the former stables. Both are elegantly decorated in the Cape Dutch style, and the Stable Cottages are perfect for families with two bedrooms on one floor and a further children's twin room and playroom on another.
Guests can drink and dine in the main house or outside in the gardens, which are brimming with colourful bougainvillea and jacaranda blossom. Facilities include a sauna, steam room, snooker room and tennis court.
Being near the Ngorongoro Crater, the activities on offer are endless. Firstly, there are trips to see the crater itself - a large, unbroken volcanic caldera and the pride of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area - which is a natural enclosure for wildlife. It is home to a population of resident lions as well as wildebeest, buffalo, zebra and rhino. Guests can also do a game drive in Lake Manyara National Park, hire mountain bikes and ride around the coffee estate.
Why We Love It
Wake up early to watch the mist lift off the Ngorongoro Crater, truly a spectacular sight.
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is perched on the edge of the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater at the eastern edge of the Serengeti in northern Tanzania.
Nearly three million years old, Ngorongoro is the largest ancient volcanic caldera in the world. Now a haven for wild game, the crater offers spectacular year-round game viewing, including elephant, buffalo, giraffe, black-maned lion, the endangered black rhino and the thousands of flamingo that live on the soda lake at the crater's centre.
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge consists of three adjacent camps, each of which operates independently: the North and South Camps have 12 suites each, while the intimate Tree Camp has six suites. Each suite comprises a bedroom, bathroom, lounge and private deck, and all of the camps have incredible views over the crater floor 600 metres below.
Guests at the lodge can also visit nearby Olduvai Gorge, known as the cradle of humankind, see the bizarre Shifting Sands and, in season, witness the phenomenal migration of zebra and wildebeest across the Serengeti.
Why We Love It
One of the natural wonders of the world, the extraordinary setting and the diversity of the crater's wildlife led to it being named a World Heritage Site.
Kuro Tarangire
Set in a grove of acacia and kigelia trees on the banks of the Tarangire River, and near to one of the main game routes, Kuro Tarangire occupies a fantastic location for game viewing in the heart of the Tarangire National Park.
Nomad Tanzania hold Tarangire close to their hearts as it was the first stomping ground of their head guide Richard Knocker, as well as being the location of one of the first ever camps. Where today's camp operates is just a stone's throw from the Tarangire River, as well as being within game drive range of the Silale and Gursi Swamps, making it perfect for prime wildlife spotting.
There are just six spacious safari tents, and each has a comfortable bed, verandah and simple ensuite bathroom with bucket shower and flushing eco-toilets. Solar powered lighting and hot water are provided too. Meals are a communal affair, served in the open air, grass thatched lounge and dining room, which is furnished with canvas, hides and colourful textiles.
This area is great for walking, day and night drives, and particularly well known for big herds of buffalo and elephant, prides of lion and exceptional birdlife; Tarangire is second only to the infamous Serengeti for wildlife concentration.
Why We Love It
This camp is perfect for ticking a huge variety of wildlife off your bucket list - giraffe, elephants, leopards, lions.
Entamanu Ngorongoro
The most recent addition to the fantastic Nomad group is Entamanu Ngorongoro, opened in August 2016. The camp enjoys a lofty and privileged position, perched high on the rim of the inimitable Ngorongoro Crater and one of just a handful of operators granted permission by the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority to set up in this incredible location.
The restrictions in place from the NCAA mean that the camp must be easily removable so as not to damage the environment and landscape. The added complication of cooler temperatures on the crater rim have made this one of the biggest design challenges for the Nomad team to date, but they have succeeded in crafting a camp that is comfortable and beautifully located, while having minimal impact on the surrounding ecology - not one bush has been cut down during its creation.
There are six rooms, two of which include a mezzanine level - perfect for a family safari adventure. All rooms will have crater views and incredible views of the Serengeti can be found at the other side of camp. The carefully designed canvas rooms sit on a raised wooden platform with a stunning canvas exterior structure that ensures the NCAA removability requirements are met. This down to earth camping experience is given a luxury twist as the guest rooms and dining area are heated to keep you cosy in the evenings whilst taking in the sensational views of the surrounding soaring peaks of the dormant volcanic hills.
Why We Love It
Entamanu is the Maasai word for 'circle' - the perfect name for a camp which will enjoy stunning views over the circular crater, Serengeti Plains, Olduvai Gorge and the Gol Mountains.