The Migration: River Crossings

Set in lush tropical gardens on a working coffee farm just outside Arusha, the Legendary Lodge features six beautiful garden cottages, each with an inspiring view of Mount Meru from its own private veranda. Designed with a unique blend of African arts and crafts, combined with old, colonial-style luxury, the cottages offer king sized beds, a separate lounge with fireplace and ensuite bathrooms with deep tubs and refreshing showers. The two-bedroom Kahawa Cottage is ideal for families, while two cozy ensuite rooms are available in The Old Farmhouse for those who prefer to be closer to the dining room and guest lounge. There is an ambiance of old colonial luxury blending with the charm of a working coffee farm that makes visitors feel like they’ve stepped in ‘Out of Africa’. Mouth watering gourmet meals are served in the gracious environment of The Old Farmhouse, while the Legendary Therapies Spa offers rejuvenating treatments in the elegant therapy room or in the privacy of the guest cottages.

Activities include a luxurious spa treatment or a coffee farm tour. The city of Arusha offers many exciting places to see, including the Cultural Heritage Center, which offers a glimpse in the beautiful traditions and art of Tanzania, both tribal and modern. After exploring the city, come back to the relaxing oasis that is Legendary Lodge. Soak up the sun while lounging by the pool or stop in at the restaurant and spa to refresh the body and mind.

Kuro Tarangire is set amid a grove of Acacia and Kigelia trees on the banks of the Tarangire River – often a dry, sandy course snaking through this quiet area of the park. The area sees the rhythmic movement of wildlife as it traverses the park from the hills in the west to the swamps on the eastern side, and between the north and the south along the river line.

Conscious of wanting to experience this place in a way that harmonizes with the natural tempo, without overpowering it, we’ve created a camp with a light footprint. At the culmination of each season we will move on like the Nomads we are, leaving only the trees and birds and animals, as if we were never here.

That’s not to say that we don’t like to be comfortable though. Our six light and stylish safari tents are complete with comfortable beds, en-suite bucket shower and flushing eco-toilet. They rest among the trees with views over the African bush. We gather to share meals and relax under the cool grass thatch of the open-sided lounge and dining area which is furnished with colorful and tactile textiles.

Activities include walking safaris in the cool of the early morning to discover evidence of the night’s activities along the course of the Tarangire River. Also safari drives in open vehicles are huge highlights.

Gibbs Farm hugs nearly a mile of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, part of a 3,200 square mile reserve. Ideally located, the Farm lies half way between Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater, near the village of Karatu.

It is an oasis of green, calm and beauty, in a landscape that can often be dry and dusty. The lodge offers 18 charming cottages with en-suite bathrooms set among the beautifully manicured English gardens. All our rooms have lovely decor reminiscent of their unique garden setting and have been recently upgraded. The main facilities, consisting of a peaceful sitting room, reading room, dining room serving fresh home-cooked meals, a well-stocked bar and gift shop, are situated in the old farmhouse. Built in 1929, the Farmhouse has hardly changed, retaining the charm of a well looked-after private house.

Coffee is grown, processed and roasted on the farm, and a vast 10 acre fruit and organic vegetable garden provides nearly all the fruit and vegetables to the guests, who wake up to fresh coffee, a multitude of flowers and breathtaking views. Gibbs Farm provides a welcome stop on any safari, and a base from which to enjoy the many activities available in the foothills of the Ngorongoro Crater. Even if your stay is short, find time for a tour of the splendid gardens.

Lamai Serengeti sits amongst the rocks of Kogakuria Kopje in the remote northern sector of the Serengeti National Park. The camp enjoys panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, just a few miles from where the wildebeest cross the Mara River. 

At Lamai Serengeti we have just 12 rooms, split between two lodges. Each lodge has its own private bar and dining area, with adjoining library and map room and each has its own natural rock swimming pool. All rooms have 24-hour power and en-suite bathrooms with hot and cold running water, flush toilets and powerful showers.

When one of the largest animal migrations in the world crosses your door step, as it does at Lamai Serengeti between July and October, it’s sometimes easy to overlook what all of us who have spent so long in the Serengeti keep reminding ourselves. It’s not all about the migration. To define the Serengeti purely in terms of the wildebeest timetable is to massively underestimate the variety of this part of Africa. Throughout the year, not only can we use our 4×4 s to explore the intricacies of the area, both south of the Mara River and (river state permitting) to the north, but we’re able to offer walking safaris from here.

Rekero Camp is situated in the midst of the Mara Serengeti eco-system; home to some of the greatest concentration and diversity of wildlife in the world. Amidst the teeming masses of wildlife in the Masai Mara area, Rekero Tented Camp is inside the game reserve, very close to the confluence of the Mara and Talek rivers. The camp consists of nine spacious tents, all are en-suite with flush toilets and solar powered showers. Solar lanterns and kerosene lamps are provided in each tent. Designed with the delicate Masai Mara ecosystem in mind, the camp is ‘green’ to help preserve the integrity of the beautiful natural setting.

This eco-camp is ideally situated for the annual migration, which is the movement of over one million wildebeest and two hundred thousand zebras from the plains of the Serengeti in Tanzania through the Masai Mara in Kenya. Every year the camp is closed for two months to allow the bush to regenerate naturally and the many wildlife neighbours to return leaving a fresh and recovered wilderness for the next season. This helps ensure guests will have a high quality experience for game viewing. Wildlife viewing can be done on foot with experienced Maasai and Il Dorobo guides, or in custom 4×4 drive vehicles which allow intimate yet unobtrusive access to the animals. Picnics in the bush and sun-downers are also featured.