The highs and the lows of Safari Lodges

We will always suggest your first night in Tanzania to be a lodge in Arusha if you arrive on an international flight. Lodges in Arusha are very comfortable and a good way to start rested and ready for your adventure.

Lodges are also available inside and outside the Parks, and there are advantages and disadvantages to this choice of accommodation. We often advise a mixture of lodge and tented accommodation for people who aren’t sure about a full tented Safari.

Below are some insights into the advantages and disadvantages of lodges. This is a generalisation and where possible we will always choose the best lodges in the best locations to meet your needs as we design your Safari.

Pros

• Comfort level is often better with advanced plumbing systems, power showers and reliable lighting.
• Facilities are often more advanced with swimming pools or spa facilities.
• Air-conditioning is sometimes available.

Cons

• Lodges are often located outside of the parks which removes the opportunities for dusk and evening game experiences and hearing animals at night.
• From a sustainability and water-use perspective, lodges often use more resources than tented camps with only a select few keeping sustainable practises.
• Lodges cannot move so their locations are seasonal. It is important to book the right part of the Serengeti at the right time of the year which is where our designers come in.
• There are more people often staying in lodges with bigger structures and impact so it has less of an exclusive feel.