On your way to or from your dream safari in Tanzania why not linger a while longer in Arusha where a couple of lodges we’ve found, in the middle of coffee plantations, could really invigorate your trip?
There’s a tendency when going on safari to head straight to the wildlife and miss out on some of the local life. Safari can also be exhausting and we think that a couple of nights either before or after your wildlife adventure can either help you acclimatise to Africa on the way in, or gather breath on the way out.
Arusha itself doesn’t have a great deal of appeal as a town in our opinion, other than the imposing view of Mount Meru on the horizon. It’s a busy collection of shops and hotels that accommodate Tanzania’s need for an international gateway to its wildlife reserves.
It’s when you enter the grounds of our two choices that you can get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life and enter oases of calm that encourage you to enjoy the privilege of colonial lives brought up to date.
Our first choice, Legendary Lodge, revolves around an exclusive private residence and the individual rooms impart the feeling of being an honoured house-guest as much as a visitor.
Our second choice, Arusha Coffee Lodge, is more ‘inclusive’ in that it caters for a more transient clientele but still with individual; accommodation that reflects Planter life.
Legendary Lodge
We drive up the tree lined avenue through a working coffee farm towards a lovely flower and shrub surrounded bungalow, ‘The Old Farmhouse’, where a uniformed member of staff comes out to greet us with a chilled welcome drink on a platter.
We’re shown through into the main reception room, which has a cozy bar off to one side and are introduced to the manager.
We amble through the hallways and anterooms and immediately feel at home in this neat, tidy traditionally furnished single storey property that has all the hallmarks of someone’s private residence.
The owner’s residence is actually in the grounds and also available as guest accommodation – when the owner isn’t there on his rare annual appearance.
The twelve guest garden rooms are luxurious and spacious and whilst outstanding in their presentation and attention to detail, retain the charm and ambiance of the common parts.
There are two, two-bedroom cottages that enable you to keep your family together if you wish and a couple of the en suite rooms are within the Farmhouse itself if you don’t want to stray too far from the dining room!
Here, Legendary Lodge prides itself on its gourmet evenings of international cuisine.
Although various distractions such as the Spa and tours of the coffee plantation can be enjoyed, personally we’re just grateful after safari for the rest and relaxation in gracious surroundings that Legendary Lodge provides.
We’d highly recommend Legendary Lodge (part of the excellent & Beyond group) for a genteel introduction to a stunning Tanzanian safari or for a return to normality after days in the bush.
Arusha Coffee Lodge
By comparison, the Arusha Coffee Lodge offers a much more cosmopolitan and lively environment, being a staging post for many of the tours that pass through Arusha en route to safari.
That’s not to say that its unattractive by any means and its individual bungalows are superbly appointed, comfortable and stylish – very much in the style of individual Planter’s bungalows, situated as they are in the middle of an active coffee plantation.
It’s a joining of two worlds really in that the common parts of coffee lounge, restaurant and bar are used by a busy passing trade, whereas the residential side of the Lodge is much more refined and pleasant.
Certainly more competitively priced than Legendary Lodge, you would choose Arusha Coffee Lodge if you didn’t want to isolate yourself completely from the life and activity of Arusha but still wanted to be able to find peace and quiet when retiring to your room.
You could easily wile away time with a book on your veranda and then join the busy dining facility when you choose.
After the general bustle dies down the place becomes your own and breakfast is a quiet and pleasant affair with fresh fruit, juices and cooked fayre on request.
Arusha Coffee Lodge is a thoroughly pleasant place to stay and a contrast with Legendary Lodge – offering you two excellent choices, depending on your preference for ambiance and certainly two good reasons to extend your stay in Arusha.
As you might expect, both lodges are within easy reach of the busy little international airport and as scheduled flights are sometimes subject to ‘unexpected delays’ a comfortable resting place might be just what you need to avoid extended periods in the airport terminal ‘shed’!
Why not ask us to arrange your own tailor-made travel – to immerse yourself in the wonders of history and safari in East Africa?
Let us plan your own inspiring safari to Tanzania, Kenya and East Africa
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