Campsites & Lodges

Kilimanjaro Airport Lodge is located 5 minutes away from Kilimanjaro International Airport. KIA lodge is ideally located for travelers arriving and departing from the airport and provide a shuttle service for in-house guests. The friendly service, Zanzibar style reception, typical African decorations, and tropical restaurant offer a warm welcome to into the Tanzanian culture.

The lodge offers 40 spacious African-style thatched brick cottages privately set in beautiful savannah garden, a pool and spa services. Day rooms are also available. Prices indicate a standard room is around $160. 

Airport Planet Lodge is conveniently located about 5 miles from Kilimanjaro International Airport. Located between Arusha and Moshi, the lodges offers great views of both Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru. The lodge provides free transfers to / from the Kilimanjaro Airport for guests as well as shuttles to Arusha. Other amenities include a full service bar, a restaurant with local and international dishes and spa services.

Prices indicate a standard room on bed and breakfast is around $160 and day room use is around $70. Deluxe and Executive Suites are also available. 

Outpost Lodge is a lively travellers' hub conveniently located in a quiet residential area, just 500m from the city centre. The rooms are basic, yet clean, comfortable and affordable.The garden bungalows are the most attractive. 

There is a restaurant, bar, small swimming pool and small garden. 

Price is around $90 for a double room /  Bed & Breakfast. 

L’Oasis Lodge is a good lodge in the budget - mid-range price category. It is a lively place, set in large attractive gardens, about 500m north of Arusha. There is a range of rustic accommodation options on offer, including stilted bungalows, cottages and a dormitory backpacker rooms. There is a small pool. Price indication is around US$ 160 for a double room on the basis of Bed & Breakfast. The backpacker rooms are cheaper. 

Karama Lodge & Spa is an eco-friendly lodge located just southeast of Arusha town with great views on Mount Meru. Accommodation is wooded cabins on poles with en suite bathrooms, scattered across a nice garden on a mountain slope, surrounded by peaceful forest. The rooms all have private balconies. The interior of the lodge is a homely and creative blend of different natural materials.

Onsite there is a small swimming pool, spa and yoga, and a cosy restaurant. Several day excursions are offered, including a picnic walk, a visit to the Maasai market, or a one day hike up to the slopes of Mount Meru.

This lodge is a great option if you prefer staying in a peaceful natural environment, instead of downtown within walking distance from the cafes and restaurants. Rate around $ 200 for a double room / Bed & Breakfast.

This is Roadtrip Tanzania's preferred option in the mid-range section. 

Only 5 minutes away from Arusha National Park, at an altitude of 1400m, the comfortable bungalows at Meru View Lodge serve as an ideal start or end point for your visit to Tanzania. The bungalows are set in a flowering gardens with an inviting swimming pool. 

As the owners are German, a small beer garden can’t be missed. The restaurant has the feel of a cozy mountain cabin, with the Bavarian decor replaced by Maasai blankets.

Meru View Lodge is one of our favourite picks in the mid-range category and good price - quality ratio. 

Bungalows cost $110 for a double, bed & breakfast.

Next door you find African View Lodge, slightly more expensive, but newer and more luxurious. 

Next to Mount Meru View, this mid-range hotel is a recommended place to stay and good value for money. Comfortable bungalows set in a nice landscaped garden with an inviting pool.

The lodge is nestled at an altitude of 1400m and serves as an ideal start or end point for your visit to Tanzania, as it is strategically located mid-way from JRO airport (45 min drive), Arusha town ( 45 min drive), and next to Arusha National Park. 

African View Lodge is managed by African View Lodges & Tented Camps, who run a number of decent mid-range lodges in the North of Tanzania, of which their Serengeti Camp is also good value for money, and a recommended place to stay.  

Rivertrees Country Inn is conveniently located just 40 minutes from Kilimanjaro International Airport, halfway to Arusha, and only 15 minutes from Arusha National Park. It is located on a beautiful old farming  estate of 10 acres.

Rivertrees combines colonial countryside décor with African warmth, gourmet farm cuisine and personal service. Accommodation is in spacious cottages with antique furniture. There is a large swimming pool and spa. As the estate is so large, guests can even go for a jog or bike ride. The restaurants is excellent and lively, and many non-guests and expats from Arusha come over to enjoy a meal. 

This is Roadtrip Tanzania's favourite choice for the upmarket segment. If you want to spoil yourself, do it here. 

Price indication is $ 350 for a double room  / bed & breakfast. 

There are two basic campsites close to Tarangire where you can pitch your own tent. Wild Palm Campsite (075 8439799) is run down with no facilities, but has its charm. You will probably be the only camper, giving you ultimate privacy and chance to appreciate the silence. Bring your own food. Zion Campsite (0754318414) is another campsite next to the gate. It has better facilities, with an area for cooking and cleaning. You can order basic meals at the canteen. Both campsites are plotted in Tracks4Africa.

Boabob Tented Camp is located in a secluded area inside Tarangire National Park- arguably one of Tanzania’s best national Parks. With only 10 guest tents including a family unit, each guest tent has en suite bathroom with shower, vanity desk and flush toilets. The lodge offers activities such as game drives, walking safaris, night game drives and balloon safaris.

Rates for a double room will cost around $270 per night. 

Enjoy the beautiful view of Tarangire National Park from the wooden platform terrace of your room at Lake Burunge Tented Lodge. The lodge is located in the natural corridor between Lake Manyara and Tarangire so wildlife viewing is almost guaranteed. Burunge Tented Lodge offers relaxing accommodation and great service after a day on safari. Standard and family rooms are available as well as a restaurant and pool. The lodge is located 10 minutes outside Tarangire National Park. 

Enjoy other activities offered by the lodge including private sundowners, walking safaris and visits to local groups in the area. Price for a double room on a full board basis is around $210 during high season. Low season rates are available. 

Sangaiwe Tented Lodge is situated across forty acres of hillside wooded with beautiful trees, including indigenous African hardwoods. Located near the new Sangaiwe gate to Tarangire National Park with stunning views over Lake Burunge, Sangaiwe Tented Lodge offers travelers to Tanzania luxury tented accommodation, great service and fresh food. The large common area comprises reception, bar, dining, lounge, swimming pool and large outdoor viewing patio.

Standard rooms and family cottages are available. Double rooms are priced around $330 per night on a full board basis during high season.

Whistling Thorn is an intimate, small-scale tented camp. It's set in a typical African bush landscape, named after the swollen thorns of the acacia scrub which are hollow, producing a whistling sound when the wind blows through. It is at the Kwakuchinja Wildlife Corridor that is used by the animals to go from Tarangire to Lake Manyara in search of water and grass. From the camp, it is a 30 minute ride to the park entrance.

Accommodation is in spacious safari tents with en suite bathroom. You have a lot of privacy. In the evening they make a nice campfire. 

Maramboi is a luxury lodge operated by the highly regarded Tanganyika Wilderness Camp. It is ideally situated to explore both Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Park.

Maramboi means ''place with water’’ in the local language of the Mbugwe tribe. It is set outside the park boundaries between Tarangire and Manyara National Park, in a conservation area surrounded by palm trees and rattling with wildlife. Accommodation is in tastefully decorated spacious safari tents, with kingsize bed, private veranda and en suite bathroom. It is a high-end lodge, but excellent value for money with US$ 480 for a double on basis of full board. 

Tarangire Safari Lodge is a luxury owner-managed lodge boasting a prime location inside the park on a cliff overlooking the Tarangire river. You can spot the hundreds of elephants  in the park from your private veranda. You can choose to overnight in a cosy bungalow or permanent tent. 

The lodge was the first to be built in the park in 1985 and has been managed by the same family ever since. At the heart of the lodge are the impressively high thatched roofs of the lounge and dining area and an inviting pool. Indicative prices are US$480 for a double on the basis of Half Board. 

Our favourite pick of the bunch in the budget range is Panorama Safari Camp, set on a prime location on the escarpment overlooking Lake Manyara. You can pitch your own tent, stay in theirs, or sleep in an "African Igloo’’ . The facilities are basic, but the shared washroom and cooking facilities are clean. There is a basic restaurant and bar onsite with free WIFI.

Twiga Campsites & Lodge is an efficiently organized place in Mto wa Mbu village. They have a large lawn where you can pitch your own tent, swimming pool and various no frills but decently priced bandas in the range of US$ 60 – 100 for a double on thebasis of bed & breakfast. The place lacks charm, but the shared cooking and washroom facilities are clean and having a pool can be a welcome relief during one of those warm days. Twiga Campsite is popular with Overlanders, so during high season, the chances you'll be alone are slim. 

Migombani Camp is located in the Great Rift Valley and conveniently located near the entrance to Lake Manyara National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The camp offers camping facilities and furnished safari tents. Enjoy the spectacular views of the rift valley and into Lake Manyara while relaxing by the pool after a day on safari. 

Other amenities include hot showers, a restaurant, outdoor kitchen and lounge area. Camping is $15 per person and furnished safari tents are $65 for double occupancy.

Kudu Lodge and Campsite is nestled in eleven acres of rolling countryside in Karatu. The lodge is surrounded with trees and gardens providing a shady and tranquil oasis for travelers. The lodge offers three types of bungalow rooms as well as camping facilities. There is a restaurant, bar, gift shop, spa and swimming pool for guests to enjoy.

To camp at the camping site, the rate is $10 per person, per day. Bungalow rates for a double room start at $325 on a full board basis during high season. Low season rates are available. 

The Northern Circuit is rather short in mid-range options and accommodation is generally either in the budget or high-end range. But not in Karatu, the gateway to the Ngorongoro Crater & Highlands. Karatu is a road trip paradise, with many good value for money accommodation options to suit all budgets.

Eileen’s Trees Inn is set in quiet leafy suburban grounds that feature an inviting swimming pool with sun deck, homely stilted restaurant & bar and spacious, stylish bungalows with private verandas. Good value for money with double rooms for US$ 180 on the basis of half board.  

Run as a social enterprise, Rhotia Valley is an intimate eco-lodge set on a hilltop on the Mto Wa Mbu side of Karatu. Accommodation is in comfortable tented rooms with en suite bathroom and veranda, and there is a small swimming pool. Scrumptious home cooked meals are made from organic ingredients grown on their farm.

Your stay at Rhotia Valley Tented Lodge will directly contribute to the wellbeing of the local community. The Dutch owner-managers run Rhotia Lodge as a social enterprise, and 20% of the revenue goes to the Children’s Home and local schools in Rhotia village. Prices are around US$ 330 for a double on the basis of half board.

Rhotia Lodge could be used as a base from which to explore Manyara National Park (1 hour away) and Ngorongoro Crater (2 hour drive). Activities offered on site are a village walk, mountain biking, a visit to the Children’s Home and school.

The restaurants and bungalows are set in a large, flowering garden 1 km outside of Karatu, close to the main road towards Ngongongoro Conservation Area. Bungalows are spacious and neat. There's also a swimming pool. It's nothing extraordinary, but a good price-quality ratio. The cost of a double room is $ 250 at Half Board. 

Country Lodge is nestled on the edge of Karatu town, midway between Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The lodge has a country, simple comfort feel surrounded by garden paths and the rolling hills of the Ngorongoro highlands. There are 22 cottage rooms available, a dining and lounge area. Take a coffee tour around a coffee plantation nearby.

Price for a double room on full board basis is around $220 during high season. Low season rate available. 

Marera Valley Lodge is a beautifully landscaped lodge located in Karatu, about 20 minutes from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area park gate. The lodge has 18 spacious cottages each with their own private deck and viewing area. There is a lounge, bar, dining room and swimming pool.

Price for a double room on full board basis is around $220 during high season. Low season rates available. 

Ngorongoro Farm House is an upmarket lodge, situated on a large coffee farm about halfway between Karatu and the Ngorongoro Crater.

This stylish lodge evokes the ambience of an old English farm house and offers accommodation in luxurious cottages. Operated by the highly regarded Tanganyika Wilderness Camps this luxury lodge is, at US$ 450 for a double on Full Board, good value for money. Make sure you arrive early, so you can enjoy the facilities of the estate!

Simba Public campsite is the only public campsite located on the Ngorongoro crater rim. Pitch your tent and cook your meals in the heart of nature with beautiful views of the crater floor. Camping facilities include toilets, showers and a dining area. Animals are known to wander through the campsite in the evenings.

The price to camp at Simba Campsite is $35 per person, per night.

Rhino Lodge is conveniently located inside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and is the perfect base to explore the Ngorongoro crater and surrounding area. The lodge has 24 ensuite rooms, a cozy shared communal area and a restaurant. A good budget accommodation option inside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, but lacking a clear view of the crater floor.

Full board and half board options available. Prices for a double room range from $130-$145.

Ndutu Safari Lodge is a traditional and authentic safari lodge located inside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area on the edge of the Southern Serengeti plains. The lodge is comprised of thirty four stone and thatched roof en-suite cottages. While the lodge is a great option year-round, it is well known for its superb location during mid- December through April when the two million migratory animals are known to be around the area.

Price for a double room on a full board basis is around $310 during high season. Low season rates available. 

Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge is located on the highest point of the Eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater with unparalleled views into the crater floor. The lodge was designed after traditional circular African houses and is warmly decorated offering a cozy and luxurious ambiance for guests. Enjoy a sundowner at the Crater View Bar or by the pool after a day on safari.

Prices for a double room vary depending on the season, but are between $330- $675 for a night. 

Lake Eyasi Safari Lodge offers stunning views over the seasonal soda lake and up to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Sixteen tastefully furnished spacious rooms are located within the large property, each with a private verandah overlooking the lake. The décor blends elements from the surrounding landscape with modern comfort. The lodge offers comfortable accommodation, a restaurant and a swimming pool. The lodge can assist guests to visit the culturally diverse tribes in the area, including the Hazabe and Datoga people.

Price for a double room on a full board basis is around $300 (high season rate). Low seasons rates available. 

Tindiga Tented Camp is a no frills yet charming and welcoming tented camp, set up amidst a bushy shrubland of the Eyasi Ecosystem, some 1.5 kilometers from Lake Eyasi.

The camp has 10 tented rooms with en suite bathrooms, a simple restaurant built by Datoga women and a nice open fireplace and lounge area. Indicative prices are US$ 225 for a double on the basis of half board. 

Kisima Ngeda is a high-end lodge at a location that will wow you. It's set up at the shores of Lake Eyasi, a dry and hostile environment, but there is a natural hot spring at the heart of the property, creating a lush oasis of doum palms. Accommodation is in luxury and tastefully decorated tented safari rooms, with en suite bathroom and lounge area.

Kisima Ngeda is a very tranquil place where you'll love spending a day relaxing at the pool and enjoying the views over the shore from the tree house. Indicative pricing is $ 500 / double room / Half Board.  Can't afford it? Than just pop over for lunch and enjoy the property.

Bear in mind that the Seronera campsites lack a bit of character and are primarily set up to cater for budget group safari tours. But, you are in the middle of the park, perfectly located for early morning and afternoon game drives. There is a large fenced cooking area, the domain of the bush chefs of the tour operators, and a separate roofed dining area where the clients are "served". You will most likely share the campsite with at least 40 other campers travelling with a budget safari company, which gives it a bit of a mass tourism feel. Luckily, we did not experience this in the other safari parks in Tanzania.

Public campsites which are managed by the park (TANAPA) costs $ 35.40 per person / night. 

This is a small-scale, mobile eco-camp inside the Serengeti. There are 10 tents, which have their own small terrace and en suite toilet and shower powered by solar energy. Dining is in a communal mess tent area.

Price indication is $ 440 for a double room, on the basis of Half Board. 

Your safari experience continues at the camp. Sit on your private veranda during the day while looking out for passing wildlife. In the evening you can enjoy snacks and drinks around the campfire. 

Kati Kati Camp is operated by Tanganyika Wilderness Camps, who have several upmarket mobile tents and lodges in Tanzania.

Price is around $330 for a double room on the basis of Full Board. Low season rates are available.

Your safari experience continues at night in the Wayo Green Camp. 

You will sleep in stylish, comfortable safari camps that move with the migration. Immerse yourself in the true wilderness and spend the evening around the campfire under starry skies, surrounded by the sounds of nature.

Price $ 650 / double on the basis of Full Board. Drinks and special campsite fee ($ 50 pp)  included. 

Thorn Tree Camp is a classic safari tented camp located in Seronera in Serengeti National Park. The camp is open year round for travelers as wildlife is always drawn to the area due to water sources. The camp has ten en-suite safari tents, solar powered lighting, a lounge tent and dining tent.

The price for a double tent on a full board basis is about $370 during high season. Low season rates are available.

Located in Engaresero, Maasai Giraffe Eco Lodge is a unique place to stay near Lake Natron. Guests are able to enjoy the presence of giraffes and zebras each morning as they pass by outside of the Lodge as they head to the lake for water - hence the name Maasai Giraffe. The lodge offers camping facilities, furnished lodging, a swimming pool and restaurant.

The lodge offers various activities around the Lake Natron area. Prices for camping range from $10-$20 per person, per night and furnished rooms range from $70-$210 per room, per night. 

Since 2014, Lengai Safari Lodge has been hosting guests in both their furnished accommodation and at their campsite in Engare Sero Village near Lake Natron. Lengai Lodge has a swimming pool, solar power, charging stations in the main building and a restaurant.

Lengai Safari Lodge offers various other activities, such as visits with the local Maasai, walks to the waterfalls nearby and climbs up Ol Doinyo Lengai. 

Lake Natron Camp is a unique, ecological camp set in a stunning location near Lake Natron. Enjoy beautiful views of the 1 million seasonal flamingos while sitting in the natural pool after a day on the road. The intimate camp has ten tents, designed with camouflaged shade netting to keep you cool, a mess and dining tent equipped with wifi. Feeling active? Ask the camp about trekking up Ol Doinyo Lengai or taking a walk to the waterfalls nearby. The camp has a 2 night minimum stay. 

Lake Natron Camp offers a number of activities to ensure you enjoy all Lake Natron has to offer. This camp is a Roadtrip Africa staff favorite!

Located within the oldest sugar plantation in Tanzania, TPC Club is a great accommodation option 20 kilometers south of Moshi. Enjoy a couple of nights relaxing with excellent views of Mt. Kilimanjaro and plenty of activities to keep you busy. The TPC Club has a 9-hole golf course, tennis courts, mountain biking and a swimming pool. The club has 9 cottages overlooking the fairway with single, double and triple room options.

Price for a double room on a bed and breakfast rate is around $140. 

Honey Badger Lodge is a family-run lodge located 6 kilometers outside Moshi town. The lush spacious grounds provide guests with a relaxing environment. The lodge offers a range of accommodation options, a restaurant and a large swimming pool. Be sure to ask about other activities, such as village or forest walk, a hike to the nearby waterfalls or a coffee tour.

Price for a double room is around $110 per night.

The Usambara Mountains are a roadtrip heaven, with many nice, intimate and affordable places to stay, catering to the independent traveler. If you are a camper, stay at Irente Farm. 

Irente Farm doubles as an orphanage, organic farm, biodiversity reserve and retreat. They are known, far beyond Lushoto, for their scrumptious farm breakfast of homemade bread, jam, cheeses and muesli. They also offer budget accommodation in a self-catering family house,  banda or dormitory. Picnic lunches and simple homecooked meals can be provided if ordered in advance. 

This is another peaceful retreat, on a working farm in Magamba Forest area. The family house is especially lovely, with wooden furniture, kitchen, and very Swiss design with an amazing view over the green rocky hills and bright gardens. Between $100 - $200 for a cottage sleeping up to four people. 

Mambo Viewpoint Ecolodge is owned and managed by a deeply environmentally and socially committed Dutch couple. They are a great source of advice as to activities on offer in the region. Accommodation is in the range of spacious stone cottages, en suite safari tents or camping. Food is eaten communally, so that has to be your thing. Prices are around US$ 150 for the cottage and US$ 100 for the safari tent per double, bed & breakfast. 

Known as Honda Honda camp, the name for the noisy hornbill endemic to the region, this is a friendly tented camp, located on a large private area bordering the tropical forested slopes of the Udzungwa Mountains.

There is a choice of staying in comfortable tented rooms, basic traditional thatched bandas, or pitching your own tent. Derk, the laid back owner-manager, is a great source of advice about things to do in the region. Hiking, biking to a rubber plantation, or a canoe trip to Kilombero all belong to the possibilities. 

Tan-Swiss Lodge is 17 km from Mikumi National Park main gate, along the Tanzam highway. It is, as the names suggests, an efficiently run place. It lacks some charm though. The bungalows are clean and comfortable and all have A/C. There's the option to pitch your own tent, an attractive swimming pool and large restaurant. 

Simbamwenni is a lovely owner-managed lodge, set in 2.5 ha of tropical gardens along the Ngerengere River 3 km northwest of Morogoro town. You can stay in en suite chalets, furnished standing tents or pitch your own tent.

Camping next to the Indian Ocean! Peponi is a friendly, owner managed place, right on the beach and great value for money. Pitch your own tent, or sleep in a banda. There's a pool and good seafood restaurant. 

Pricing is around US$ 170 for a double on the basis of half board. Camping is US$ 10 per person. The resort is located 30 km south of Tanga and 14 km north of Pangani. A popular hang-out spot for families and friends from Arusha. 

The Beach Crab is a laid back place, offering a range of budget accommodation options – camping, simple beach huts or coconut bungalows with en suite bathroom, located at a beautiful long, deserted stretch of beach in Ushongo Bay. Don’t miss out on their breakfast, one of the best we had in Tanzania!

The Beach Crab is owned and managed by a lovely German couple. They have many games on offer, including beach volleyball, pool, several board games and even jeux de boule. As for activities, you could go wind surfing, diving, snorkeling or take a safari to Sadaani National Park. Ask if they still operate a speedboat (18 seater) to Kendwa, the most beautiful stretch of beach at Zanzibar. A one way transfer costs US$ 315 per boat with up to six people. In case of 6+ people, the costs are US$ 60 pp.

Camping is $10 per person. Simple beach huts are $70 for a double / Half Board. The coconut bungalows with en suite bathroom are $ 140 for a double / Half Board. 

This welcoming, owner-managed place offers a small number of stylish self-catering beach bungalows, with well-equipped kitchen and WiFi. Set in palm and baobab studded gardens, sloping down to an attractive white sandy beach. They are known far beyond Pangani for their fantastic pizzas. We would dare to say, it's the best pizza we ate in Tanzania!

Onsite, they operate a small deli store, where you can buy baguettes, cheeses, seafood and a range of basic essentials for your DIY BBQ! It's next to Peponi Resort. 

Indicative price is $170 / bungalow. 

Spaced out along a beautiful, deserted, wide sandy beach, south of Pangani, after the river crossing, you find Emanyani Beach Lodge. Accommodation is in spacious and airy beach bungalows, made from local materials and tastefully decorated

There is a small swimming pool and good seafood restaurant and lounge. As opposed to the beaches north of Pangani, here you can swim basically throughout the day and even at low tide. Next door is Kasa Divers, offering a range of watersport activities. Rates are around US$ 150 for a double on the basis of Bed & Breakfast.

Looking for ''barefoot-chic'' relaxation? You will find it at the Tides Lodge and Mawimbi villa, owned and managed by the same couple. They offer airy and stylish ocean front bungalows with inviting pool and restaurant, set on the idyllic, palm fringed and secluded Ushongo Beach. Popular with the expatriate community from Arusha. 

If laying on the beach is not your thing, than there are also many activities on offer. Kayaks, stand up paddle boards and motor bikes are available. Go on jeep or boat safari to Saadani national park boat. See the turtles hatching, explore the historical town of Pangani on a walking tour or river cruise, or go deep sea fishing, snorkelling or Scuba diving in the world renown MAZIWE MARINE RESERVE 

Rates around $ 200 per person, Half Board. Pay for four nights accommodation and receive your fifth night free of charge. 

Bagamoyo is a bit short of good accommodation options. The best choice is Traveller’s Lodge, a longstanding, German-owned place, offering mid-range cottages set on large attractive grounds that sprawl to the beach. Camping is allowed on the lawn, but there are no cooking facilities. 

US$ 140 double room / Half Board.

Friendly priced, clean, quiet yet very close to the airport. These two guesthouses are the best place to stay if you arrive late and / or have to catch your flight from Dar es Salaam International airport.

Very Roadtrip-proof, Kipepeo (meaning butterfly) caters to all budgets. You can pitch your own tent, although the campsite is rather cheerless, sleep in a basic quirky beach hut or stay in a more comfortable two-storey banda ($150 double room / Bed & Breakfast).

The place is a popular weekend hangout for expatriates working in Dar es Salaam. At most times of the year, the waves are quite substantial, providing great fun for body surfing. There is a good restaurant & bar. We hope they keep their chilli crispy calamari on the menu for you - we could not keep our hands off it...

Kipepeo is located on a lovely beach at Mjimwema, 7 km south of the ferry terminal. If you need to catch your flight the next day, this is not a good location to end your roadtrip and/or hand-over the car,  as it is far away from the international airport and traffic in Dar es Salaam can be horrible. 

Hotel Slipway is located on the Msasani peninsula, the most upmarket neighbourhood of Dar es Salaam, right on the Indian Ocean overlooking Msasani Bay. The hotel is integrated into the Slipway complex, an outdoor shopping mall with various shops, supermarkets and nice restaurants.  There is secure parking and guests can use the gym and swimming pool of the complex. Good value at US$ 190 for a double, Bed & Breakfast.

They also manage a number of self-catering studios. The booking office can be found in the Slipway complex and the studios are located next to the Slipway mall at the car park. They mainly target expats for longer stays, but it is possible to only stay there for two nights. Guests can’t use the gym or swimming pool of the hotel, but it is still a very good deal for around US$ 120 / studio. We very much enjoyed going to the local markets and cooking or own meal.

This popular guesthouse is run as a social enterprise by people with disabilities. Profits go towards the running of a physiotherapy centre for disabled children. Accommodation is in dormitories and  no frills double rooms. There is a good on-site cafe and restaurant and crafts centre. 

The park bandas are the only affordable option (except for camping) when you want to stay inside Ruaha National Park. Accommodation is basic, but the scenery is luxurious.

The old park bandas are inside the park, close to the park headquarters, and there just are a few rundown, poorly ventilated non self-contained bandas available. Very basic meals and drinks can be enjoyed at the staff canteen nearby. Pricing is US$ 20 per person. The new bandas are a bit nicer. Again, simple meals and drinks can be arranged. Pricing is US$ 50 per person. Both types of banda should be booked at the park gate. Pay by Visa or Mastercard.

For the ultimate wilderness feel, pitch your tent at one of the public campsites. The best of the bush, and you will probably only have to share the campsite with wandering wildlife...

Tungamalenga Lodge and campsite is located 35 km away from the Ruaha National Park gate in Tungamalenga village. There are simple cottages, or you can pitch your own tent. Pricing is US$ 10 per person for camping and US$ 60 for a double cottage. The place is popular with groups and has a bit of a backpackers' feel. 

About 30 km from the Ruaha National Park gate, you’ll find the friendly Ruaha Hilltop Lodge. It's set on a hill overlooking the outskirts of the park. It is a bit of a rustic place, but commands great views and is reasonably priced.

Tandala is an intimate, luxury tented camp situated 13 km outside Ruaha National Park. It is a great place to sit and relax after your safari. Designed with an eye for detail, and a 'less is more' approach, the lodge blends in perfectly with its surroundings. The stylish stilted safari rooms are spread out far from each other, overlooking a seasonal river. There is a comfortable lounge area and swimming pool. The camp is managed by its owners and, as the lady is Greek, you can enjoy authentic Moussaka… in the bush! 

Roadtrippers who book an accommodated roadtrip in the mid-range price option are booked in this camp.

The naming of lodges in Selous does not seem to be very creative... This is another camp owned and managed by a couple. It also has an idyllic location on the river bank, close to Mtemere Gate. Accommodation is in simple tents with shared showers or attractive en suite mud huts. It has a very atmospheric lounge area next to the river.

This camp is set on the south bank of the Rufiji river, about 5 km east of the reserve gate. It has a large thatched dining & bar area, leading to a small swimming pool overlooking the river. Accommodation is in large, stilted, furnished tents. Good value. 

Situated 1km outside the park's western boundary and 12km from Matembwe Gate, Sable Mountain Lodge sits high up, north of the Beho Beho hills, and offers lovely views across the surrounding dense brachystegia forest. It is a good base to explore the northern section of the Selous Game reserve with guides from the lodge. 

The 8 fairly simple stone bandas and 5 slightly more luxurious tented bandas are spread across quite a large, hilly site. The interior of the banda's are noting special, but the location is wonderful. 

Price per person sharing: from $195 per person per night / full board.