Africa Safari Karatu

The Ngorongoro view from the pool was the standout, and there are pleasant nearby trails for a short run where the villagers were friendly. The place is getting much bigger, so breakfast can be busy. A nice option for a one-night stop.

The room views were lovely, and the buffet food was good. It’s a handy hotel for visiting Ngorongoro Crater or Lake Manyara, or breaking up the trip between Serengeti National Park and Arusha. There are two pools, including a new one, and what looks like a whole new section of rooms. Construction was still underway during our stay, though the finished expansion should look nice. Our room was fairly clean, except for dead bugs on top of the mosquito net, and the workmanship left a lot to be desired. We had a king bed and two cots for the kids, but the cots didn’t have mosquito nets. More attention to those details would help. I’d still recommend it.

We liked the food, especially the vegetarian choices, and the room was spacious with a nice view and hot water. But there were so many guests that the whole stay felt like a package deal. At meals, the crowded buffet made the guest volume hard to ignore, and we didn’t even feel like using the pool because it was so busy. We chose this lodge as part of our safari package after wanting somewhere small, without lots of other guests. We’d read that it had 26 rooms, but in reality it seemed closer to 260. When we arrived, it was hectic and we felt like cattle being herded around. There was also construction for a second restaurant and pool, which made the lodge look unattractive; once those are built, we worry it could feel even busier. The brown satin bedding was uncomfortable to sleep on. The room itself was spacious and had hot water, but the sheer number of guests made this a disappointing experience.

The room was spacious and beautifully designed, with a lovely balcony view. We also had stunning views from the restaurant and pool, and the food was excellent. Steven, the manager, was especially friendly and attentive. We had a fantastic stay at Africa Safari Lodge in Karatu and highly recommend it.