Flamingo Safari Lodge

We asked for our money back and left. This wasn't camping, just a bumpy patch of grass surrounded by rubbish. The bathrooms looked like they hadn't been cleaned, covered in urine and poo. They wouldn't even offer a discount for a price that was already unfair.

We had dinner at the campsite one night, a nice buffet for $15 pp, and the cold drinks were reasonably priced. The next night we went into town for dinner, which I’d also recommend if you want to walk around a bit. People were friendly and it felt safe. There was a musical band show yesterday, with dancing and some acrobatics, a very nice surprise 😀 We camped for two nights on a grass field, which felt nice. The staff were friendly and gave us useful advice about where to go on our extra day. The facilities were so-so, but that’s what you’d expect when camping costs only $10 per person. I’d definitely come back for the friendly staff and service.

There’s a nice pool for cooling off, and the bar prices are reasonable. I didn’t eat here. The cottages are set in large grounds, with clean rooms and a comfortable bed, though the bathroom had the usual problems. It’s not somewhere to walk around outside the compound.

The food was just okay, but very overpriced. The fish and chips cost us more than double what we’d normally pay at similar places in East Africa, and even a glass of very average red wine was overpriced. By Tanzanian standards, it’s extraordinarily expensive. We’ll need to find other places to eat in Karatu. The camping site itself was level and grassy, and the ablutions were clean.