Tented Room
A canvas suite under thatch with a private verandah looking over the corridor, sold as a single, double or twin.
Lodges & partnersBurunge Wildlife Management Area
Chem Chem Lodge
Seven tented suites on the elephant corridor between Tarangire and Lake Manyara, with a private protected area to walk in.
From $1,420 per person per night
01 / 06
- Tier
- Luxury
- Location
- Burunge Wildlife Management Area
About
About Chem Chem Lodge.
Chem Chem Lodge sits on the Kwakuchinja corridor, the narrow strip of wild country that links Tarangire National Park with Lake Manyara. It is the route elephant have used to move between the two for as long as anyone has recorded it, and the lodge was built to sit beside that movement rather than in front of it. Seven tented suites face out across the flats, canvas under thatch, each with a verandah that catches the early light.
The game here is quieter and more worked for than in the parks. Chem Chem holds its own protected area, which means the drives are private, the walking is genuine walking with an armed guide, and you are rarely in sight of another vehicle. Elephant come through in numbers in the dry months from June to October. Lion and leopard are resident. In the wetter months the Burunge floodplain fills and the birding turns spectacular, with flamingo and pelican on the lake.
The suites are generous and unhurried. Full board covers three meals, soft drinks, laundry and internet, and every booking carries its own guide and vehicle for the day. A one hour massage per person is included on stays of four nights or more. The Family Suite pairs a main tent with a separate children's tent alongside, sleeping two adults and up to three children.
It suits travellers who want the northern circuit without its crowds, families who need space rather than a single room, and anyone who would rather walk than only drive. Children aged four and over are welcome.
Most guests arrive at Chem Chem Airstrip, with the road transfer on arrival included. Tarangire is close enough for a full day in the park, and Lake Manyara is about an hour away.
Signature experiences
Why guests choose it.
Walking in the private area
Guided walks with an armed professional in Chem Chem's own protected land. The pace is slow and the subject is usually what is underfoot rather than what is far away.
Bush breakfast with the Maasai
An interactive walk with Maasai guides followed by breakfast laid out in the open. Included in the rate at Chem Chem Lodge.
A private day in Tarangire
A full day game drive into Tarangire National Park in a private open vehicle, among the baobabs and the dry season herds. Park fees are charged separately.
Gallery
A closer look.
Room types
Where you will sleep.
Up to 3 guests
Family Suite
A main tented suite with a separate children's tent alongside, sleeping two adults and up to three children under sixteen.
At a glance
The essentials, in brief.
Amenities
- Full Board Dining
- Soft Drinks Included
- Private Guide And Vehicle
- Guided Walking Safaris
- Laundry Service
- Wireless Internet
- Spa Treatments
- Cultural Visits
- Airstrip Transfer On Arrival
Best for
- Honeymoon
- Family
- Walking Safari
- Photography
- Second Time Safari
Wildlife and nature
- Elephant moving through the Kwakuchinja corridor between Tarangire and Lake Manyara
- Large buffalo and zebra herds on the Burunge floodplain
- Lion and leopard resident in the management area
- Flamingo and pelican on Lake Burunge in the wetter months
Best time to visit
When to go.
- January: not a best month
- February: not a best month
- March: not a best month
- April: closed
- May: closed
- June: best
- July: best
- August: best
- September: best
- October: best
- November: best
- December: not a best month
Best monthsClosed
Best months: June to November. Closed in April to May.
Location & access
Getting there.
Location
Burunge Wildlife Management Area
Arriving by air
About two hours: an hour by road to Arusha Airport, twenty to forty minutes by light aircraft to Chem Chem Airstrip, then ten to fifteen minutes by road to the lodge. The arrival transfer from the airstrip is included in the rate.
By road
About three and a half hours: an hour west to Arusha, then about an hour and a quarter south west on the Great North Road to the Makuyuni junction, thirty to forty minutes further south past Minjingu along the elephant corridor, and a final half hour on unsurfaced track into the Burunge Wildlife Management Area.
On the map
Where it sits.
3.752° S, 35.842° E
What's included
What the rate covers.
Included
- Three Meals Daily
- Water And Soft Drinks
- A private guide and vehicle each day, for Chem Chem's own protected area and for Tarangire National Park
- Morning and afternoon game drives in the Burunge Wildlife Management Area
- Guided walks and evening game drives
- A game drive into Tarangire National Park in a private open vehicle, park fees not included
- Morning Sunrise Hill Climb
- Cultural visits with the Maasai, to the village and the local school
- Arrival road transfer from Chem Chem Airstrip
- Laundry And Internet Access
- One hour massage per person per stay, on stays of four nights or more
- Tourism Development Levy of one percent
Not included
- All road transfers other than the arrival transfer from Chem Chem Airstrip
- All Air Transfers
- Conservation and Community fees, 210 USD per adult per night and 180 USD per child aged 4 to 15 per night
- Park fees for Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater
- Additional spa treatments, personal purchases, phone calls and gratuities
- Emergency evacuation insurance, available at 30 USD per person
- Tanzania mandatory travel insurance fee of 44 USD for foreign non residents
Frequently asked
Questions, answered.
How many suites does Chem Chem Lodge have?
Seven tented suites, plus one Family Suite made up of a main tent with a separate children's tent alongside. It is a small camp by design.
Are families with children welcome?
Yes. Children aged four and over are welcome, and all ages when the lodge is taken on an exclusive use basis. The Family Suite sleeps two adults and up to three children under sixteen.
When is the lodge open?
It closes from the first of April to the fourteenth of May. The rest of the year it is open, with the dry months from June to October the strongest for game.
What is included in the rate?
Three meals a day, soft drinks, laundry and internet, a private guide and vehicle each day, and the safari activities in the Burunge Wildlife Management Area. The Tourism Development Levy is included. Conservation and Community fees and national park fees are charged separately.
How do guests reach the camp?
Most guests fly to Chem Chem Airstrip, and the road transfer from the airstrip on arrival is included in the rate.
Is there a minimum stay?
Yes, two nights on all bookings. Three nights suits the area better, since it gives you a full day in the management area and a day in Tarangire National Park.
Is there wireless internet, and is laundry included?
Both are included in the rate rather than charged for. This is a small lodge, so treat the connection as enough for messages and photographs home rather than for working.
What is there to do besides game drives?
Guided walking safaris, which the management area permits and the national park does not, spa treatments at the lodge, and cultural visits to the villages nearby. A private guide and vehicle come with the rate, so the shape of the day is yours.
Where exactly does the lodge sit?
In the Burunge Wildlife Management Area, on the corridor between Tarangire and Lake Manyara. It is private land rather than national park, which is what allows walking safaris and a private vehicle each day, and Tarangire itself is close enough for a full day out.
What is the lodge like in the green months?
It closes from the first of April to the fourteenth of May. March and November are green months here and they are quieter, with the resident game still about and the light at its best for photography.
Do I need travel insurance to visit?
Yes. From 1 October 2026 visitors entering mainland Tanzania must hold the government inbound travel insurance, 44 USD per adult and valid for up to 92 days, covering emergency medical care, evacuation, repatriation and lost luggage. Children aged 3 to 17 pay half and infants under 3 are free. It is bought online before you fly or on arrival, and residents of Tanzania and of East African and SADC countries are exempt. If you land in Zanzibar first, the Zanzibar policy covers you instead. It is paid by you directly and is not part of our quote.
What's nearby
Worth the short trip.
Tarangire National Park
A private open vehicle game drive among the baobabs and the dry season elephant herds. Park fees are charged separately.
Lake Manyara National Park
Groundwater forest, troops of baboon and the flamingo shallows, about an hour from camp.
Maasai village and school visit
A cultural visit arranged with the communities Chem Chem works alongside in the corridor.
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