Country Lodge Karatu

On the western edge of Karatu town, about one and a half kilometres from the centre on the Ngorongoro road, in five acres of garden. The lodge sits roughly midway between Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

The Loduare gate is about fourteen kilometres west, under half an hour on a good morning, and roughly an hour more down to the crater floor depending on the descent road and the queue at the gate. Most guests leave very early to be on the floor at first light.

By road it is around three and a half hours from Kilimanjaro International Airport and about three hours from Arusha, on tarmac the whole way through Makuyuni and Mto wa Mbu. Flying in, the nearest airstrip is Lake Manyara, roughly forty minutes away by road.

Around twenty two, set two to a cottage around the pool. The lodge own website gives twenty four and the owning group gives twenty two, so we are confirming the exact figure with the property.

Simply furnished and comfortable. A king or twin bed under mosquito netting, a fireplace the staff will light on request, a dressing area with hanging space, a writing desk, and a bathroom faced in local stone with a shower. Drinking water and a torch are left in the room and the hot water is solar heated.

The published rate is full board, so breakfast, lunch and dinner are covered, and it includes the Tourism Development Levy. Park and conservation area entry fees, drinks, massage treatments, activities and anything else taken at the property are settled separately.

Yes. The rooms can be set as triples with notice, and the garden gives children somewhere to be. Children between six and twelve sharing with adults are charged at a set child rate rather than a share of the adult price.

It is the value tier of its group, built as the simpler sister to Bougainvillea Safari Lodge next door, and it does not pretend otherwise. What you get is a well kept garden property with a pool, fireplaces in the rooms and honest cooking, at a price that leaves more of the budget for the parks.

Wifi reaches the common areas and is best used there rather than in the rooms. The hot water is solar heated, so an early shower after a cold night can take a little patience.

There is a pool, a massage room, a gift shop and five acres of garden to walk, with a lot of birds in it. Most guests use the lodge as a base and spend the day out in the parks.

June to October is the dry season and the most reliable window for the Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire. December to March brings the calving herds onto the Ndutu plains within reach. April, May and November are the quiet months here and the lowest season.

Yes. There is a large parking area built for safari vehicle arrivals, and the dining room and lounge take a group comfortably. It is one of the easier Karatu properties for a multi vehicle itinerary.