Single
One of the eight double villas taken by a single guest, with a private bathroom with shower and a terrace with deckchairs facing the sea.
Lodges & partnersSaadani National Park
Kasa Bay Saadani
Twelve villas on a protected turtle beach, at the one place in Tanzania where the national park meets the ocean.
From $185 per person per night
01 / 06
- Tier
- Comfort
- twelve villas, eight doubles and four family
- Location
- Saadani National Park
About
About Kasa Bay Saadani.
Saadani is the odd one out among Tanzania's parks. Every other one asks you to choose between the bush and the coast. This one puts them in the same place, and Kasa Bay sits at the quiet northern end of it, on Madete beach, about a hundred and ten kilometres up the coast from Dar es Salaam and looking straight out towards Zanzibar some fifty kilometres offshore. The beach in front of the lodge is protected, roughly five kilometres of white sand either side, and it is not a public beach. There is very little tidal variation, so swimming is possible at almost any hour, which is unusual on this coast.
What brings the park its reputation is the collision of habitats. Elephant move in herds of up to thirty, there are several lion prides, and buffalo, giraffe, waterbuck, hartebeest, wildebeest, warthog and a dozen antelope species share the coastal grassland and thicket. Leopard, spotted hyena and jackal are present and less often seen. The bird list runs past three hundred species. The Wami river, which is the park's other famous outing, holds hippo and Nile crocodile, with mangrove kingfisher, colobus and osprey along its banks. Be clear about the geography though: the Wami mouth is about twenty six kilometres south of the lodge, so that trip is a proper half day rather than a stroll.
The turtles are the thing that is genuinely on the doorstep. Madete is a green turtle nesting beach and the reserve exists to protect it. Nesting happens across the year with the main run roughly from June to November, and hatchlings follow six to eight weeks later. Kasa is the Swahili word for turtle, which fits the address exactly.
The lodge itself is new, opened in October 2024, and purpose built. Twelve villas: eight doubles and four family villas of at least twenty five square metres with two separate bedrooms, a sitting room and a small desk area, and a maximum of four guests to a unit. Every villa has a private bathroom with shower, toilet and washbasins, and a terrace with deckchairs for the sea view. Raw wood, big shutters and generous showers set the tone inside. There is a restaurant under a pergola, a lounge, and a large pool with a shallow area for children. Power is solar around the clock, water is largely harvested rain, drinking water is filtered, and the property carries no single use plastic. The game drive vehicles are electric and charge off the same panels, which is not something we have seen at any other Saadani property.
Days here divide easily. Game drives into the park, a boat trip up the Wami, snorkelling out at the Mafui sandbank five kilometres offshore, a visit to the fishing village and a go at fishing the traditional way, a walk along the beach into the mangroves or a paddle through them in an outrigger canoe, and a sunset cruise. Or none of that, and the beach.
Signature experiences
Why guests choose it.
The turtle beach
Madete is a protected nesting beach for green turtles and it runs about five kilometres either side of the lodge. The main nesting run is roughly June to November, with hatchlings emerging six to eight weeks after.
Game drives in an electric vehicle
The lodge runs retrofitted electric four by fours charged from its own solar array. They make almost no noise, which changes how close you get and how the bush sounds while you are in it.
The Wami river by boat
Saadani's signature outing: hippo, Nile crocodile, mangrove kingfisher, colobus and osprey along a tidal river. The mouth is about twenty six kilometres south, so treat it as a half day.
Mafui sandbank
A sandbar five kilometres offshore that appears out of open water, reached by boat, for snorkelling and diving over the reef around it.
Fishing village and mangroves
A morning in the village along the coast, going out with the fishermen the way they do it, then the mangroves on foot along the beach or by gallawa, the local outrigger canoe.
Gallery
A closer look.
Room types
Where you will sleep.
Double
A villa with a king bed, a private bathroom with shower, toilet and washbasins, and a terrace with deckchairs looking out over Madete beach.
Twin
The same villa as the Double, made up with two separate beds.
At a glance
The essentials, in brief.
Amenities
- Direct Access To Madete Beach
- Large swimming pool with a children's area
- Restaurant And Shaded Pergola
- Lounge
- Private terrace with deckchairs on every villa
- Solar Electricity Around The Clock
- Rainwater Harvesting
- Filtered Drinking Water
- WiFi across the property, including the beach
- Electric Game Drive Vehicles
- Four family villas with two separate bedrooms
- Security Staff Around The Clock
- Zero Plastic Policy
- Boat for the sandbank, the river and the sunset cruise
Best for
- Bush and beach in one trip
- Families
- Turtle Nesting
- Snorkelling
- Quiet Beaches
- Short breaks from Dar or Zanzibar
Wildlife and nature
- Green turtles nesting on the beach in front of the lodge, mainly June to November
- Elephant in herds of up to thirty in the coastal grassland
- Several resident lion prides in the park
- Hippo and Nile crocodile on the Wami river
- More than three hundred bird species, including mangrove kingfisher and osprey
- Buffalo, giraffe, waterbuck, hartebeest and a dozen antelope species
Best time to visit
When to go.
- January: best
- February: best
- March: not a best month
- April: not a best month
- May: not a best month
- June: best
- July: best
- August: best
- September: best
- October: best
- November: best
- December: not a best month
Best months
Best months: January to February and June to November.
Location & access
Getting there.
Location
Saadani National Park
Arriving by air
Fly. Auric Air runs two flights a day from Dar es Salaam and two from Zanzibar into Saadani, with Coastal Aviation and Safari Air Link also serving the park, and the airline connects Arusha and the northern circuit through to the coast. The hop is short, roughly twenty five to forty minutes from Dar or Zanzibar, and the lodge meets the aircraft at Mkwaja or Saadani airstrip, eleven to eighteen kilometres out.
By road
Not a sensible drive. Kilimanjaro International is more than three hundred kilometres away across country with no direct road, and nobody publishes a transfer time for it. The overland approach that does work is from Dar es Salaam, about three to five hours to the south end of the park and another nineteen kilometres of park track north to the lodge, or from Tanga in the north via the Pangani ferry and Mkwaja.
On the map
Where it sits.
5.879° S, 38.818° E
What's included
What the rate covers.
Included
- Full Board, Three Meals Daily
- Game Drives
- VAT And Service Charge
Not included
- Drinks
- Park Fees
- Concession Fees
- Tourism Development Levy
- Tanzania inbound travel insurance, 44 USD per adult (children 3 to 17 half price, under 3 free), compulsory from 1 October 2026 and bought online before travel
Frequently asked
Questions, answered.
How many villas does Kasa Bay have?
Twelve. Eight are doubles and four are family villas of at least twenty five square metres with two separate bedrooms, a sitting room and a small desk area. The maximum is four guests to a villa.
What makes Saadani different from Tanzania's other parks?
It is the only national park in the country with an Indian Ocean coastline, so the bush and the beach are the same trip rather than two. Elephant, lion, buffalo and giraffe share the coastal grassland with a three hundred species bird list, and green turtles nest on the sand.
Can guests see turtles?
Green turtles nest on Madete beach in front of the lodge. It happens across the year with the main run roughly June to November, and hatchlings emerge six to eight weeks after a nest is laid. It is wild behaviour, so nobody can promise it on a given night.
How do guests reach the lodge?
Almost everyone flies. Auric Air schedules two flights a day from Dar es Salaam and two from Zanzibar into Saadani, with Coastal Aviation and Safari Air Link also serving the park, and the lodge meets the aircraft at the airstrip eleven to eighteen kilometres out. By road it is about three to five hours from Dar es Salaam to the south end of the park, then another nineteen kilometres of park track north.
Is the Wami river boat trip from the lodge?
It is offered, but the river mouth is about twenty six kilometres south, so it is a half day excursion rather than something on the doorstep. Lodges at the southern end of the park are closer to it.
Are families with children welcome?
Yes. Four of the twelve villas are family villas with two separate bedrooms, and the pool has a shallow area for children. The beach has very little tidal variation, which makes swimming straightforward at most hours.
What is included in the rate?
Full board with game drives, plus VAT and service charge. Drinks, park fees, concession fees and the Tourism Development Levy are charged separately.
What is the best time to visit?
June to October is the dry season and the strongest all round, and it overlaps the main turtle nesting run. January and February are also good. April and May are the long rains and the roads into the park become genuinely difficult.
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.
Madete park gate
1.3 km
The TANAPA gate for this end of the park, and the way in to the game drive country.
Mafui sandbank
5 km offshore
A sandbar in open water, reached by boat, for snorkelling and diving.
Mkwaja
about 11 km north
A former colonial sisal and cattle ranch, now inside the park, with an airstrip beside it.
Saadani village
about 19 km south
A nineteenth century Swahili trading port. Ruins survive, including buildings tied to the slave trade, and it is the park's cultural set piece.
Wami river mouth
about 26 km south
The boat safari: hippo, crocodile and the birds of a tidal river and its mangroves.
Bagamoyo
about 63 km south
A Swahili and German colonial town on the coast road back towards Dar es Salaam.
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