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Rhotia Valley Lodge

Sixteen tents and two suites along a hilltop above Karatu, looking across the valley to the Ngorongoro forest.

01 / 06
Tier
Comfort
Location
Karatu
Reviews
4.8 ★ on TripAdvisor
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About

About Rhotia Valley Lodge.

Rhotia Valley Lodge stands on a hilltop in the farming country between Karatu and the Ngorongoro forest, about fifteen minutes off the main road to the Crater. It is built in traditional style from indigenous hardwood, and its sixteen canvas tents and two wooden suites are spread along the crest so that each one faces outward. In front of you are terraced fields, scattered villages and the dark line of the Ngorongoro highland forest, with Lake Manyara showing in the distance on a clear morning. At around seventeen hundred metres the evenings turn cool, and the two fireplaces in the restaurant earn their keep.

This is not a game viewing property. It is a base, and a good one, for the parks around it. The Ngorongoro gate is about thirty minutes away, Lake Manyara about forty and Tarangire about an hour and a half, which makes two nights here a sensible way to reach the Crater without a long drive before dawn. The wildlife you see from the lodge itself is mostly birds: the gardens and the forest edge bring in sunbirds, turacos and weavers, and the walk down into the valley is good birding at any time of year.

The tents sit on raised wooden platforms under thatch, each with a kingsize bed or twin beds, an ensuite shower room with solar heated water, and a veranda. The family tents run from four single beds up to a seven guest tent with two kingsize doubles, three singles, a large outside shower and two shower rooms. The two suites are wooden rooms on their own eighty square metre platforms, each with a large balcony and an outside bathtub. Across the property there is a swimming pool, terraces at several levels, vegetable gardens that supply the kitchen, and solar electricity around the clock.

It suits families, who have more room here than at most places on this road, and travellers who want their money to stay in the valley. The lodge was built alongside the Rhotia Valley Children's Home, which sits on the hill opposite, and guests are welcome to walk over in the evening to meet the children and the staff who run it. The motto on the gate, two hills one goal, is meant literally.

By road the lodge is about four hours from Kilimanjaro International Airport and about two and a half hours from Arusha Airport, with the last fifteen minutes on a graded track that slows down after rain. Flying in, Lake Manyara airstrip is about thirty minutes away by car.

Signature experiences

Why guests choose it.

  1. The walk through Rhotia village

    A guided walk from the lodge down into the valley and through the village, past the terraced plots and the school. It is the easiest way to understand how the hills around the lodge actually work, and it is booked at the lodge.

  2. An evening at the children's home

    The Rhotia Valley Children's Home sits on the hill opposite and guests are welcome in the evening. Most people end up playing football or helping with homework rather than touring the buildings.

  3. Hiking in the Ngorongoro highlands

    A two hour guided hike in the conservation area, arranged at the lodge, on the high ground above the valley. Good for travellers who have spent three days in a vehicle and want to use their legs.

  4. The gardens and the kitchen

    Vegetables, herbs and much of the bread come from the lodge itself, and the kitchen works to an a la carte menu rather than a buffet. Ask and the staff will walk you through the gardens before dinner.

Room types

Where you will sleep.

Double Tent single use

A canvas tent on a raised deck for one guest, with a kingsize bed, an ensuite shower room and a veranda facing the valley.

Double Tent

A canvas tent on a raised deck with a kingsize bed, an ensuite shower room with solar heated water and a veranda looking to the Ngorongoro forest.

Up to 3 guests

Triple Tent

The double tent with an extra single bed, so three guests share one tent and one shower room.

Family Tent 4 pax

A family tent for four, with four single beds or a mix of singles and a kingsize double, and its own shower rooms.

Family Tent 5 pax

A family tent for five, with the beds arranged across the canvas.

Family Tent 6 pax

A family tent for six, with two kingsize doubles, singles and two ensuite shower rooms.

Family Tent 7 pax

The largest tent at the lodge, for seven, with two kingsize doubles, three singles, a large outside shower and two shower rooms.

Suite 2 pax

A wooden room of about fifty square metres on its own eighty square metre platform, with a large balcony, an outside bathtub and an ensuite shower room.

Suite 3 pax

The suite taken by three, using the single sofa bed alongside the main bed.

Suite 4 pax

The suite taken by four, using the sofa bed and the extra child bed the lodge adds on request.

At a glance

The essentials, in brief.

Amenities

  • Swimming Pool
  • Terraces At Several Levels
  • Restaurant With Two Fireplaces
  • Lounge
  • Vegetable gardens that supply the kitchen
  • Solar Electricity Around The Clock
  • Solar heated water with gas backup
  • A La Carte Meal Service
  • Laundry Service
  • Safe At Reception
  • Gift Shop
  • Free Parking

Best for

  • Families
  • A Ngorongoro Crater Base
  • First Time Safari
  • Value
  • Travellers who want the money to stay local

Wildlife and nature

  • Ngorongoro Crater about thirty minutes from the gate, with black rhino among the resident wildlife
  • Lake Manyara about forty minutes away, known for its tree climbing lions and for flamingo on the lake in the right months
  • Tarangire about an hour and a half away, at its best for elephant from June to October
  • Forest and garden birding at the lodge itself, including sunbirds, turacos and weavers

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: not a best month
  • December: not a best month
Best months

Best months: January to February and June to October.

Location & access

Getting there.

Location

Karatu

Arriving by air

Light aircraft reach Lake Manyara airstrip, which is about thirty minutes from the lodge by car. By road from Arusha Airport the lodge gives about two and a half hours.

By road

About four hours by road from Kilimanjaro International Airport, through Arusha and up the escarpment to Karatu, with the last fifteen minutes on a graded track off the main Ngorongoro road.

On the map

Where it sits.

3.287° S, 35.714° E

What's included

What the rate covers.

Included

  • Full board, so breakfast, lunch and dinner
  • VAT
  • The tent or suite booked, for the number of guests the rate covers
  • An evening visit to the Rhotia Valley Children's Home

Not included

  • Park and conservation fees for the parks you visit
  • Transfers to and from the lodge
  • Activities Booked At The Lodge
  • Travel insurance, including the compulsory Tanzania inbound travel insurance at 44 USD per adult
  • Tips And Gratuities
  • Anything Of A Personal Nature

Frequently asked

Questions, answered.

Where is Rhotia Valley Lodge?

On a hilltop above the Rhotia valley, between Karatu town and the Ngorongoro forest, about fifteen minutes off the main road to the Crater. Karatu town is about thirty minutes away.

How many tents does the lodge have?

Sixteen tents and two suites. The lodge counts them as seven doubles, four triples, two quadruples, three family tents and the two suites.

How do guests reach the lodge?

By road it is about four hours from Kilimanjaro International Airport and about two and a half hours from Arusha Airport. Flying in, Lake Manyara airstrip is about thirty minutes away by car. The last fifteen minutes are on a graded track that slows after heavy rain.

Are families with children welcome?

Yes, and the lodge is built for them. Tents are priced by the number of guests inside, from one up to seven, so a family books one tent rather than two rooms. Children aged two and under stay free of charge. The tents sit on raised decks with steps, which is worth knowing with a toddler.

What is included in the rate?

Full board, so breakfast, lunch and dinner, and VAT. Park and conservation fees for the parks you visit, transfers and anything booked at the lodge are charged separately and itemised in your trip price.

What is the best time to visit?

The lodge is open all year. June to October is the dry season and the busiest stretch on this road. March to May is green and quiet and the valley is at its most striking, though the track in can be slow after heavy rain.

Is there a swimming pool?

Yes, with terraces around it looking over the valley. There is no lifeguard and the pool is not fenced, so children need an adult with them.

Is there power and wifi?

The lodge runs on solar electricity around the clock, with solar heated water backed up by gas. Wifi reaches the restaurant and the lounge rather than the tents, and the lodge sets its own charge for it.

Can we visit the Rhotia Valley Children's Home?

Yes. The home is on the hill opposite and guests are welcome in the evening. It is the reason the lodge exists, and a share of every night stays with it.

Do we need travel insurance?

Yes. Tanzania requires every visitor to hold inbound travel insurance, currently 44 USD per adult, and it is not part of the lodge rate.

What's nearby

Worth the short trip.

  • Ngorongoro Crater

    About 30 minutes to the gate

    A closed caldera of about 260 square kilometres holding one of the densest concentrations of large mammals in Africa, including a small resident population of black rhino. Entry, the vehicle fee and the Crater service fee are paid separately and itemised in your trip price.

  • Lake Manyara National Park

    About 40 minutes

    A narrow park between the rift escarpment and the soda lake, with groundwater forest at the gate, open floodplain beyond it and large numbers of waterbirds when the lake is high.

  • Tarangire National Park

    About 1 hour 30 minutes

    Baobabs and the Tarangire river, which pulls in elephant in large numbers as the dry season goes on. Usually done as a full day from Karatu.

  • The Rhotia Valley Children's Home

    The next hill

    The home the lodge was built to support, a short walk across the saddle. Visits are in the evening and guests are welcome.

Nearby

Other places to stay nearby.

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