Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge

I have been leading a group of 10 clients on safari in Northern Safari circuit this January. Most people rush in an out of Arusha spending only one night there before and after the flight. We spent 3 days in Ngare Sero before and 3 days after our safari and it turned out to be the best thing to do.

I have been leading a group of 10 clients on safari in Northern Safari circuit this January. Most people rush in an out of Arusha spending only one night there before and after the flight. We spent 3 days in Ngare Sero before and 3 days after our safari and it turned out to be the best thing to do.

Unlike most lodges in Arusha which were built in a past decade or so, Ngare
Sero Mountain Lodge is a place with a 100-year-long history.

Other Hotels and Safari Lodges in Arusha

The main house of the lodge
was built in 1905 by Germans who started coffee and rubber plantations in
the area. After the 1st world war the place changed hands to English
Government, and after the 50¹s it was a ³haunted ghost house². 40 years ago
Mike and Gisella Leach restored the property and turned it into one of the
first lodges in Arusha area.

Their son Timothy is now running the lodge and
together with his Russian fiancée Katya is helping to make sure that guests
who come to stay here feel like home.

People had time to rest, enjoy massages in the garden spa, ride lodge horses, fish and enjoy boat rides on the trout lake, walk in the forest with colobus and sykes monkeys and numerous species of birds.

We also went on a culture tour organized by the lodge to a local Wameru village and a school and gave presents to the local orphanage. We had a new year's eve party dancing and singing with a local church choir and a drum-n-bass singer from NYC.

Staff

The staff, from directors and reception managers to housekeeping mamas, were taking very good care of us and the quality of food was very good - even my high-end clients who stayed in most expensive lodges in Ngorongoro and Serengeti (700-1500$ a night) remarked that nowhere on their safari did they eat so well as in Ngare Sero.

The food was healthy and wholesome served as a family style buffet, bringing people together at every meal in a cozy dining room.

In the evenings we all gathered for wildlife documentaries in the Home Theater located in the living room of the main building.

And we never had a shortage of things to do - the 30 meter pool with a view on Mt Meru on a clear day, bubbly drinks on the veranda with a Kili view, comfortable rooms for midday rest - it was a really beautiful experience.

By the time we got back after our safari, it felt like we were coming back home.

We were so tired after spending 8-10 hours a day in the car, that it was a joy to not have to immediately travel home.

Some people had time to go to town for souvenir shopping, others decided to buy everything they need in a lodge shop which has reasonable prices.

We were offered to do day activities like hiking in Arusha National Park in Mount Meru Crater or swim in a Hot Springs nearby, but we felt so good to just stay in the lodge for 3 days, rest and just enjoy being there surrounded by sounds of the forest and the lake.

I would highly recommend Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge if you are looking for a safari base in Northern Tanzania.

It has the best view of Kilimanjaro in the area, a unique location and it's own little eco-system which keeps you cool while the rest of Arusha is dry and dusty, and with its 100-year long history and eco-friendly practices - it is a destination in itself. I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did.