Sunset Mountain Lodge

The most striking aspects of the sunset mountain lodge are the sense of complete isolation and the stupendous view over the forest spread out below.

It is not that remote, but it feels it, and you have the idea of being completely alone.

Getting there is something of an adventure – 100km of unpaved road from Iringa,

a bone-rattling ride in the dry season, but progress can be quite rapid with an experienced driver.

Other Hotels and Holiday Lodges Nearby

The lodge blends in unobtrusively into the hillside. It comprises a few huts with funky thatched roofs – like a punk haircut.

Accommodation is not luxurious but quite in keeping with the environment – comfortable beds, enough space to move around, hot water.

You won’t want to spend much time in the room when there’s a balcony with that view.

The only jarring note is the sound of the generator which runs from 7-10pm, the only time there’s electricity, although there’s hot water on demand, thanks to solar heaters.

To be fair, you can hardly hear the generator in one of the higher huts.

The dining area and main building is spacious with a platform to take advantage of the lodge’s strongest asset. The mood is one of austere sufficiency, but no complaints about the food, and the staff is very friendly.

It’s a great place to stay and contemplate the wilderness. The Ruaha National Park is just 16 km away albeit by an unpaved road.

After a day’s game-viewing, it’s a welcome place to come back to, for the quiet and solitude and the sense of being a part of the great African wilderness. Kudos to the staff for making this a homely place in spite of its remoteness.