Tan Swiss Safari Lodge

The Tan Swiss Lodge has a shady campsite, with really good ablutions (best hot shower I had so far in Tanzania).

The owner is friendly, has a lot of information and good stories. It seems like a good base for exploring the Mikumi National Park and the Udzungwa Mountains.

The staff is really friendly, the have a book exchange and a lovely garden restaurant. It was a great, nice stop on the Tanzam Highway.!

Other Hotels and Vacation Villas

Once we arrived at Tan Swiss, the accommodation was of the same standard that you would find at any good hotel in Dar es Salaam. Air conditioning and satellite tv, mosquito nets, the works.

My biggest surprise was the wine list at the restaurant - very good South African wines. Unfortunately we finished their stock of Bellingham over the two days of our stay..... The food matched the wine list and we tried everything, from Tanzanian dishes to Swiss vegetarian.

The lodge is close to Mkumi's main entrance - an easy 15 minutes drive. The main roads within the park is in very good condition, despite this being the rainy season. Some roads were blocked off due to the wet conditions. We almost got stuck at one muddy river crossing, but were saved by the 4x4.

This park is teeming with wildlife and the plains make it very easy to spot animals.

The accommodation at Tan Swiss is very reasonably priced compared to any of the places inside the park and in opinion it is great value for money.

I would recommend Tan Swiss and Mkumi game reserve to anyone visiting Tanzania, especially if you are adventurous and would like to attempt the self drive option.