5 Reasons To Choose a Luxury Tanzania Safari

A luxury Tanzania safari is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have every creature comfort at your disposal, making your stay relaxing and memorable. 

My friends and I stayed at the AndBeyond Tree Lodge at Lake Manyara and it was one of the best luxury Tanzanian safaris I've ever experienced. 

In this article, I'll share 5 reasons why you should you choose a luxury safari for your trip to Tanzania:

1. Unique tours

2. Exclusive activities

3. Lavish accommodation

4. Sumptuous fine dining

5. High-quality services

Why choose a luxury safari in Tanzania?

1. Unique tours

Firstly, a luxury Tanzania safari can help you experience the most unique adventures curated by the best tour operators. The sky is the limit with your choice of sumptuous safari tour packages. 

I personally recommend a luxury Tanzania safari in the Northern Circuit of national parks containing Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, Tarangire and Arusha, which are close to the Kenyan border. 

Read more on the best time to travel to Tanzania for a luxury safari experience. Also, don't forget to check out our user-friendly Safari Map to orient yourself with the best national parks and game reserves in Tanzania. 

2. Exclusive Activities

Secondly, a luxury safari in Tanzania means you get to choose the best and most exclusive activities for you and your group. 

Wildlife Drives

Private safaris with expert guides mean you will be going at your own pace. Another benefit to exclusive safari packages is the option to stay in private concession areas. These private reserves (eg. Singita Grumeti Reserve) are off-limits to the general public meaning you will get wildlife sightings to yourself.

Night Drives

Moonlight game drives to search for nocturnal species and catch predators on the hunt are possible in private reserves as well as in Tarangire and Lake Manyara national parks. 

Hot-Air Balloon Safaris

Ballooning companies collect guests from their lodge at the crack of dawn to launch into the sky as the sun peeks above the horizon. Experienced pilots control the altitude of the hot air balloon using close-up wildlife viewing at tree-top level to rising high above the plains for the perfect panoramic shot. This bucket list experience ends with a champagne breakfast.

Boat Safari

Who says that you have to stay on dry land to enjoy a luxury safari in Tanzania? With the right tour package, you can enjoy an aquatic adventure that will stay imbibed in your memory for years to come. 

Cruise down the Rufiji River in Selous Game Reserve on a private boat. Sip a gin and tonic as you watch hippos and crocodiles lazing in the water and on the river banks.

3. Lavish Accommodation

Thirdly, choosing a luxury safari helps you enjoy some of the best hotels in Tanzania. You only live once, so why not treat yourself?  

Most luxury accommodations are within or conveniently close to Tanzania’s famous national parks and conservation areas. Visit wild and beautiful places with all manner of diverse wildlife - from magnificent big-tusked elephants on the savannah to wide-eyed bush-babies jumping between the branches of ancient baobab trees.

Luxury accommodation in Tanzania is essentially divided into:

• Lodges and hotels
• Tented camps 

Lodges and Hotels

Tanzania luxury lodges and hotels offer 5-star service and a range of facilities including infinity pools, spas and spacious suites with all the bells and whistles.

The buildings are often designed to merge into the landscape like andBeyond’s Lake Manyara Tree Lodge in the forest canopy of Tarangire National Park and Jabali Ridge amongst the boulders in Ruaha National Park, while others stand out with their more modern design or African-inspired styles.  

Within these interiors, you are likely to encounter everything from classic wood finishing, leather furniture, white linen and thatched roofs to eclectic and modern décor influenced by rich local culture and a bygone colonial era. 

Some examples of Tanzanian luxury lodges are: 

• Four Seasons Serengeti
• Ngorongoro Crater Lodge
• Chem Chem Lodge near Tarangire National Park
• Singita’s Faru Faru and Sasakwa Lodge in Grumeti Reserve

Please note: For reliable WiFi, lodges and permanent camps are your best bet.

Tented Camps

Tented Camps offer the traditional safari experience of sleeping under canvas but should not be mistaken for camping options on a budget Tanzanian safari. The ‘rooms’ are tented pavilions that give the sense of being close to nature while still enjoying a lodge’s luxury, including on-suite bathrooms, comfortable beds, and stylish furnishings.

Some tented Camps like andBeyond’s Serengeti Under Canvas are mobile and operate seasonally. These camps change location several times a year to follow the Great Wildebeest Migration. 

Some highly acclaimed luxury tented camps in Tanzania include:

• Little Chem Chem – between Tarangire and Lake Manyara national parks
• Namiri Plains tented camp and Singita Sabora – in the Serengeti 
• Roho ya Selous – Selous Game Reserve
• Kwihala Tented Camp – Ruaha National Park

4. Sumptuous Fine Dining

Fourthly, a luxury Tanzanian safari is all about fine dining at lodges and camps where staff cater to your every whim and fancy, even those you didn’t know you had.

The fine-dining experience at Tanzania’s luxury lodges offers menus with a selection of pan-African cuisine and traditional favourites stylishly presented over 3-5 courses. Chefs are happy to cater for dietary needs and personal preferences.

Some of the best luxury safari dining experiences include: 

• Picnics
• Sundowners
• Curated wines
• Outdoor dining

Picnics

Specially organised picnics are offered at a few luxury lodges, including Ngorongoro Crater Lodge and Chem-Chem Lodge. These lodges go out of their way to set a unique outdoor dining experience, complete with tables, chairs and silverware, within settings like the plains of the Ngorongoro Crater or under the shade of a 3,000-year-old baobab tree.

Sundowners

Watch the sunset from a granite kopje on a special sundowner drive or sip a cocktail dreamed-up by the skilled barman back at camp. Sunsets over East Africa are always a reason to celebrate.

Curated Wines

Some of the lodges, notably Singita and andBeyond properties have their own wine stores stocked with only the best varietals and vintages by expert sommeliers. These cellars are the perfect venues for private tastings and romantic dinners.

Outdoor Dining 

Enjoy your meal under millions of twinkling stars, share stories with your guide around a blazing fire-pit or take a romantic dinner for two on your own private balcony while you sip French champagne by candlelight.

5. High Quality Services

Fifthly, a luxury safari in Tanzania means you can essentially snap your fingers and have a handful of professional, courteous staff at your beck and call 24-7. 

The safari experience has come a long way since the early years of explorers like Livingstone and Hemingway. Gone are the days of Roughing it. When visiting East Africa, sleeping on thin mattresses, eating tinned food, and bathing in a bucket are no longer requirements.

Transfers and air-strip pick-ups

On a luxury Tanzania safari, you will not need to spend time driving long and dusty roads. Instead, you can fly between your destinations. Luxury lodges offer pick up services from local airstrips which are situated in or nearby the national parks. 

Personal Attendants

Many of the exclusive safari camps have a private butler for each suite to provide room service and keep the fires stoked when it’s cold. Don’t be surprised if you are greeted with drinks and a refreshing towel after a long drive or if there is a hot bath, romantically scattered with rose petals when you and your partner return from dinner. These attendants are unobtrusive and quietly work in the background to add magic to your experience.

Other Exclusive Experiences

Each lodge and area has its own unique offerings and surprises. Whether it is a private dance performance by Maasai warriors or a  conservation presentation by a rhino expert. There is always something new and unique to discover on your Tanzanian safari.

What better time than now to check a lavish safari tour in Tanzania off your bucket list.

See our guide for a more detailed overview of the costs of a Tanzania luxury safari.