African Sunrise Lodge & Campsite — Hotel in Arusha

Breath taking in every way!

African sunrise lodge was EXACTLY the type of accomodation and service we wanted when we visited Africa. Rooms are great, service impeccable and the location so unique, words can’t do it justice.

Location: site is situated on the edge of the mountain ridge overlooking lake Manyara which means you wake up to views which honestly look photoshopped! Please note that the lodge is located up a mountain, in a remote village in a more remote part of Tanzania. If you want grand hotel style accomodation with the glitz and glamour this is not the place, if you want an authentic African experience where you feel like you are a part of the village soul, this is the place!!!

Location alone, this place is a must book!

Accomodation: Large rooms with double/Queen size bed with ample space for bags and a desk. Super clean, well sealed off from the surroundings and the architecture and materials used still pays homage to the Tanzanian culture. African sunrise lodge is not trying to be something it isn’t.

Service: Being from Australia we are not use to super attentive service like we got here. We were fortunate enough to be greeted by the site manager Francis. Francis is the kindest, most gentle person we had met this trip and he made sure time and time again to go the extra mile to make our lives easier. Francis, a big big thank you for everything you have done for us mate.

The serving staff were so incredibly polite and attentive to our every need. English is not their first language so it’s important to talk a little slower and make sure that you communicate clearly, the girls here did a stellar job of looking after us, they became family by the end of our trip.

We were fortunate enough to meet the owner and it was clear that he has made a significant effort to keep the place authentic and by doing so, provide an opportunity for the local villages people to get some hospitality experience and make an income. I commend people that create opportunities like that as it is genuinely life changing for a lot of the staff here. Kudos!

Food: My wife & I are still in food comas. We are big foodies and we were praying that the lodge did not provide us a buffet of western food. Boy we’re we surprised when day one we have local stews, local breads, chapatis, local curry’s, local salads and on the last day we even requested some Ugali which Francis kindly arranged for us. Once again, the lodge didn’t try to do anything fancy, we appreciated that it offered an elevated food experience that would be aligned to what the locals may eat.

Seeing some of the other posts it’s important to note:

Yes the road up is bumpy. Take it in, it’s a part of the experience! It really wasn’t inconvenient for us one bit. The local government have advised they will be investing to help fix the road. Despite that take it as an opportunity to realise how lucky we are back at home!

We found no problems with the accomodation. The team were so responsive that if you had any issue, I know they would go to great lengths to fix it. Electricity is run in an eco friendly manner from solar and a generator only when required.

Internet is available at the bar. We would occasionally use this to check our emails and update family back home. Otherwise, there is no need to be connected to the internet. For us it was a luxary that we were able to disconnect from everything and enjoy the company of each other and the beautiful surroundings.

If you are tossing up between staying here or any other place in the area I STRONGLY encourage you to book African sunrise lodge. They arranged safari’s, village and plantation tours, bike tours and morning sunrise walks.

Thank you to the team at African Sunrise, particularly Francis & Khan for looking after us and caring for us the way that you all did.

Asante my...

This lodge is the best value for your money in Tanzania. The area is filled with overpriced tent encampments and lodges, so when I found this, it was quite the gem. On the drive up, I got a little worried because the road there was muddy and abhorrent. Driving a 4x4 there is required, especially during the rainy season. At some point, it looks like you're driving through a farm, but there are signs that lead you to the lodge. After a rather concerning 5 km to get there, you are met by the friendliest staff, most notably Milau (sp?), an older Masaii gentleman. He showed me the grounds, which was absolutely beautiful and made the crazy drive there worth it. There are flowers and butterflies everywhere. And the view of the Rift Valley...boy the view! It's quite breathtaking and calming. I was shown to my room, which was minimalistic but cozy and does the trick, not to mention it offered a spectacular view. It contained a king sized bed and one single bed with plugs to charge your electronics. The washroom was simple and did have hot water but the water pressure was quite weak. ||Milau was also kind enough to cut me some alone vera for a sunburn I got in the Serengeti. Top notch customer service!||I didn't have dinner at the lodge, but the breakfast is included in the stay adj was good. They offered lots of pancakes (more like crepes), eggs to order, fruit, tea, bread, and coffee. I was one of two people who were at the lodge, so that tells you how remote this place is. Breakfast is served from 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM. ||The wifi was only offered inside the restaurant and only worked during business hours. It was weak but did the trick. ||Khan is very responsive if you need any assistance or have any questions. If you have a reliable 4x4, I highly recommend staying here, if even for one night. It was soothing to the soul and spirit to stay there and easy on the wallet! Only cash is accepted, so...

This place was tired and dirty. The staff were helpful and friendly but seemed to be unhappy?? The guy running the meals was switched on and the evening meal was great. Breakfast was quite light and left us feeling a little short. We had booked s tent but were placed in a room as there was no water to the tent area. The room was okay but needed a deep clean as did the linens. We did not have a mosquito net, only a half built frame. We were told that a net was not available or needed although mosquitoes were around. We took the net from the adjoining room. The walls are paper thin and we could hear everything from the next door room. Reception was dark and dirty as was the bar area. Signage to the accommodation was poor and desperately needed due to the state of the road. This place could be so good with just a deep clean. The gardens on the other hand were well kept. The owner needs to invest heavily into this property to bring it up to standard and to find out why his staff are not happy. They can only work with the tools...