We stayed at three Karibu Lodges while on safari with Unique Safaris: Elephant Springs, Sametu, and Mara River. I was with my husband, my father, and my father's longtime partner/girlfriend. I was so excited about the safari, I forgot to take many pictures of the lodges. However, the photos on their website are accurate, so if you want nice photos, head there.||In my opinion, these are luxury accommodations. The decor is beautiful, the resources are plentiful, and the staff are helpful. The beds are enormous, the water is hot, and there are plenty of towels. You will have not only your own room, but your own building with a deck and outdoor shower. (Don't worry, there are very nice indoor showers, too.) Water bottles are supplied for drinking and brushing your teeth. There are mosquito nets for the beds, though we didn't see many bugs at all. The only thing we wanted was tissues in one of the rooms, but that is a minor ask, which we let them know in a survey. ||"Karibu" means "Welcome" in Swahili, and that's the theme at these lodges. You will hear it countless times. You will be greeted by several people who will carry your bags, offer you a hot towel to wipe off the dust, and usher you inside. You will be escorted to your room where someone will show you around, pointing out items of importance. You will be assigned a table, and a waiter, who will attend to you during meals. You will probably meet the manager, who will ask about your stay. When you leave, you will be asked to fill out a survey about your experience. If you need something, just ask, and they will do what they can to accommodate you.||I have proof of this because my husband and I are vegan. At every lodge, we reminded our server: no milk, no cream, no cheese, no eggs, no meat of any kind. We had plenty of tasty things to eat! Vegetable soups, beans, lentils, mixed vegetables, rice, pasta, potatoes, samosas, guacamole, curry, bread, jam, juice, coffee, tea, and lots of fruit. We even had a vegan cake at River Camp (probably with some help from the manager, Moshi). I brought protein bars from home, and enjoyed having them, but probably didn't need them.||The palate seems to be designed for the British—mild yet flavorful. One night at Mara River Camp there were some à la carte Indian sauces and chutney, so we got some spice then. Sometimes your food will be plated, other times there will be a buffet. I think it depends on the number of guests and whatever else is happening at the lodge. When the food was plated, it was presented well. Personally, we liked the buffet because we could choose our portion size. Omari was particularly helpful at Sametu lodge. He would set down a soup and say "no milk, no cream," without my having to ask. He knew what we wanted and took very good care of us. He taught us "Tamu Sana," which translates to very sweet, but can also mean delicious. (It's not necessary to learn any Swahili, but like visiting any foreign country, it's nice to know a few pleasantries before you go. I wish I'd learned more.)||Dennis at Elephant Springs made us laugh with his enthusiasm singing the Hakuna Matata song while we were leaving. I don't usually like a lot of fanfare, but his enthusiasm is infectious. Jefferson was our young waiter, and seemed ambitious and eager to do his job well. We wish him the best. Jonas at Sametu has a great sense of humor. Frank (Frances), who we saw at Mara River, is sweet and quick to smile.||Tips: At Elephant Springs and Sametu, the bathroom door is heavy and hinged to shut on its own. We flipped the deadbolt open so the door didn't latch, which helped with getting up in the night. Elephant Springs has a beautiful pool that my dad's partner enjoyed, so bring your swimsuit if you like pools. At night, you can leave a window open (screen closed!) and you might hear lions roaring or other animals moving about. Another thing is that you cannot walk to your room alone at night. Everything is outdoors and a couple of staff members will walk you to your room with a flashlight (torch). At Elephant Springs, we couldn't walk during the day (they would drive us), which felt excessive, but I couldn't tell if it was due to safety or hospitality.||Really, the most important person on your trip will be your guide. They will be your resource for knowledge about the parks and life in Tanzania. They'll be your navigator, driver, advisor, and eagle-eyed wildlife-spotter. Karibu lodges offers guides, but you can also hire someone separately. As I mentioned, we used Unique Safaris and were very happy with our guides.||(A note on someone else's review—one person mentioned being an all-female group and feeling overwhelmed by the number of staff members, all of whom are male. Yes, there are a lot of people, and all of them are men. This was overwhelming for me at first, too. But I never was made to feel uncomfortable. Elephant Springs is a brand new lodge, and when we stayed there, we were the only guests, so the staff-to-guest ratio was high. For some people, this might feel intimidating, but for others, it's a luxury. Either way, I'm sure it will feel like one of the more established locations soon enough. Also, I believe the staff lodging isn't built to provide accommodation for women at...
  Â
Read more
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AI.
