Lemala Nanyukie Lodge — Hotel in Ikoma

Our family of 5 (2 adults and 3 high school/college-age children) spent our last 3 days on safari at Lemala Nanyukie in late December. It was AMAZING! The accommodations were luxurious. The tents were spacious, had individual refrigerators, hairdryers, big comfortable beds, gorgeous wall-to-wall windows and sliding glass doors overlooking the bush, private plunge pool, indoor and outdoor showers, flush toilets that filled quickly and were ready to go whenever you needed them, and running filtered water that you could safely drink and brush your teeth directly from the tap. We hadn't seen filtered tap water like that at any of the other places we stayed. It was a real treat! While the rooms were super comfortable, the real gem at Nanyukie is the staff. Managers Andrea and Rebecca care for the property like it's their own, and they make you feel like the most welcomed guest at their lodge. They are ever-present, looking over every detail and making sure that all of their guests have what they need. The dining room and bar staff waited on us dotingly and we felt completely spoiled. The food was truly delicious and plentiful. It was all so fantastic. The setting of Nanyukie is also spectacular. Gorgeous views from the main deck and dining areas. Lots and lots of wildlife. My husband and son were walking home from dinner and encountered buffalo standing in front of their tent. There are Maasai warriors available 24/7 to walk you to and from the main areas to your rooms. We always felt completely safe and confident in their hands. One night I took the provided flashlight in our room and sat out on our back deck and watched all of the gazelle and other wildlife hanging out in the open space behind our tent. It was awesome! Our guide, Hassan, was extremely knowledgeable and did not have to drive far off-property to find every kind of animal we wanted to see. The lodge is set in the middle of lots and lots of wildlife. A real highlight of our trip was a private walking safari with Andrea. I highly recommend that you book this experience in advance with him. He is superb. He has several undergraduate and masters' degrees in biology and animal behavior. He took our family on a four-hour walk around the bush. We encountered buffalo, zebra, elephants, and gazelle. He showed us how to interpret the various paw prints on the paths. We even found hippo and rhino prints. He taught us how to be safe and respectful of the environment, and treated us to a special coffee and snacks in the bush. We got to see the wildlife from their perspective. It was informative and thrilling all at the same time. We felt completely safe and in great hands with him. Don't miss the opportunity to do this! All in all, Lemala Nanyukie is a truly spectacular lodge and I would highly recommend it to anyone. I will definitely book there again next time I am...

It's hard to put into words how special Lemala Nanyukie is - the most magical place we have ever stayed in and one we'll never forget.

We were lucky to be paired up with Steven as our guide for our game drives. This man is an encyclopedia of information on all the animals, plants and insects of the Serengeti. He taught us so much and gave us plenty of laughs during our four days with him. With Steven we saw lions with a fresh kill, hyenas and vultures devouring a zebra, the Great Migration, cheetahs, a leopard, giraffes, hippos and loads more. The open-sided jeeps are an incredible way to feel close to the wildlife, just brace yourself for bumpy roads after rains (an 'African massage'). Steven keeps the fridge on board well-stocked with local beers too. What a great way to see Africa...

The lodges themselves are every bit as luxurious as you can imagine, with enormous comfortable beds, a great shower, and so much space. There's something very special about watching wild baboons playing from your own plunge pool, and about being woken up in the middle of the night by lions roaring right outside!

Then the communal spaces are fantastic too, with plenty of cosy corners to hang out in when the rain is pouring.

Lemala has brought together a team of incredible people to look after guests at Nanyukie - they're so kind, thoughtful (they'll think of things you need before you do!), and hilarious. We had so much fun chatting with Castro and Joseph 'the liquid chef' at the bar and Zube in the restaurant, as well as watching the wildlife from the lounge with Leonard - and all the other wonderful staff. And a huge thank you to the Maasai, who will escort you around camp. We felt completely safe and cared for in their presence.

The food is excellent, with a set menu with a few options each night. The breakfasts are varied and delicious (including the Bloody Mary station) and you're sent out each day with a huge 'packed lunch' (it's a full meal eaten at a table in the bush!). If you get chance, take them up on the offer of a traditional Tanzanian feast - it was a highlight for us, made even better when Steven joined us for dinner.

To everyone at Lemala Nanyukie, thank you for the honeymoon...

I wanted to share with you all the absolute holiday of a lifetime. My partner and I were fortunate enough to stay at three of Lemala’s tented and lodged camps and loved them all. Although we wanted to do a special shout out for Lemala Nanyukie in Tanzania which completely stole our hearts.|First you arrive to a stunning setting, positioned in the Serengeti, you are greeted with Hibiscus tea and hot towels. A Maasai warrior takes you to your room and when you open the day, gasp, it is the most beautiful accommodation. Huge bed, claw foot bath, sunken lounge room outside and plunge pool. Giraffes strolling by. You can have G&T’s bought to your room. It’s a hard choice as the bar is delightful with incredible staff. A camp fire is on every evening (when we were there), often there is music after dinner if is a special occasion. Three course meals for lunch and dinner, food was sumptuous and so delicious.|I also wanted to take a moment to thank our guide David Alloyce, who was just the best guide in the world. I know – a big call. David’s expertise of his land, animals, flora and fauna were exceptional. We were aware that David was working but honestly, he made us feel like old friends on holiday. He shared stories with us and was so open about life and culture in Tanzania. He was also patient teaching us phrases of Swahili which we tried our best to pronounce. David made our holiday just that little bit more magical.|I also wanted to mention the Manager Wright, at Lemala Nanyukie, (sorry Wright I don’t know your last name). What an awesome person. He is such a fantastic manager and so good with the guests. We really enjoyed his company, he took such good care of us told us really funny stories, which went straight into our diary and also into our hearts forever. We could have stayed up all night talking to Wright. |Lemala lodges just gets everything perfect – and I mean everything. I never wanted to leave. |A massive thank you to all the staff there for making it the best holiday of our lives (and we have been on a lot) 😊|I hope the owners know how lucky they are to have you all. Your hospitality skills are...