Makoa Farm — Hotel in Kilimanjaro

The hosts and staff welcomed us with lovely amenities, even though we arrived a day early. They prepared two cottages with fresh flowers and filtered water to take the edge off a long day of travelling overland. Staff brought chilled wine and beers to our patio each evening so we could watch the vervet and blue monkeys while catching a glimpse of Kilimanjaro while the sun went down. What a delight!|The kitchen staff prepared delicious dinners (and even a surprise birthday cake for a volunteer), and we enjoyed lively conversation in a homestyle family setting on the screened porch. They accommodated our routines graciously- making sure that the small fireplaces outside our cottages were lit in time to heat the water for our showers. |Thermoses of coffee and hot chocolate were delivered to a little box pantry outside our cottage each morning so we could continue the monkey-viewing. European-style breakfasts were made extra special with homemade jams from local fruits. |The best part of the stay was meeting the kind and generous staff and volunteers who shared their stories and also went out of their way to make sure our stay was interesting. They arranged two walks around the large farm where we could see the animals and get an idea of what it used to be as a coffee plantation before. They also arranged a guide to take us to Mataruni Waterfall for a day of coffee touring and waterfall dunking, and we got to meet the preschoolers and their teacher who learn in the forest school on site!|All of us agreed that the Makoa Farm stay was a highlight for our two week journey through Tanzania, and we hope to...

Where to begin?! We had such an incredible experience at Makoa farm, that it's hard to know what to say to explain it! We spent 11 days with them, and for 6 of those we went on a horseback safari: we cantered with giraffes and zebras and got up close with elephants. The safari is aimed at competent riders as it is long days in the saddle, but if you are fit and well prepared it is amazing to be out in nature, and experiencing the real African wilderness. The nights are spent in an incredibly comfortable mobile camp, and the days are spent exploring and discovering Tanzania on horseback. The horses are wonderful, well trained, experienced safari horses. They are forward going and know what they are doing, you simply have to trust them and enjoy the ride. ||||The rest of our stay we were at the farm, where many activities are on offer for guests (including horse riding, but also day trips around the area, visiting the animals in the farm, or simply relaxing with a view of Kilimanjaro). The food both on the farm and on safari is fantastic, home-cooked and plentiful. The staff are friendly, welcoming, and very caring, and go out of their way to make your stay comfortable and memorable. And the owners are truly inspiring people who are doing so much to help look after the amazing animals that live in Tanzania and are threatened by human activities. ||||One of the motos of the farm is "come as a guest, leave as a friend" and we truly feel that was the case. When we went we hoped for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but now we have been we know it was so incredible that we will have to...

Where to begin?! We had such an incredible experience at Makoa farm, that it's hard to know what to say to explain it! We spent 11 days with them, and for 6 of those we went on a horseback safari: we cantered with giraffes and zebras and got up close with elephants. The safari is aimed at competent riders as it is long days in the saddle, but if you are fit and well prepared it is amazing to be out in nature, and experiencing the real African wilderness. The nights are spent in an incredibly comfortable mobile camp, and the days are spent exploring and discovering Tanzania on horseback. The horses are wonderful, well trained, experienced safari horses. They are forward going and know what they are doing, you simply have to trust them and enjoy the ride.

The rest of our stay we were at the farm, where many activities are on offer for guests (including horse riding, but also day trips around the area, visiting the animals in the farm, or simply relaxing with a view of Kilimanjaro). The food both on the farm and on safari is fantastic, home-cooked and plentiful. The staff are friendly, welcoming, and very caring, and go out of their way to make your stay comfortable and memorable. And the owners are truly inspiring people who are doing so much to help look after the amazing animals that live in Tanzania and are threatened by human activities.

One of the motos of the farm is "come as a guest, leave as a friend" and we truly feel that was the case. When we went we hoped for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but now we have been we know it was so incredible that we will have to...