Chem Chem Lodge — Hotel in Manyara Region

We recently spent 3 nights as part of our honeymoon at Chem Chem, and everything from the second we arrived to the moment we left was beyond our wildest expectations. Upon arrival we were greeted by beautiful giraffe and zebra, followed by the warmest welcome by front of house / management Alex, Charles, Mercy and the team who were there for whatever we needed throughout our stay and were incredible.||The tents are absolutely stunning and super luxurious - we couldn’t have wanted for more. we had a huge bed, beautiful en-suite bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers, and a lovely terrace where we were greeted by a family of warthogs the first day, monkeys the next, and impala and zebras on the third day. The sounds at night were awesome - the crickets chirped away, the monkeys rustled around the trees and you could hear lions in the distance calling to each other. ||Our first lunch was spent overlooking the glorious scenery and lake with plentiful wildlife from the eagles nest where we first properly met our sensational butler John. What a joy it was to have him around for our stay, and what a huge asset to Chem Chem! He went above and beyond for us, learning our food and drink preferences and truly there to make it a special experience for us - we were so very lucky to have him. A huge thank you to the wonderful chefs too - the food was so beautifully presented and more delicious than we could have imagined - we also loved how many healthy options there were! We spent every meal in a different location in the main camp which made the experience feel very private and special, and had a wonderful bush breakfast underneath a Baobob tree! A highlight for us was sundowners on Lake Manyara with beautiful rose petals and Chem Chem’s very special bar after a short hike walking with the giraffes followed by a ride on the front of our jeep.||Onto our fantastic guide Joseph who we had the most amazing 3 days with. His knowledge of the birds, animals, greenery was endless and his eye is unparalleled - he didn’t miss a thing and answered all our our (many) questions with patience and fascinating detail. A true highlight for us was Joseph spotting a beautiful leopard on our very first day! The great thing about Chem Chem is it has a private concession so you always get close to the animals and it always feels like your own private reserve. Joseph was a master in reading the animals, their behaviours, and helping me in particular become more at ease with the wildlife (I can be a little bit nervous!) Thank you also to our wonderful Masai guide Surani who was incredibly interesting and shared his knowledge of the plants and animals during one of our walks with him.||Another huge highlight for us was the massages by the wonderful Hawa and Anna. They have to be the best massages we have ever had and we came away feeling incredibly relaxed. ||We would come back again and again to Chem Chem and cannot recommend it more highly. It’s private, exclusive, beautiful and has wonderful ties with the local community which is something we truly loved seeing. It is this and the staff that make this place truly sensational.||Thank you to everyone at Chem Chem was starting our honeymoon off with a bang!||Tip - if you prefer to not have too much of a walk and would like to be near the spa / pool / gym area then I would suggest...

We had a wonderful time at Chem Chem . The main areas of the Lodge and our tent/cabin was beautifully rustic and very comfortable. The watering hole outside is the focal point because the animals come to drink water all day long!! You can watch a variety of animals from any dining or seating area. My cabin was on the path to this watering hole so I also got to see the parade of animals going to and from the watering hole … from my bed!! The food was delicious !! Alfred was very attentive to our every need. I mentioned to him that I was allergic to dairy products and he provided special menus just for me!! Alex and Mercy were available to us at all times. I asked them to arrange for a Birthday desert surprise for my Husband ,Scott. The staff, including the Chef, came out with a Beautiful Cake and sang Happy Birthday to him. Jamal and Gabriel took care of our room and laundry very well. Our outstanding Guides, Whitman, Elie (Eliequam ?), and the Masai Guide, Soluqui (?), took us to see the animals … the highlight of my trip !! They are very knowledgeable and answered our questions in great detail. I especially enjoyed seeing a bachelor herd of maybe 30 Male elephants all together at the watering hole and I also enjoyed our Breakfast in Bush at the Baobab Tree!! ...

This stay at Chem Chem in August, 2021 was my second visit, the previous was in 2018. I love this lodge and several of staff have become good personal friends over the years. The guides, the kitchen staff and managers are the best in the business! Of course, the wildlife viewing is world class. I want to add to this review that I became ill, and faced a serious situation, from anti malarial meds that were prescribed in the US. The senior lodge manager, Megan Matern, was simply amazing in her efforts to get medical advice and care for me. She contacted a medivac doc who gave us advice and she secured a medical appointment at the hospital for me in Arusha the next day. Salum, my friend and my guide, drove me into the city, sat through the appointments with me, took me to a pharmacy where I got meds to handle the situation. We got back too late that afternoon to do the evening game drive, but that was the only game drive I missed in spite of my situation! And Khalid and the kitchen staff made sure I had what I needed throughout as well. The care, support and situational management of the team at Chem Chem resolved my health issue and saved my safari – they are...