Elephant lodge — Hotel in Manyara Region

Was really looking forward to our stay here but unfortunately was really quite disappointed. It was a big over promise, under deliver.

The good: The location next to Tarangire National Park is incredible and the elephants are at the watering hole (15m from your dinner table) every night and even walked right through the property one afternoon!

The accommodation container is nicely done and the bed and shower are fantastic.

Good dinner service - Innocent (our waiter at dinner) in particular was great.

The bad: The communication from booking to arrival was HORRENDOUSLY bad. Make sure you keep track of costs/payments etc as they seemed to have no idea of what is going on. They tried to double charge us for some stuff, never confirmed payments received, costs of things seemed to change regularly…

The rooms get super hot during the day, you can’t be in them comfortably.

The food - bang average. They should offer a bbq style buffet instead of trying to be high end (which they can’t deliver on). The desserts were inedible and the portion sizes very variable. They have a great bbq set up and it’s a shame they don’t just cook lots of meat, offer salads and sides and you help yourself.

The pool - very dirty

The safari drives - the driver was nice but not particularly knowledgeable about the animals (as compared to others we had at different locations/hotels on our trips) and the picnic lunch was TERRIBLE. Given this is supposed to be “luxury” this was a huge let down. No cold drinks fridge, no hot food containers, no choice! Again, had much better elsewhere!

Overall - this could be great if they sorted out the basics and focus on being a great mid level lodge to stay at. At the moment they are trying to hard to deliver “luxury” and...

We stayed at Elephant Lodge on the edge of Tarangire National Park for two nights in early June, and it was one of the highlights of our entire trip. From the moment we arrived, the hospitality was second to none. Robin, the General Manager, gave us a warm welcome, gifting us reusable water bottles branded with the lodge’s logo and taking the time to explain the lodge’s sustainability principles, local area insights, what to expect, and potential activities.

Although we had already booked a full-day safari through Elephant Lodge for the following day, we arrived in the early afternoon and Robin suggested an off-road sunset adventure in the lodge’s ATVs, which turned out to be an unforgettable experience. The safari itself was just as impressive; expertly guided, well-organised, and yet perfectly relaxed.

The accommodation was exactly as described. Spotlessly clean, comfortable, and faultless. But what truly sets Elephant Lodge apart is the incredible food, which was without question, some of the best we’ve ever had anywhere in the world. Every meal was a delight, with thoughtful presentation and outstanding flavour.

To top it off, we had elephants wander right up near the dining area both during the day and at night, a magical experience in itself. The service throughout our stay was flawless, nothing was too much trouble and everything was delivered with warmth and professionalism.

Elephant Lodge is worth every penny. It is a perfect combination of luxury, authenticity, and unforgettable wildlife. We couldn’t recommend it...

The best accommodation of our recent 12 days in Tanzania. This months-old, eco-friendly lodge was as impressive as it is fabulous. We entered the property and immediately saw a herd of elephants wondering the grounds just outside the entrance. In the morning there were antelope and dikdiks as well. The Tarangire entry is about two minutes up the road and is famous for its large population of elephants. |The rooms are made from repurposed shipping containers and are impressively configured, comfortable and immaculate. We had the “honeymoon” unit with a spiral staircase up to an outdoor lanai that overlooks the grounds and amazing location.|The food was divine-all three meals, including our box lunches for the game drive. Dinner would please any foodie and my eggs at breakfast were perfect-something I am more picky about than almost any other item.|In the evening there was a campfire opportunity to meet other guests and a pool was available if the weather had cooperated.|Even the price was extremely reasonable though I would doubt they will stay that way for long With only six cottages going up to 18 eventually, this place is bound for greatness and popularity that will drive the cost up and be justified. We discovered Elephant Lodge by accident and I was cannot emphasize enough how lucky that was-it is IMHO worth rescheduling your trip to get two or more nights into your schedule at this special...