Plantation Lodge

Location: Serengeti & Northern Tanzania | Tanzania

Price guide: $$$$$ $200-$350 per person per night

Plantation Lodge is an Exsus favourite, and is perfectly located for visits to Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater. This cosy farmhouse lodge is an ideal complement to the tented camps of the Serengeti, and two or three days spent here is a great way to discover this lush corner of northern Tanzania.
Perfect forSnuggling up beside a blazing fire in the cool Rift Valley evenings.
In the knowVisit in October to see the jacaranda trees in bloom - beautiful!

Recommended for...

  • Boutique Hotel
  • Lodge
  • Setting & Views
  • Cultural Immersion

Hotel Overview

Sense of Place

Plantation Lodge sits in beautiful gardens sprawling over 10 hectares, full of bougainvillea, jacaranda, mango and avocado trees, and exotic birds. The lodge is just outside the village of Karatu, between Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater.

Rooms at Plantation Lodge

Guests at Plantation Lodge can stay in the main farmhouse or in cottages scattered amongst the pretty gardens. No two rooms are the same, and they range from double rooms to stylish suites, a two-bedroom family farmhouse and the elegant four-bedroom Garden House. They are all light and spacious, with a cool colonial feel, creamy whitewashed walls, beds swathed in mosquito nets, polished stone floors and fresh flowers. Verandas and terraces overlook the serene gardens.

Food & Drink

Fresh vegetables, herbs and fruit are all from the lodge’s own gardens, and delicious four-course dinners are served by cosy candlelight. Tea and coffee are grown across the highlands of Tanzania, so an early-morning cuppa as the mist rises off the gardens is a must, as is afternoon tea with cake. In the evening, make for the bar's large terrace and sample a glass of wine from the wine cellar.

Facilities

At the end of a day’s activities, there are massages on offer at the lodge - which are bliss if you’ve already spent a few days on bumpy bush roads! There’s a pool for a late afternoon dip, which is also the perfect setting for a sundowner as the sun sets over Mount Oldeani (ours is a gin and tonic).

Activities at Plantation Lodge

The birds flitting amongst the gardens are irresistible, while caffeine addicts should visit one of the nearby coffee plantations. Further afield, Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater are nearby and merit a visit of a day each. 

Best time to go

Best time to travel

Good time to travel (but some limitations)

Travel is possible (but it’s not the best time)

Travel is not recommended

  • Jan
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • Jun
  • Jul
  • Aug
  • Sep
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec
Best time to go

Hotel location

Plantation Lodge is approximately 3.5 hours from Kilimanjaro International Airport. Lake Manyara is the nearest local airport, which is 20 minutes away.

More places to stay in Serengeti & Northern Tanzania

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