Wildebeest grazing across golden grassland beneath flat-topped acacias under a pale, cloud-streaked sky, in the Grumeti reaches of the Serengeti

Destinations · Three places to stay

Tanzania

One night on a coffee plantation outside Arusha, then a light aircraft to a dirt strip in the Serengeti and two &Beyond camps: one under canvas on the plains, one on the Grumeti river. Three places, from one trip.

Grumeti, Serengeti · From the family's December safari

Most safaris begin with an airstrip. Ours began with coffee: one night at Legendary Lodge, a colonial coffee plantation outside Arusha, to let the long journey drain out of us before the small planes and the bush took over.

The other two are both &Beyond camps in the Serengeti ecosystem, and we will say that plainly rather than dress it up as variety. Serengeti Under Canvas is canvas walls, chandeliers and polished silver, with a hot shower bucket filled by hand under the southern stars and hyenas calling in the distance. Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge sits on the river, where we arrived knowing the migration had moved on and found several hundred thousand wildebeest who disagreed.

Three places from one trip is not a survey of Tanzania, and we would rather it stayed honest than padded. Each is here because we stayed there and would send you, and the line beneath each name is the reason why.

The index

Three places to stay

01Coffee plantation · Outside Arusha

Legendary Lodge

A colonial coffee plantation outside Arusha, Tanzania: bird calls instead of alarms, mountain views and rich coffee the night before the bush flight.

View lodge

Serengeti Under Canvas at dusk: lit tents beneath a spreading acacia, a Maasai guide in red walking between them, lanterns on the grass

02Under canvas · Serengeti

&Beyond Serengeti Under Canvas

Canvas walls, chandeliers and polished silver in Tanzania's Serengeti, with a hot bucket shower filled by hand under the stars and hyenas calling in the distance.

View camp

The glass-fronted guest area of Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge lit warmly at dusk, its timber deck stepping down towards the river

03Riverside · Grumeti, Serengeti

&Beyond Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge

Riverside in Grumeti, Tanzania's Serengeti, where we arrived expecting the migration to have moved on and found hundreds of thousands of wildebeest instead.

View lodge

Tanzania

Not sure which one?

Tell us who is travelling, when, and how many nights you have. We will tell you honestly whether Arusha earns its night, which of the two Serengeti camps fits, or whether you want both. We did.

Start an enquiry All destinations