Arusha Tanzania
 

Please I have heard conflicting reports on our Arusha Hotel. Please comment on what will be more comfortable and luxurious for my husband and I and 2 adult children in August. Arusha Hotel, Onsea House, RIver Trees or Shangazi. Is it fine in August to be in Central Tanzania to see the migration or do we need to fly to the North for good siting.

Not familiar with Shangazi. The Arusha Hotel and Onsea House are both in Arusha town, both lovely; the Onsea though is small B&B type... more intimate. River Trees is located on the road between the JRO airport and Arusha town. I'd go with those in Arusha town.

For August, if you hope to catch any part of the migration, it's best to be in the Northern Serengeti, so if this is your first (or only stop), fly here and back. If longer trip and driving first via Tarangire (or Lk. Manyara), Ngorongoro and into the Central Serengeti, then once in the north and on concluding here, you'd fly back to Arusha/JRO.

What I can advise - accommodation availability is becoming very tight for travel in August, so I wouldn't take much time in deciding.

Good luck!

We have stayed at both Rivertrees and the Arusha Coffee Lodge, and the latter was our favourite lodge in Tanzania - very professionally run, lovely rooms, great location (near the Arusha airport and the Cultural Heritage Centre) and excellent food. We are returning in 2012 and that is where we will stay.

When we were in Tanzania and Kenya in August 2009, the migration was in the Mara Triangle in Kenya. You could easily combine a visit to the Mara with the Northern Circuit of Tanzania. CR

Arusha Coffee Lodge website:
http://www.elewana.com/acl/arusha-coffee-lodge.html

Link to our trip report and photos from 2009 - it includes photos of the Coffee Lodge and the migration.

http://bert-and-bin.smugmug.com/Trav.../9504315_Lmned

I agree the Arusha Coffee Lodge is very very nice. If it an option check out the Mountain Village Lodge not as luxurious are the Arusha Coffee Lodge but also a little less expensive.

Bill

The OP/wylie mentioned The Arusha Hotel, NOT the Arusha Coffee Lodge. Two different properties. The former is in town, the latter right outside town near the small domestic Arusha airport and road towards Tarangire.

Arusha Coffee Lodge, an Elewena property is rather expensive, compared to the others.

The Mountain Village Lodge is a Serena property, a bit farther out of town than is Onsea which while not exactly in town (my error above), maybe only 5/min. away; not as far as would be Rivertrees.

If only for 1/nt on arrival, they're all good choices... your budget might dictate.

Only hotel I've stayed at in Arusha was the African Tulip -
http://www.theafricantulip.com/home.html
Very new, nice large rooms, friendly staff, good restaurant, swimming pool.

regards - tom