Tumbili Lodge - Arusha, Tanzania
After two days of grueling flights from California in the United States to Arusha, Tanzania, stepping into Tumbili Lodge’s tropical gardens felt like entering an oasis. Flowering plants of bright reds and yellows peeked through lush greenery set among stone walkways wending through the grounds. Taveta golden weavers and other colorful birds tweeted a welcome beside the trickle of a nearby waterfall as we made our way to the spacious cabin, or “banda,” beneath views of Mount Meru.
This was a grounding experience to have before our adventure into Tarangire National Park began the next day.
Tumbili Lodge is in Olasiti, just outside the city of Arusha, known as a gateway to Tanzania’s northern safari circuit. Only about an hour and a half drive from Kilimanjaro International Airport, it’s a great stopover point for travelers on their way in or out of country.
The problem is – you might not want to leave for the rest of your journey. It’s no wonder that this is where famous primatologist Jane Goodall likes to stay when she is in town. We feel the same way in our review of Tumbili Lodge.
The lodge has nine wooden cabins, including cottages for two, family rooms, and a larger interconnected-cottage option for a group. All the cabins have high ceilings, comfortable bedrooms and full bathrooms with walk-in showers—and all are located within the gardens.
We were only there for one night but once I saw our two-person cabin, I was ready to fully unpack and stay for much longer. It looked like a wooden A-frame house set with natural fencing and a cushy couch just outside. Decorative vines wound above the doorway and up into a dramatic circular design. Once inside, we saw windows everywhere – so many that one side of the cabin looked like it had its own sunroom.
Lamps and other unique ironwork décor accented the space and two beds sat under a mosquito net. Even the smallest details looked handcrafted, from the reusable Kleenex covers to the wastebasket liners. The attached bathroom was huge and hosted a long and, frankly, quite romantic-looking soaking tub that, unfortunately, went unused. But the large rain shower was much appreciated.
For a solid relaxation/jetlag recovery session, we headed back out into the gardens, past the waterfall and into the luxurious pool. Get the vacation started by having a fun tropical drink poolside. The area even has its own bridge-connected “island” with lounge chairs surrounded by a lazy river-style pool flanked by trees and exotic plants.
Take a wander to spot splashy flowers like Heliconia, Bougainvillea, Frangipani and Hibiscus Schizopetalus (spider hibiscus). Playful monkeys might scamper by on the manicured lawn.
It’s easy (and pleasant) to get lost in these gardens, but according to our review of Tumbili Lodge, a friendly staff member is always available to help you on your way from the moment you arrive. Still blurry-eyed and a bit out of sorts from our travels, we appreciated every greeting, carried piece of luggage and gracious escort, especially as we stumbled our way to one of two dining areas. There’s a rustic indoor spot with more of the gorgeous ironwork we found in our room, and an outdoor bar area with a fireplace.
Tumbili isn’t an all-inclusive lodge like what you find on safari -- it’s actually a boutique hotel -- so meals and drinks weren’t included in the price of our stay. But you still get a lot for your money. I also couldn’t find any information about accessing WiFi. But did we really need WiFi during this brief stop in paradise? Those were the only downsides I could think of in our review of Tumbili Lodge.
We had dinner on the atmospheric terrace and the food was fantastic, especially the red snapper. It was hard to choose between that dish and the highly recommended beef steak paired with choices of wines. Also, the portions were huge.
Up early for an equally delicious breakfast the next day, we were sad to say goodbye and leave what felt like a rehabilitation.
For more information, go to tumbili-lodges.com
