The Plantation Lodge

Plantation Lodge is a beautifully landscaped tourist haven and idyllic property situated within its own coffee plantation and working farm. The lodge occupies an enviable location on the outskirts of Karatu, just a stone's throw from the entrance to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, only 30 minutes' drive from Ngorongoro Crater entrance and a further 20 minutes to the crater floor. It sits on 10 hectares of landscaped grounds and is owner-run and managed to give a really authentic and friendly feel.

Rooms

The lodge comprises 23 rooms and suites (16 individually styled rooms plus 8 suites, plus a four-bedroom Garden House), all widely dispersed in suites offering comfort and relaxation for up to 40 guests within a delightful garden area. Each room is individually styled and furnished with their own unique character, benefiting from plenty of natural light. Rooms feature verandas or terraces with lovely views of the tropical garden, and multi-room suites provide space for families. The accommodation ranges from luxurious suites through stylish standard rooms to the spacious Garden House, leaving nothing to be desired.

Restaurant

The restaurant has a homely atmosphere and serves delicious meals from its own vegetable garden, with much of the food grown and reared on-site and the rest sourced locally. Dinners are a four-course affair complimented by a superb wine list that is the envy of many other lodges in Tanzania, and guests can choose their own wines from the cellar. Most meals use produce reared and grown on-site, creating a good feel of putting back into the local community. The bar and lounge is a popular place to congregate in the evenings.

Facilities

Facilities include a swimming pool in landscaped grounds, comfortable lounges, and massages available after safaris. The lodge is an ideal base for exploring both Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara National Park, and is very popular with families, especially those looking to have their own space with multi-room suites. Children are welcome, and there are two two-bedroom family rooms available. The lodge is bookable on a full-board basis including all meals, parking, and WLAN internet access.

About

Founded in 1997 by German proprietors Renate and Udo Marahrens who had carried out farming operations in West Africa and Tanzania, Plantation Lodge was born when they acquired their first plot of land in Tanzania. The original farm building (Plantation House) was constructed in 1997 for private use and later served as the first guest room. The lodge has steadily grown over years with expanded area, new rooms and suites added, and is now acclaimed numerous times, ranking among the most beautiful safari hotels in East Africa.