An Edwardian-style manor on Sasakwa Hill above a 350,000-acre private reserve, with cottages that each have their own plunge pool.
Sasakwa is the one to choose when you want the Serengeti without canvas. The main house sits on a ridge with the Grumeti plains laid out below, and the cottages have fireplaces, parquet floors, sitting rooms and a plunge pool on the veranda. It feels more like a country house that happens to have lions at the bottom of the garden than a safari camp.
Because the lodge is inside a private reserve rather than the national park, you share sightings with guests of a handful of Singita lodges rather than with park traffic. Walks, a balloon flight and a visit to the anti-poaching observation post can all be fitted around the twice-daily drives, and the migration usually moves through the Western Corridor in the middle of the year.
The multi-bedroom cottages make this one of the easier high-end lodges in Tanzania for families: children of any age are welcome, there is a Mini Rangers programme, and the three- and four-bedroom cottages come with a private guide and vehicle. Couples after rough-and-ready bush atmosphere will find it formal, and those who want to be in canvas listening to the night should look at Sabora or a mobile camp instead.
Six cottages with a sitting room, fireplace, dressing area, a large bathroom and French doors onto a veranda with a private plunge pool.
Two cottages with a double and a double or twin room, a shared living space and a private plunge pool. A sensible choice for a family of four.
One of each, sleeping six and eight, with a private plunge pool. The four-bedroom cottage comes with its own guide and game-drive vehicle.
A dual-level one-bedroom suite with its own swimming pool, a dedicated butler, and a private guide and vehicle for game drives.
All meals and drinks are included, premium wines and spirits among them, and the lodge offers wine experiences. Halaal food can be arranged if requested in advance, and children can join cooking sessions with the kitchen team.
There is a swimming pool at the main lodge, a fitness centre, yoga, and a tennis court. Treatments are available in the spa or in your cottage, charged separately.
Children of all ages are welcome, with babysitting and a Mini Rangers programme. Children join drives at the guide's discretion, and walks have a minimum age of 16.
| Accommodation | 10 cottages and the Hillside Suite |
|---|---|
| Setting | 350,000-acre Singita Grumeti Reserve |
| Getting there | Fly to Sasakwa airstrip, about 1 hour from Arusha, then a short road transfer |
| Activities | Game drives, walks, hot-air balloon, community and anti-poaching post visits |
| Children | All ages welcome; walks from 16 |
| Open | All year |
| Luggage | Soft bags, 15kg checked on scheduled flights |
Singita Grumeti Reserve, western Serengeti, Tanzania
A few of the things we plan for guests in Tanzania.
From about January to March the herds gather on the short-grass plains around Ndutu, on the border with the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and give birth in their hundreds of thousands. Lions, cheetahs and hyenas follow. Mobile camps move with the herds, and the plains are green and bright between showers.
From July to October the herds reach the far north around Kogatende and cross the Mara River back and forth. It is quieter than the Kenyan side, with fewer vehicles at each crossing. Stay at least four nights and bring patience: herds can gather for hours before a single animal commits.
The Ngorongoro Crater is a collapsed volcano whose floor holds lions, hyenas, flamingos on the soda lake and one of the few places in Tanzania to see black rhino. Descend at dawn with a picnic breakfast to beat the vehicles. Rim lodges look straight into the caldera and are cold at night.
A northern Tanzania safari paced for families with children aged eight and over: baobabs and elephants near Tarangire, a crater rim lodge above Ngorongoro, a mobile camp in the Serengeti, then four nights on a Zanzibar beach.
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We will check availability, suggest the right room and send a price.
