The Plantation Lodge

Lodging

The configuration of rooms and suites varies a great deal (see below) - but the finish and comfort is top notch throughout. Expect diaphanous spaces with polished black screed floors, high ceilings and masses of windows that draw your eye out to the gardens. Watercolours of Tanzanian wildlife, Indian bedspreads, vases of cut flowers and bright silk cushions add colour to the white, black and brown palette. Bathrooms are in the same generous, functional and pristine vein.

Best for families are the Zanzibar and Bamboo Houses: both have 1 double and 1 twin room, which share a bathroom. Plantation House, with 2 interconnecting rooms, could comfortably accommodate a family of 5.

Best for couples are perhaps the Forest House or Eucalyptus House: we liked how secluded and private they felt, though they do have twin mattresses.

Best for small groups are the Garden House, with 4 ensuite doubles, and the Coffee House, with 2 enormous suites. Each house has its own dining and sitting room.

Meals here are moveable feasts. There are 5 different dining rooms spread out amongst the different houses and main lodge, as well as a number of alfresco eating areas. And wherever you choose to eat you'll have attentive service lavished upon you by uniformed staff.

Breakfast kicks off early: most guests want to make sure they're one of the first through Ngorongoro's main gate. In addition to a buffet of cold meats, cheeses, carton juice, a choice of cereals and a seasonal fruit salad, there are eggs cooked to order.

Guests tend to be out on game drives at lunchtime so box lunches - you get a couple of sandwiches, a slice of quiche, some kind of cold meat, fruit and a juice. But if you're picnicking in the Crater or beside the Manyara Lake your meal will still be a memorable one. Lunch back at the lodge is a light repast of salad, pasta, or perhaps an omelette.

Dinner always feels like a special occasion. Your table will be candlelit and beautifully dressed in all-white linen and crockery then strewn with petals of frangipani or bougainvillea. Dinners follow a 4-course formula. Ours began with seafood tagliatelle, followed by roast beef accompanied by veg which had been picked the same day in their garden. The meal ended with a scrummy dessert of grilled pineapple and mango topped with homemade ice cream. Award-winning Tanzanian coffee provided a perfect finale.

Activities

• The Unesco-listed Ngorongoro Crater (20-30 mins drive) has over 25,000 animals living in its crater: keep your eyes peeled for zebra, buffalo, antelope, lions, black rhinos, hippos and elephants, as well as the Maasai who graze their cattle here. Two daily game drives are included in our safari packages - normally 1 in the morning and 1 in the late afternoon.
  
• Lake Manyara park (20-30 mins drive) is great at night with porcupines, civets, bushbabies and perhaps leopards.
  
• Explore the lodge's gardens and surrounding coffee plantations - guided tours will teach you about the lifecycle of a coffee bean - or visit the local market for a less closeted take on Tanzania
  
• Birdwatch from the privacy of your terrace or from a corner of the gardens: Fischer’s lovebirds and yellow-bellied sunbirds are regular visitors, or the staff can give you a tour of the gardens and point out birds en route
  
• Take a hike through the Empakaai Crater and take in spectacular lake views, teeming with flamingoes and pelicans. Other hikes lasting from 1 - 3 hours follow the edge of the Great African Rift Valley
  
• Visit a Maasai village, or the hunter-gathering Hadza (Hadzabe) tribe on the shores of Lake Eyasi - you may need to add an extra day for these
  
• Indulge in a bit of R&R by the pool, then treat yourself to a neck and shoulder massage with the lodge's masseuse

Activities include:

• Birdwatching
• Hiking
• Safaris
• Shopping / markets
• Traditional cultures
• Well being
• Wildlife

With Kids

Kids are welcome at Plantation Lodge - though (if booking a package) bear in mind that many other safari lodges require a minimum age of 5. Kids would get good measure out of the extensive gardens and pool, and there are rooms which have been designed specifically with families in mind.

Children up to 2 years old stay for free, 2 - 6 year olds are charged 50% of the rate if sharing with parents, 6+ year olds in in own room full pay adult rate.

We've rated it best for kids aged 4 and up largely because the game drives are better if you're quiet and can concentrate...but we know there are exceptions out there.

Best for:

Children (4-12 years)

Family friendly accommodation:

Distances:

• Airport: 190km (Kilimanjaro International Airport)

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Remember  baby and child equipment may be limited and can sometimes go astray, so if it is crucial to you, please check with the hotel that it is still available

Transport

The game drives and most camp-to-camp transfers are in comfy 4WD Toyota Landcruisers, with either 5 or 7 seats. All seats are by the window, with extra large windows for photography and driving comfort. They also have a pop-up roof for enhanced game-viewing in the parks, as well as a coolbox stocked with soft drinks, wildlife- and bird reference books, Maasai blankets, and a camera/phone charging point (with UK adapter).

The transfer back to Kilimanjaro Airport is normally in a light aircraft - typically a 12-seater Cessna caravan.