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Like a green oasis, The Plantation Lodge rests on the red-brown hills. The individually furnished rooms and suites melting harmoniously into the flowering garden offering comfort and relaxation. Everywhere you look, you can see and feel the personal atmosphere of this owner-run lodge with furnishings that were selected with great attention to detail. The Plantation Lodge's cordial service leaves no wish unfulfilled. The lodge's location promises maximum safari enjoyment: a stone's throw from the entrance to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Lake Manyara National Park, and just a short journey from the Tarangire National Park and the Serengeti. A luxury lodge with 7 suites and 14 standard rooms.
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The Plantation Lodge & Safaris Ltd earns rave reviews for its serene, luxurious atmosphere and meticulously maintained premises, with travelers particularly appreciating the spacious and well-designed rooms. The lodge's value is acknowledged as reflecting the quality of experience, from the beautiful rooms to the exceptional food.
While the majority of guests commend the attentive service, some have experienced reservation and dietary hiccups. Its location near the Ngorongoro Crater makes it a prime choice for safari enthusiasts and those seeking a tranquil retreat.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Serene
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Satisfying
Cleanliness
Meticulous
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Lavish
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This hotel excels in attention to detail, offering exceptional food that continually surprises guests. A perfect experience where every moment is thoughtfully crafted. This hotel goes above and beyond by taking care of everything for you. Daily flower changes and shoe cleaning are just a glimpse of the meticulous service provided, ensuring a truly seamless and enjoyable stay.
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Date of stay: January 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Einot David, Guest Services / Front Office at The Plantation Lodge & Safaris Ltd
Responded Jun 26, 2024
Dear @nataliahB3922BY, We are thrilled to hear that your stay with us was wonderful. We take great pride in giving personalised and individual care to all guests that come in our doors. Each morning our dedicated housekeepers gather fresh flowers from our gardens to adorn our beautiful rooms with a touch of nature. Our chefs strive to make delicacies that will amuse your taste buds each day of your stay. Thank you for your kind review and we cannot wait to be your host again in Tanzania! Regards,
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Staying at Plantation Lodge was a welcome respite in the midst of a safari trip where we primarily stayed at beautiful tented camps. Plantation Lodge offered the best of both worlds because we were able to roam freely on the gorgeous property, view their gardens, swim and get some exercise. During the day, we were close to the Crater (and Lake Manyara) for a full day of viewing animals and spectacular landscapes. The accommodations are top-notch with private spacious rooms/suites scattered around the property, comfy beds, the best food that we had on the entire trip, and gracious friendly service. The ambiance of being on a plantation made this a perfect compliment to our other accommodations.
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Date of stay: December 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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A truly excellent Safari Lodge, having all the comforts needed, whilst still enabling you to feel close to the Safari.
Organized and orderly, we were greeted upon arrival with refreshments - this included our Driver, who’d been doing the work !
Meals were excellent, and a good wine list too !! Fabulous rooms…
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Date of stay: April 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Joy Ikaya, Guest Services / Front Office at The Plantation Lodge & Safaris Ltd
Responded Apr 13, 2023
Dear debal07, Thank you for the kind review. We are glad that you had a lovely stay and that everything was to your satisfaction. We do look forward to host you again in the future !
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My family said this is the best stay in our trip at Tanzania.
It is a homely lodge with a lush garden and a serene atmosphere. We love the place so much, especially the friendly owner and staff, who always do their best to help us with everything they can.
The food is really delicious, and the chef asks us what we would like for lunch so he can tailor it to suit our wishes.
In general, it is a really good lodge in Tanzania, and the location is perfect for starting a trip to Ngorongoro Crater. Make sure you spend half a day just relaxing at the lodge without doing anything. Just sit in the garden and enjoy your time here.
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Date of stay: July 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Einot David, Guest Services / Front Office at The Plantation Lodge & Safaris Ltd
Responded Jul 21, 2024
Dear Chatjuta L, Thank you for sharing your family’s positive experience! We’re delighted that our homely lodge left a lasting impression. Our friendly owner and staff are committed to ensuring your comfort. The delicious food, personalized lunch options, and ideal location for Ngorongoro Crater trips make us proud. Next time, take a leisurely half-day to relax in the garden it’s truly a slice of paradise! Regards
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We arrived at the hotel, a magnificent plantation but we were all simply forgotten, there was no reservation in our name (although I was told otherwise, at reception I saw the list rooms with the names of the guests and we appear in pen added below the official list). So we inherit the least beautiful room next to the toilets and reception. And no hot water, the hot water was turned on but 45 minutes later still barely lukewarm and impossible to wash. So we wait. My partner took a freezing shower, we just came back from a safari day and we can't even enjoy it. Moreover, when you have paid more than 16,000 EUR for a 10-day safari, you expect something else…. What a huge disappointment, and the employees didn't even apologize. And I was assured that we had not been forgotten even though I heard the guard saying that we were not on the list and our name was added to the pen!!!! It's still terrible.
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Chambre jacarandi
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The surroundings of the Plantation Lodge bring to mind serenity. The gardens are beautifully maintained and there is an abundance of bird life.
Our lodgings were a large "villa" which consisted of 4 rooms - a very big bedroom, 2 sitting rooms and a huge full bathroom plus a balcony with a view of the garden.
The dining experience was excellent. We arrived on Christmas Day and enjoyed a delicious Christmas dinner. The soups here are probably the best I have had anywhere!
The location is close (15 minutes) from the entrance to Ngorongoro National Park (so much closer than many other lodges).
Highly recommended.
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Date of stay: December 2022
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The lodge is located in Karatu and very close to Ngorongoro. It is laid out over many acres and has an excellent staff, facilities and rooms. We had a 2 bed villa all to itself. You hear only birds and no people. Our butler, Debra anticipated every need and would prep our room for us even as the entry person informed her we were arriving. I felt like royalty, but the people really cared for their guests. Emmanuel hosted us at meals and would usually anticipate what we were going to need as well. Amazing experience. I would go back just to meet the staff again.
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Date of stay: September 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Â Share your meal preferences, because everything is prepared for you specifically.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Einot David, Guest Services / Front Office at The Plantation Lodge & Safaris Ltd
Responded Sep 26, 2023
Dear un2014, We greatly appreciate your positive feedback. Knowing that you had an incredible time at our lodge brings us immense joy. We are delighted that you found the serene grounds and the room to your liking. Our staff are truly the key to remarkable service and we are glad you enjoyed Debora's and Emmanuel's attentive care. We would be absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to welcome you back for another memorable stay, giving you the chance to once again experience the wonderful care and service provided by our dedicated staff !
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This is a stunning location and immaculate grounds. The food was absolutely fantastic, service very good and friendly. It was very nice to be welcomed by Renate when we arrived, a very nice touch.
The pool was gorgeous and perfect after a busy day.
Kathrine was outstanding looking after us, she thought of everything.
Really recommend.
Just two little niggles, you have a small Wi-Fi allowance after that you have to pay for it. This is the only hotel we stayed in during our 2 week trip in Uganda and Tanzania where it was not included. Even the airstrips had free Wi-Fi so really can’t understand why it’s being charged for.
Secondly the wine was very expensive, $40 the cheapest bottle, and it’s nice but nothing special. I think the mark up is really excessive.
We used this hotel as a base for the Ngorongoru crater and it worked very well.
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Joy Ikaya, Guest Services / Front Office at The Plantation Lodge & Safaris Ltd
Responded Feb 27, 2023
Dear Midsummerlady, We are pleased to hear that you had a lovely stay at our lodge and enjoyed the food and service and our beautiful grounds. We are also happy to learn that you had a good experience with our personable staff. Thank you for the candid feedback about the wine price point .Your feedback is valuable to us as we strive to improve with each and every guest stay. You will be happy to know that we are in the process of reviewing our wine pricings and we hope to make adjustments for the next season. Regarding wi-fi , since our property is a popular base among safari goers perfect on their way to or from safari, most guests prefer to enjoy lazy and relaxing days immersing themselves in all our property can offer. From exploring the vast lush gardens, visiting the chicken farm, enjoying a guided walking tour around the property and vegetable garden, or simply a dip in the pool, it is never a dull day at The Plantations ! Our current offering of 2GB free seems like a reasonable offering with regards. We do look forward to host you again in the future and even enjoy a nice toast together!
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My wife and I spent two nights at Plantation Lodge in February 2022 while visiting the Ngorongoro crater. We wish it could have been longer! The drive along the country lane across fields to get to the lodge just adds to the surprise when you arrive and find a beautiful, calm oasis. The grounds and accommodation are spotless and cannot be faulted. The food was of the highest quality, served by attentive staff. There is a great bar and a fantastic little wine cellar. The owner Renate was ever-present making sure her guests were being well looked after.
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Date of stay: February 2022
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We spent 2 nights here at the start of our holiday. We are 2 adults and 2 teens. The days were spent bumping around on dusty roads and so the luxury and comfort found at Plantation Lodge was exactly what we needed. The adjoining rooms were enormous and a real treat were the huge bathrooms. The room had lots of lovely touches, including big fluffy towelling robes, delicious biscuits and comfortable armchairs. The grounds were immaculately kept and the kids really enjoyed the pool. The food was outstanding and we nothing was too much trouble. V much recommend.
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Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Einot David, Guest Services / Front Office at The Plantation Lodge & Safaris Ltd
Responded Jan 17, 2024
Dear 233lucyd, Thank you for your heartfelt appreciation! We are delighted to have been a part of the perfect start to your holiday at The Plantation Lodge. Your recognition of our comfortable rooms, luxurious bathrooms, and picturesque grounds is truly gratifying. We eagerly anticipate the opportunity to host you again for a more extended stay, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the lodge's charm. We're thrilled that you had the chance to meet the owner, whose kindness and knowledge reflect the spirit of our entire establishment. Your enjoyment of the culinary delights from our kitchen, crafted with love, brings us immense joy. Your feedback is invaluable, and we can't wait to welcome you back for another unforgettable experience. Until then, safe travels and warm regards from all of us at The Plantation Lodge !
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Most people that stay at Plantation lodge book through a tour operator who will arrange airport collection and transfers they will also book all your safaris
Plantation Lodge is conveniently located close to lake Manyara (40min) and only 12km from the Ngorogoro crater gate ( it is about an1:30min down
To the crater floor)- we are outside the parks so no extra park fees for sleeping in the park.
The lodge is also good for a relaxing day as safaris can be tiring with early Morning starts, long days on bumpy dusty roads .
We would gladly put you in touch with some of our trusted reliable tour operators - our email address is on our webpage
There are more places to choose from in the Karatu area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
the plantation lodge & safaris hotel ngorongoro conservation area, the plantation lodge and safaris
LOCATION
TanzaniaArusha RegionKaratu
NUMBER OF ROOMS
23
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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