Mount Meru Game Lodge & Sanctuary

Mount Meru Game Lodge and Sanctuary is a characterful, family run lodge on the Usa River, about twenty minutes’ drive east of Arusha town and around forty minutes from Kilimanjaro International Airport. Founded in 1959, it feels more like a country house than a hotel, set in mature gardens with lawns, tall trees, a river and a swimming pool. The grounds are home to resident zebra, buffalo, ostrich and waterbuck, and storks and egrets gather at the afternoon feeding, while blue monkeys and black and white colobus monkeys are often seen from the rooms. Rooms are spread across painted buildings and log cabins, with suites and family rooms available. The lodge is well known for its food, served on the terrace or in the dining room. Activities include birding, walks, a coffee tour, cultural excursions and visits to local markets, and the lodge can arrange horse riding, mountain biking, canoeing in Arusha National Park or a day safari there. It works well as the first or last night of a northern Tanzania safari, and children of all ages are welcome.