Elewana Newsletter

Work is underway at Elewana Serengeti Migration Camp to give the camp a lift with upgrades taking place across the entrance area, bedrooms, and dining room, as well as a striking new rooftop bar, perfect for a relaxing sundowner. The concept will feature organic design materials including earth-walls, rich wood, jute, woven fabrics, beads, and carvings to create an Afrocentric space with a contemporary edge.

Terracotta pots, woven light features, organic fabrics, three large chandeliers, ceiling fans and re-upholstered furnishings will leave a lasting first impression as guests enter the camp.

The pool area will be upgraded and repainted, with re-furbished loungers, reupholstered cushions, and umbrellas. Additionally, an exciting new outdoor bar will be built on the top deck, where a range of beverages will be served from a curbed brick bar with a dark wooden top.

The dining area will be enhanced with new chandeliers, while tribal patterns will feature in the new décor and new textiles and placemats and dining accessories will tie into the colour and style scheme.

Bedrooms will receive a more contemporary makeover with modern African patterns, upgraded lighting, and reconfigured furniture allowing for more space, along with new carpets and bed throws.

Elewana Serengeti Pioneer Camp will have a refresh throughout that will remain in keeping with the ‘real safari’ feel to the camp and only compliment further one of the most spectacular vistas across the Serengeti. The lounge area will be refurbished using both repurposed furnishings reupholstered and new pieces, incorporating organic linens and leather in olive green, tan, and beige. A new bar is to be built in the library area and art will be updated with scientific wildlife drawings.

The dining area will be extended with a new canvas shaded decking area and all furniture is to be sanded stained and reupholstered. The pool area is to undertake a lift with new pool beds, umbrellas, and foliage to give it a tropical feel.

All furniture in the guests’ rooms will be sanded and re-stained, along with new carpets and rugs in jute and hand-woven wool. Glassware from Shanga, new brass bedside lamps, as well as other thoughtful trinkets and animal prints will tie the room together to bring a refreshing feel that still evokes every sense of Africa.

Kilindi Zanzibar is undergoing a refurbishment with the aim of enhancing the combined style of Greek coastal and Swahili elegance. Furniture in the main lounge area will be replaced with whitewashed Swahili furniture with neutral upholstery, complemented by Greek rattan lighting and white Swahili lanterns throughout.

The bar will be upgraded to include a tiled waterfall feature and there will be an extended area for couples to sit and enjoy sea views, as well as private dining experiences.

A new beach bar with white concrete floors, shade sails, and simple sisal pole furniture will allow couples to sit and enjoy a local cocktail with their feet in the sand.

All the villas will be refreshed with new textiles and furniture in keeping with the overall style of the property.

Clever touches to upgrade Sand River will create an increased selection of outdoor spaces for guests to enjoy and a lighter feel throughout. The bar and café will be enhanced with new carpets and upholstery, along with a longer wooden bar with extensive counter space. The dining area is to be updated with a lighter roof lining and new table décor, new dining chairs and wall art, all in keeping with the old-world theme of the property.

The outdoor spaces are to be upgraded to create a more permanent set up including a new fire pit area surrounded by antique style safari chairs, each with an old-world plaid blanket. The bedrooms will also receive a light touch upgrade with small improvements to include drapes, bed linen pillows and blankets and new mosquito nets.

Elephant Pepper Camp will benefit from a new entrance area, bar, and lounge space, as well as minimal upgrades throughout the bedrooms. The entrance and reception will be redesigned to create more of a journey and wow factor. A floor to ceiling mural, large maps, notes, and antique photographs will tell the story of safari many decades ago. A new living and lounge tent will be divided into multiple areas to accommodate groups of different sizes. Large brass chandeliers and lanterns combined with a colour scheme of creams will give a brighter feel. The dining area will combine exposed wooden tables, brass decor black and white photography with antique frames all designed to reflect the camps theme of ‘bygone safari’.

A new addition to the camp will be the bar at the far end of the main tent. A large antique wooden tent will serve an extensive range of beverages and hanging brass lanterns and antique décor will add to the bygone feel.

Honeymooners booking a minimum four nights at Kilindi Zanzibar can take advantage of a 25% discount. There is also a 20% discount per couple on the first spa treatment and a complimentary henna tattoo for the bride. This offer is valid for bookings and stays until December 2023 and proof of wedding certificate is needed.

Guests traveling in low season can enjoy the magic of the African bush all to themselves with a booking of just four nights plus at Elewana circuit properties. A safari taken from the 1st March – 31st May 2023 or the 1st November to 15th December 2023 over four nights in length, will be eligible for private use of the safari vehicle and guide.

Terms and conditions apply, applicable to non-resident rates only and subject to availability.

To honour our returning guests, Elewana offers a 5% loyalty discount to guests booking their next holiday. To make the deal even sweeter and more relaxing, return guests can also enjoy 20% off any spa treatments where available across the Elewana Collection.

This offer is valid until the 30th June 2023 and terms and conditions apply. For more details click here.

We’re excited to share that Elewana Collection properties have been nominated for the prestigious Condè Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards 2023.

We would appreciate your support in helping our properties win with your votes. Participants can vote for more than one property and vote more than once, with every vote counted. Elewana Collection properties have been shortlisted in the "Resort" section where one can find them by doing a search under the property name.

US participants who cast their vote will be entered for a chance to win a 65-day journey from Buenos Aires to Milwaukee with Viking, while UK participants can enter for a chance to win a seven-night stay for two at the InterContinental Maldives. Voting is open until June 30, 2023.

Vote Here

The World Travel Awards 2023, one of the most industry recognised awards, is open for voting until April 30, 2023. We would very much appreciate your help in securing wins for Elewana Collection in the category of Africa's Leading Boutique Hotel Brand 2023, along with the following camps:

• Elewana Serengeti Pioneer Camp in the category of Tanzania's leading tented safari camp 2023
• Elewana Elsa's Kopje Meru in the category of Kenya's leading safari lodge 2023
• Elewana Elephant Pepper Camp Masai Mara in the category of Kenya's leading tented safari 2023
• Elewana Kilindi Zanzibar in the category of Africa's leading beach resort 2023

How To Vote:

• Please register here and verify your email (Votes will be recorded and only counted once you verify your email address)
• Industry votes receive double weighting, so kindly register with a work email address if you have one
• Select a region from the Region Menu
• Select an Award Category
• To vote for a nominee click on the radio button to the left of the nominee’s name. Your vote will be logged, and the next award will appear. Nominees are listed alphabetically within the award.

Vote Now

Arusha Coffee Lodge is ideally situated in the outskirts of the bustling town of Arusha, offering the perfect location to start or end a safari, climb the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro or simple enjoy a city break. Located at the base of the volcanic Mount Meru and a mere five-minute drive from Arusha Airport (ARK) in northern Tanzania, this stylish lodge, set in one of the country’s largest coffee plantations, allows guests a glimpse into the region’s bygone coffee rituals.

Comprising of thirty Plantation Houses – including twelve Plantation Suites – overlooking berry-laden coffee bushes in evergreen coffee fields, Arusha Coffee Lodge has been designed around the original landowner’s early 20th-century home. Nearby excursions include a visit to a Masai market, the Museum of Natural History, and a day game drive with picnic lunch to Mount Meru and the Arusha National Park. Guests can also learn about coffee harvesting and roasting and sample Tanzania’s finest organic roast at the Lodge.

There are multiple dining options at the property from the appetizing garden buffet lunch set in the stunning grounds to the Grill Room offering a gourmet menu featuring the finest locally sourced products. The Bistro offers an all-day option serving a varied selection of dishes drawing in internationally inspired recipes including meat, fish, and pasta dishes and ‘straight from the oven’ pizzas. Room service is available 24hours a day to accommodate for guests arriving very early or on late flights and picnic lunches can be ordered in advance.

To aid relaxation, the lodge is home to a refreshing swimming pool which neighbours the Peaberries Spa, offering massages, pedicures, and manicures.

Located within the grounds of the Arusha Coffee Lodge is Trader’s Walk, an area made up of a coffee shop and bakery, the Soko gift shop selling locally made crafts, TanzaniteOne, a shop offering ethically-mined Tanzanite gemstones and jewellery, ensuring peace of mind when purchasing one of Tanzania’s most precious exports, Shanga, a bustling workshop and boutique empowering disabled community members, and Jikoni, an authentic African kitchen serving locally grown produce.

Shanga, the social enterprise based on the beautiful grounds of Arusha Coffee Lodge, has recently introduced new items to their onsite shop. The new custom-designed handmade items include zebra design-inspired glassware available in black and white, glass wind chimes made with either a glass ring and glass strings or a glass bird and glass strings, handblown glass baobab trees and beaded pendant lights which can be customised according to preferred colour.

Shanga employs local Tanzanians with disabilities to use their talents to handcraft unique, high-quality creations, including handmade jewellery, glassware, and homewares.

Lewa Conservancy is very pleased to share that they notched 43 rhinos (21 black and 22 white) and fitted seven LoRa (long range transmitters) across the Lewa-Borana landscape earlier this March. Notching and fitting transmitters is a vital part of rhino conservation, as it allows for better tracking and monitoring of these animals. Ear-notching is an adopted and verified system that provides rhinos with markings on specific areas of the ears where each animal gets a unique code (number) to enable positive identification. The ear notching candidates were pre-selected by the Lewa-Borana team based on details regarding their territories and individual attributes such as age, size, ID, and sex. The rhinos selected were 3 years of age and older and independent. This was to reduce the risk associated with the post immobilisation separation of calves that are dependent on their mother. The exercise culminated with the birth of a black rhino, bringing the total population of rhinos in the Lewa-Borana landscape to 256.

Thanks to the conservation efforts, dedication and hard work of the professionals involved, the partnership between Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI), Lewa, and Borana Conservancy will ensure a significantly positive impact on the preservation of these endangered species and their habitats.

We spoke with Elimwokozi Mamuya, affectionately known as Elly to guests and colleagues, this month about his work as a guide at Elewana’s beautiful Tarangire Treetops property, renowned for their treehouse accommodations, and what he loves about his work.

How and why did you become a guide?

I was born and grew up close to Kilimanjaro National Park’s main gate and as a child, I used to see park rangers, guides and tourists come in and out, as well as some of my relatives used to work there. I grew up with an interest in becoming one of the guides. Soon after high school, I was sponsored by the Tanzanian government to study wildlife management at the College of African Wildlife Management, Mweka. Upon graduation, I joined the tourism industry as a game warden and later on as a safari tour guide.

How long have you been guiding at Tarangire? Where did you guide previously?

I have been guiding for 10 years at Tarangire and I have guided in the Serengeti, as well as Moyowosi Kigosi Game Reserve, Katavi, Ngorongoro, Manyara, Lake Tanganyika, Mkomazi and Selous Game Reserve.

What makes Tarangire so special from a wildlife viewing perspective?

Tarangire National Park is known as a wonderful birding destination and also features large numbers of game, particularly during the dry season, when the Tarangire River is the only source of water in the area. The landscape is of particular interest too, due to the high number of scenic baobab trees.

Tarangire has a night game drive, can you share about what makes them so enjoyable for guests?

At night, it's all about survival. Predators against prey – there is no lazing around at night. It is because of the high level of predator activity during the night that guided night game drives have become a popular way to explore the wildlife and to add to your safari experience.

What is your most memorable animal sighting?

Pangolin, that was indeed a very memorable sighting!

What are your tips for guests who are coming on their first safari?

There’s never really a wrong time to visit Tanzania, but depending on what you are interested in seeing, there are three best times to visit this country.

• June to October: Visit during this time of the year if you want to have the best wildlife viewing experience.
• June and July: This is the best time to visit to get an opportunity of sighting the wildebeest migration.
• January and February: The best season to watch the wildebeest calving is during these two months