Where We Are
In the Tarangire National Park which covers an area of 2800 sq km. The lodge lies 118 km south west of Arusha, approximately 2 hours drive from Arusha town and 20 mins flying time with another 40 mins transfer time from Kuro Airstrip to the lodge.
Tarangire National Park
This 2,850 km2 park, the 6th largest in Tanzania and possibly its best well kept secret, was established in a naturally dry area in the northern part of the country in 1970, and was the fifth conservation area to be declared after the country’s independence in 1961. Mostly made up of savannah grassland, Tarangire also boasts rolling hills, rocky outcrops, extensive swamps and Acacia woodlands as well as an unusually large number of huge Baobab trees.
Because of the permanent, life-giving water flowing through the park by way of the Tarangire River, it has one of the highest concentrations of wildlife between the long rains in April and May, and the short rains in November. It is also a bird watcher’s paradise with its more than 550 species of birds, and the swamps support the largest number of breeding bird species to be found anywhere in the world.
While there is also an abundance of all forms of wildlife throughout the year, Tarangire is especially renowned for its large herds of elephants, tree climbing lions, huge pythons, its herds of oryx which are regularly seen, and also for its rock paintings which were done by early man tens of thousands of years ago.
It is also one of the few National Parks in East Africa where you can get high in a hot air balloon, and where nature walks and night game drives are allowed in the conservancies which border the park.
Situated approximately 140 kilometres from the town of Arusha, Tarangire Sopa Lodge provides a perfect location for short safaris or corporate and conference events, the perfect start or end to any safari, a place to relax in the sun, witness the day-to-day events of the resident animals and experience a level of attention to detail, guest comfort and service not to be found anywhere for miles around.
Incentives
- Offsite check-in experience
- Bush breakfast
- Bush breakfast with champagne
- Bush lunch
- Bush dinner/bbq
- Coastal buffet
- African buffet
- African night + khanga
- Gala dinner
Are arranged within the lodge grounds, and decorated according to the theme.
- Sundowner + bar snacks
- Sundowner + canapés
- Sundowner + canapés + 45 minutes open bar
Built on different levels, the main public area building offers an extremely cool respite from the outdoor heat as soon as you step into the reception.
With a perfumed towel and a chilled welcome drink in hand, you suddenly become aware of the sheer size of the lobby with its glistening marble floors, colourful hand-woven carpets, and an incredibly high roof. From here a short flight of steps takes you up a level and into the lounge and bar with floor to ceiling windows, an outdoor terrace where you can enjoy an evening sundowner and, later perhaps, a game of pool in the area behind the bar.
On the other side of the reception lobby is our coffee shop where you can enjoy one of a wide range of Tanzanian highland brews together with one of our freshly baked pastries, while adjacent to this area a flight of steps takes you down into the dining room for a leisurely – and always simply-to-die-for – meal beneath an intricately painted mural painted onto a high gable at one end of the room. Even the floor is a work of art with its multi-coloured timbers and copper nails.
However, if you relish the great outdoors, the restaurant has a terrace running along one side of its entire length so you can enjoy your breakfast with a view over the park’s tree-studded, grassy plains.
Weather permitting, lunch is always served at the lodge’s lowest level and beside the swimming pool with its central island and bar beside a dry river bed which fills up during the rainy seasons. As for dinner, the dining room has an enormous outdoor patio where we serve dinner every other night, and this experience beneath Africa’s star filled sky is quite simply one you will never forget.
Our Facilities
| ✓ Adjoining Rooms | ✓ Hairdryers | ✓ Swimming Pool |
| ✓ Baby Sitting | ✓ Laundry | ✓ Telephone at Reception |
| ✓ Bird Watching | ✓ Mosquito Nets | ✓ Traditional Dances |
| ✓ Board games | ✓ Nature Walks | ✓ Turndown Service |
| ✓ Children’s Menu | ✓ Outdoor Dining | ✓ Weddings |
| ✓ Conferences | ✓ Special Diets | ✓ Wheelchair Accessible Rooms |
| ✓ Gift Shop | ✓ Sundowners | ✓ WiFi in Public Areas |
While our circular guest suites with their high, conical roofs fan out to either side of the public areas, it is worth mentioning a word of caution here. Because the lodge is not fenced in any way, wild animals are at liberty to come and go as they please and transits to your room and back might be – but rarely – delayed by an elephant or two. This is the only reason our guards will insist on taking you to and fro at night.
Once inside the coolness of your room, you will be delighted at its space and airiness, and also the views from its sheltered veranda. With its mini-bar, two double beds and an extremely spacious, well appointed bathroom, you can only wish that you were staying an extra night.
75 spacious rooms, all with a private lounge on entering with a mini bar. Each room has 2 queen size beds with a mosquito net around them.
- 4 of these rooms are suitable for the physically challenged.
- 4 interconnecting rooms suitable for families.
After enjoying a long leisurely game drive between herds of wild animals and along miles of Africa’s seemingly endless roads, you come over a slight rise and the lodge appears almost immediately below you.
Built to blend in with the vastness of its surroundings, Tarangire Sopa Lodge lies hidden among the kopjes, ancient baobab and grasses of the Tarangire National Park - home to the greatest concentration of elephants in Africa. Many can be seen around the lodge, allowing visitors a close encounter.