Lemala Kuria Hills

suited to less outdoorsy guests

Lemala Kuria Hills is located in the Serengeti Mara area of northern Tanzania.

This property is owned by Lemala Safaris, which in turn is owned by Tourvest, a large South African travel management company. They are relatively new to the safari scene in Tanzania, but have been very successful in creating a portfolio of traditional tented camps and more substantial lodges, all in good areas, stylishly designed and well-hosted.

The lodge is centred on a single large mess building, containing reception, lounge and dining areas and leading out on to extensive split-level decks and a lovely swimming pool. There is also a spa facility.

Rooms

Guest accommodation at Lemala Kuria Hills is in fifteen very large and chic suites each with a stone bathtub and a small plunge pool.

Notably this is the only facility in the area where the rooms are behind glass rather than canvas or mesh, which may suit a less outdoorsy type of guest.

Activities

Lemala Kuria Hills provides the following guided activities, not all of which are usually included in the price …

• Vehicle safari
• Walking safari
• Bush meals
• Balloon safari : not included

Long season

Unlike the seasonal camps in the area, which tend to only be open for the four or five months of the main dry season, this lodge is open for most of the year, closing only during the main rains from the start of April to the end of May.

The Serengeti Mara area tends to feature in a very high proportion of trips, it is definitely worth considering at any time of year.

The usual stay duration is 3-4 nights.

Seasonality

The Serengeti region has to be one of the most seasonal locations in Africa.

Although there is literally no bad time to visit this part of the world, the annual cycle of weather, wildlife movements and visitor traffic flows combine to have an incredibly dramatic effect on trip planning during every single month of the year.

In this Serengeti Mara area, the most popular period to visit is the Jul-Oct dry season, when the best weather happens to coincide with the presence of the migration herds.

During the migration calving season, which takes place far off to the south during the Dec-Mar green season, the Serengeti Mara area becomes a wonderful peaceful backwater, although the weather can be less reliable.

The two low season periods of Nov-Dec and Mar-May may be much less dependable for weather, but they remain really strong for wildlife viewing and benefit from dramatically lower visitor numbers.

Getting there

The majority of people visiting Serengeti Mara do so as part of a guided overland safari, so they travel to their camp and around the area in their private vehicle.

A few people visit Serengeti Mara in isolation, flying in and out of the airstrip here. In this case they travel around the reserve with a vehicle and guide from their camp.

probably our favourite part of the Serengeti