Seronera Wildlife Lodge: Our full report
Built around an enormous kopje, or rocky outcrop, Seronera Wildlife Lodge is in the heart of the Serengeti ...
... and on the annual wildebeest migration route. Opened in 1960, it's a mid-range international-style hotel, which has a really central location for exploring Seronera – it's only two minutes from the takeoff point for hot-air balloon trips and five minutes from the airstrip for flights.In 2014 there was a huge fire that completely burnt down the restaurant and main area at Seronera Wildlife Lodge, forcing it to close. Although it eventually re-opened, at the time of our last visit in 2015 it had yet done so.
The main facilities of the Seronera Wildlife Lodge include a large and bright restaurant dotted with tables and chairs, where buffet meals are served. There's a small outside area where you can eat during the evening –- but in the daytime they insist everyone eats inside, as they have had problems with mongooses stealing guest's' food. There is also a lounge area with comfortable brown leather sofas set around low coffee tables, which are filled with Maasai artefacts. Vast natural rock with painted with imitation rock art forms part of the walls, of these rooms and even the stairs leading between them. This results in a natural, cool and rustic look with lots of character. A bar in one corner of the lounge continues into an outside bar, which runs along the pool area.
The Seronera Wildlife Lodge also has a stunning swimming pool carved out of the rock of a kopje, with an attractive water feature looking out over the Serengeti plains. It's a lovely spot to relax and enjoy the view and sunsets – and is also a favourite spot for families of rock hyrax to sunbathe. When we visited in 2015 the lodge had recently built a well equipped gym and internet café.
Another recent addition is a viewing platform, which is essentially a large area of raised decking, affording 360-degree views over the surrounding plains. Coffees in the morning and evening drinks are served up here.
The 78 bedrooms at Seronera Wildlife Lodge are set around a courtyard, in a two-storey terraced row. Each is quite comfortable, if not overly spacious, and decorated with lots of dark natural wood and terracotta colours. Each of the rooms has a small yet functional en-suite bathroom with toilet and hot-and-cold shower. There are no temperature controls in the rooms, but large sliding windows open up to allow the breeze to flow through. There are also tea-and coffee-making facilities, hairdryers and safes in each room.
We'd usually only recommend Seronera Wildlife Lodge as a stop on a vehicle safari through the park. It's a place to eat and sleep in the central Serengeti area if either your budget, or the space available elsewhere, were restricted. Then your activities would be to explore the Serengeti National Park with your own private 4WD vehicle and guide. It is also possible to fly in and join on one of the guided drives organized by the lodge daily, but we cannot vouch for the quality of the safari guides on such trips.
The Seronera area is at the very heart of the Serengeti National Park; it has excellent populations of permanent wildlife, but also relatively high densities of visitors all year. The great wildebeest migration passes through here around April - June, substantially increasing the densities of both game animals and visitors. It is possible to arrange hot air balloon flights from here too.
Seronera itself is well named as a 'wildlife lodge'. On our last visit we saw countless rock hyrax and lizards lounging in the sun – on the rocks, on the stairs, on the pathways, and really everywhere you looked. The manager also informed us they have a 'resident' python and a leopard that sometimes pays a visit
Our view
Seronera Wildlife Lodge is a comfortable, functional hotel and a bit old-fashioned. It's not small, stylish or particularly personal. However, it has reasonable prices and a great location at the heart of the park, so is a good option for those on tighter budgets – particularly around April, May and June when the migration passes though this area. However it is currently closed following the fire in 2014 and we are still waiting to hear when it might open again.
Tanzania expert
Geographics
- Location
- Serengeti Migration Area, Tanzania
- Ideal length of stay
- To explore this area fully, it is worth spending three nights at Seronera Wildlife Lodge. If you spend any longer here you may find the driving routes a little repetitive.
- Directions
- Seronera Wildlife Lodge is 2km, or a five-minute drive, from the Seronera airstrip. Alternatively you can drive from Arusha – this is around 330km and a 4–5 hour drive.
- Accessible by
- Fly-and-Transfer
Food & drink
- Usual board basis
- Full Board
- Food quality
- The food at Seronera Wildlife Lodge is a combination of international and local dishes. It is usually served buffet style to cater for the number of guests at the lodge.
- Dining style
- Individual Tables
- Dining locations
- Indoor Dining
- Further dining info, including room service
- There is no room service at Seronera Wildlife Lodge
- Drinks included
- Drinks are not included. You can expect to pay around US$3 for a beer and US$1.50 for a soda.
Children
- Attitude towards children
- Seronera Wildlife Lodge will happily accept children.
- Property’s age restrictions
- There are currently no age restrictions at Seronera Wildlife Lodge. The lodge is free for those under 4 years old.
- Special activities & services
- There are no special activities at Seronera Wildlife Lodge. Note that although 18 of the lodge’s rooms are interconnecting, Seronera Wildlife Lodge cannot organise ‘triple’ rooms for families, as the rooms have no space for an extra bed. Even families of three will need to be accommodated in interconnecting rooms.
- Equipment
- There are highchairs for young children.
- Generally recommended for children
- This lodge is really only suitable for older children with an interest in wildlife.
- Notes
- Parents should be aware that this is a wildlife area and the hotel is not fenced. Children should be supervised at all times and should not walk around alone.
There are also lots of stairs here and so this hotel may not be suitable for very young children.
There are also lots of stairs here and so this hotel may not be suitable for very young children.
Communications
- Power supply notes
- There are plugs in each room and batteries can be charged whilst the generator is on from 05:00-15:30 and 17:00-23:30.
- Communications
- Seronera Wildlife Lodge has a telephone, radio and fax links. WiFi is also available in the main area, although it costs $5 per hour.
- TV & radio
- Seronera Wildlife Lodge has a TV in the main lounge and gym.
- Water supply
- Borehole
- Water supply notes
- Bottled water is supplied for drinking
Hot water is available in the morning from 05:00-09:00 and in the evening from 18:00-21:00.
Health & safety
- Malarial protection recommended
- Yes
- Medical care
- There is a well-stocked dispensary at Seronera Wildlife Lodge and an on-site nurse. They have a doctor on call 24 hours a day who is a four-minute drive away. The lodge also has links to the flying-doctor service.
- Dangerous animals
- High Risk
- Security measures
- There are askaris (guards) who escort guests around the lodge at night as there can be wildlife on the premises.
- Fire safety
- There are fire extinguishers outside the rooms and in the main areas, and the staff are trained to use them.
Activities
4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Hot air ballooning
Extras
- Disabled access
- Not Possible
- Laundry facilities
- Laundry is an additional charge of between US$1 - 4
- Money
- Seronera Wildlife Lodge can exchange currency.
- Accepted payment on location
- Seronera Wildlife Lodge will accept payments in cash, as well as with MasterCard, Amex & Visa, which are charged at 5%.
Other lodges in Serengeti Migration Area
Alternative places to stay in this same area.
Olakira Camp
Comfortable, friendly and relaxed, Olakira Camp moves between the Mara River and the southern Ndutu area, in line with the wildebeest migration.
Sayari Camp
In the northern Serengeti, near the Mara River, luxurious Sayari Camp offers excellent wildife all year – boosted further by the wildebeest migration.
Nomad Serengeti Camp
Serengeti Safari Camp is a well-appointed tented camp that moves several times a year to follow the predicted path of the migration.
Dunia Camp
Dunia Camp is well located for the migration from December to March, and has excellent game viewing for the rest of the year.
Namiri Plains Camp
Namiri Plains is one of the best camps in the Serengeti and its remoteness ensures a fantastic wildlife experience away from the crowds.
Lamai Serengeti
Set high in the kopjes with fantastic views, Lamai Serengeti offers top service and guiding and good migration sightings from Jul-Oct.
Ubuntu Camp
Ubuntu Camp has several locations in the Serengeti, following the wildebeest migration, so it is often in a great location to see the herds.
Kati Kati Camp
Kati Kati is a small, very simple bushcamp, which is well-positioned to explore the wildlife-rich Seronera area.
Ndutu Safari Lodge
Large and economical, but not luxurious, Ndutu Safari Lodge is well located in the southern Serengeti, so book early to get space.
Serian Serengeti
Serian Serengeti is a mobile tented operation run by Alex Walker which moves between two locations following the wildebeest migration.
Klein's Camp
Klein's Camp, in a private area of the northern Serengeti, sets high standards. Activities include walks, nights drives and Maasai village visits.
Serengeti under Canvas
Two of the three Serengeti under Canvas camps move through the Serengeti National Park every few months to follow the wildebeest migration.
Grumeti River Camp
Grumeti River Camp offers a laid-back atmosphere combined with top service, first-rate food, expert guiding and an excellent location.
Lemala Kuria Hills
Lemala Kuria Hills is a luxury permanent camp that is ideally located for wildlife all year around, but especially during the wildebeest migration.
Lemala Ewanjan
Lemala Ewanjan is a comfortable and stylish tented camp in the Seronera area of the central Serengeti National Park.
Lemala Mara-Ndutu
Lemala Mara-Ndutu is a semi-permanent camp that moves between the north and south of the Serengeti to witness the wildebeest migration.
Lemala Nanyukie
Lemala Nanyukie is a stylish camp located in the quieter part of the central Serengeti.
Lobo Wildlife Lodge
The large Lobo Wildlife Lodge has simple, functional rooms in a stunning location. It's a good base for exploring the north-eastern Serengeti.
Kubu Kubu
Kubu Kubu is a contemporary, tented lodge, well located in the central Seronera area of the Serengeti National Park.
Serengeti Walking Mobile
This fairly simple camp offers only walking activities, but it's very well done and combines well with more conventional camps or lodges.
Mbalageti Lodge
Mbalageti is a well-run lodge in a quiet part of the Serengeti's western corridor – an ideal location during the Apr-Jun migration.
Serengeti Serena
The Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge is a large, hotel-style lodge and a good family-friendly base from which to explore the central Serengeti.
Kusini Camp
Kusini Camp is permanent, luxury camp located on a beautiful kopje in a quiet, wildlife-rich corner of the south-west Serengeti.
Migration Camp
Serengeti Migration Camp is a smart tented camp, good for the wildebeest migration from Jul–Aug, or to explore the Lobo Kopjes any time.
Mkombe's House Lamai
Mkombe's House Lamai is a fully staffed private house in the Wogakuria Kopjes district of Serengeti National Park.
Serengeti Sopa Lodge
Serengeti Sopa Lodge is an international-style hotel offering good-value accommodation in the central Serengeti, with lovely views of the plains.
Singita Mara River
Singita Mara River Tented Camp is a luxurious camp in the isolated and rewarding Lamai wedge region of the northern Serengeti.
Olmara Camp
With just eight guest tents, including two family tents and three signature stargazer tents, Olmara is a simple, family-friendly camp with a wonderfully attentive team. The camp captures an authentic bush experience, welcoming travellers of every kind.
Serengeti Green Camp
Serengeti Green Camp is a comfortable camping experience, in your own private safari camp and at the heart of a great wildlife area.
Sasakwa Lodge
On a hill looking over the Serengeti plains, Sasakwa Lodge is grand, luxurious safari camp, one of the most opulent properties in Tanzania.
Faru Faru Lodge
On the north bank of the Grumeti River, Faru Faru is a small, chic hideaway in this exclusive corner of the Serengeti.
Kirurumu Migration Camp
Kirurumu is a rustic tented camp which moves around the Serengeti twice a year to follow the wildebeest migration.
Sabora Tented Camp
Sabora Tented Camp is a smart tented camp – one of the most luxurious, professional and stylish properties to be found in Tanzania.
Four Seasons Serengeti
The Four Seasons Safari Lodge is the only hotel in the Serengeti offering international facilities such as a gym, spa and children’s club.
Nimali Mara
Nimali Mara is a luxurious safari lodge in a quiet region of the northern Serengeti with good access to the wildebeest migration.
Bushtops
Serengeti Bushtops is a permanent luxury camp in the northern Serengeti, with spacious and private tents with their own hot tubs.
Ndutu Kati Kati
Ndutu Kati Kati is a seasonal tented camp, based in the southern Serenget from Dec-Mar, ideal for the migration as it passes through.
Olduvai Camp
Olduvai Camp lies between Ngorongoro and the southern Serengeti plains. It's a good base for the southern plains during the rainy season.
Lake Masek Tented Camp
Ideally located for the wildebeest migration from Dec–Apr, Lake Masek Tented Camp is a good, mid-market safari camp.
Mara Mara
Mara Mara is a smart tented camp in the northern Serengeti, situated on a small hill close to the Mara River.
Esirai Migration Camp
A season migration camp, with only 8 tents and 1 family tent and plenty of character. Esirai is ideally placed for excellent wildlife and enjoys a simplistic and comfortable under-canvas experience.
Mwiba Lodge
Mwiba Lodge is a luxurious property located on a private concession on the edge of the southern Serengeti.
Mara Kati Kati
Mara Kati Kati is a simple bush camp in the northern Serengeti, based from Jul-Oct near the Mara River for the wildebeest migration.
Nasikia Naona
Naona Camp is a small tented camp, located in the Moru Kopjes, west of the Serengeti central area
Kirawira Camp
Set high on a hill, in the Serengeti's western corridor, Kirawira is a relatively large tented camp in the Serena group.
Nyikani Central
Nyikani Central is a comfortable tented camp located in the game-rich Seronera area of the central Serengeti.
Mbuzi Mawe
Mbuze Mawe is a comfortable tented camp in a convenient, central-north location when driving through the Serengeti.
Laba Migration Camp
A luxury mobile camp that moves between the Western Corridor, Mara River and the southern Ndutu area, in line with the wildebeest migration.
Serengeti Pioneer Camp
Serengeti Pioneer Camp is a luxurious tented camp in the central Serengeti, styled on African explorers' camps of the early 20th century.
Taasa Lodge
Taasa Lodge is a slightly quirky option offering guided walks and night game drives, which are not permitted in Serengeti National Park.
Nimali Serengeti
Opened in July 2017, Nimali Serengeti is a smart, permanent tented camp located in the Seronera area of the central Serengeti.
Nomad Walking Camp
Nomad Expeditionary Walking Camp is a simple camp of up to three tents, plus infrastructure, that changes location to allow guests to do substantial walks between campsites.
