Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Olerai Lodge, located in Arusha, is set to become the starting point for countless memorable safaris. Rooted in the heart of Arusha’s savanna and set among a patchwork of local farm fields, Olerai Lodge combines the sublime serenity of the African wilderness with the comforts of home.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Romantic
Charming
Languages Spoken
English, Afrikaans, Dutch, Greek and 3 more
Location
Mateves Kisongo, Arusha, Tanzania, Arusha 23100 Tanzania
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Olerai Lodge is celebrated for its tranquil and captivating atmosphere, with guests frequently mentioning the well-appointed rooms and the calming presence of the pools. The amenities, such as the diverse food options and the added convenience of early breakfast and massages, consistently receive high marks. While the location offers the advantage of being close to Arusha airport, reviewers caution that the nearby roads can be troublesome.
Service at the lodge is frequently lauded, with staff members recognized for their exceptional hospitality. The rooms are noted for their cleanliness and comfort, although some guests point out minor issues with temperature and electricity.
Location
Inconvenient
Atmosphere
Serene
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Reasonable
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Outstanding
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Traveller rating
195
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Detailed Reviews
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Very nice and clean facility with very friendly and courteous staff. The food at Olerai Lodge is fantastic and freshly prepared. In the evening you get your room furnished mosquito-free (spray and mosquito net). The Olerai Lodge is only recommended.
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Date of stay: July 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We arrived at Olerai lodge as the first stop on our safari after arriving in Tanzania. They decorated our room for our 10 year anniversary which showed the thought and care they show to their guests. Our baggage had been delayed and we were really grateful that they were able to launder the clothes we arrived in in a matter of hours so we didn’t need to leave the next day in 3 day old clothes. We also asked for lunch to be brought to our room rather than eaten in the restaurant as we were so exhausted and again this was no trouble. These were small touches but hugely appreciated! The staff were lovely & the food very good too. Only downside is that their card machine wasn’t working so we used quite a few of our dollars early in the trip. They had a lovely gift shop but I was unable to purchase anything due to their card machine not working. The road to the lodge was also an introduction to off-roading! It’s obviously not the lodges fault but be prepared for a bumpy ride!
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Date of stay: September 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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We arrived from Mumbai, India and stayed for 2 nights here, prior to beginning our Tanzanian safari odyssey from Arusha. Lodge is excellent and staff was very helpful and courteous. Location is around 15 mins drive from Arusha airport, but the road condition can really be very, very bad after the rains which makes the drive from JRO to here almost 90 mins.
Fateh was our bulter and his service was excellent & faultless. Food was very tasty, including the buffet salad and soup + salas service for dinner that would come with a choice from a few items from the main course. The room was very nice and tastefully done (there is no electric kettle though) . We had wonderful views of Mt. Meru when the weather cleared. Though you are not really allowed to walk outside, there is decent birding possible and the African Paradise Flycatcher and the Bronze Sunbird found in the lodge grounds were a birder's delight. The curious/gift shop also had quite a few interesting items at reasonable prices
Overall,Olerai Lodge is an excellent option for those who are planning to have a entire lazy day before/after the safari expeditions and want to connect quickly to the Arusha airport for the safari flight in the morning.
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Date of stay: May 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Far from JRO, road is very bad after the rains. Pretty close to Arusha airport. All rooms are...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Good parts: 1) The room is luxuriously furnished and spacious. The bathroom is big and well appointed, with lovely toiletries (coconut lime) and two separate basins. Hot water anytime 2) The resort is set on spacious grounds, and we spotted lots of monkeys there. Each room has a spacious sitout/balcony 3) There is a nice swimming pool (though we didn't use it) 4) Their cook is pretty good, as all our meals were quite tasty
Bad parts 1) Just horrible approach road. I think the roads inside Serengeti were better. The resort is away from the town and accessible only by a gravel road which is just terrible. 2) WiFi only works in the common areas. We were in Bougainvillea room (number 2) and we didn't get ANY wifi signal in our room 3) While hot water is great, but the shower is weak and extremely unsatisfying. After 5 days in the jungle, the first thing you want is a good strong shower. However, the pressure is weaker than some showers we had in jungle camps 4) Being so far from the city meant that we didn't even have 4G signal on Vodacom network (and a weak 2 bar signal on Airtel) . Again, after 5 days in the jungle, we got NONE of the basics of being back in civilization 5) They were reluctant to refill some buffet items. We went for dinner at 2000 (started at 1900) and the pilaf rice was almost out. We didn't feel like scraping the bowl for the small amount left, and the staff made no attempt to refill it. So net, didn't get to eat it
So in summary, the resort does some things great (furnishing the room) but misses on other significant things.
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and I stayed here for 2 nights to start our trip and loved it here! The room was beautiful, with fresh flowers on the bed and a Welcome Back message made from plants when we returned after the first day. There was WiFi in the room (not always the case in other lodges) and the food, especially the breakfast, was delicious. However the best part of all was the staff! They were the friendliest people and very helpful explaining things to us, as well as accommodating when asked for anything. They exceeded our expectations in every way!
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Date of stay: June 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Olerai lodge was the perfect ending to our Safari trip in Tanzania. The pool is refreshing and cleaned frequently, it’s the perfect place to relax. The rooms are spectacularly beautiful and comfortable and have nice big windows, mosquito nets and there is also a service to spray the room. There is lots of places where you can relax in the shade of the grass roofs. The design is stunning. The staff is super friendly and helpful and nice! Everything was great!
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â The road there is a bit bumpy but no worries, a beautiful lodge will await you
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Olerai is a relaxing oasis outside of Arusha. The staff are extremely friendly, with very clean rooms and excellent amenities. The food was excellent, and our favorite experience was the 6pm Sundowner with drinks, fire and comfortable seating. I had the best (and very affordable) massage of my entire life here after a long plane ride. There were plenty of places to charge our electronics and the WiFi was stronger here than any of the other places we stayed. The only thing to note was that our rooms were very warm all day and night, and the electricity goes in and out so the fan was a little sporadic. There is not an option to leave your windows open for fresh air due to the mosquitoes. Otherwise, a very relaxing stay and we would definitely stay here again!
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Date of stay: September 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beautiful spot! The rooms are gorgeous, clean and quiet. The staff is friendly and inviting. Fadhili in the dining room and Hosana the hostess are particularly charming. The gift shop has many lovely items that are made by local artisans in the workshop on site and the prices are very reasonable. They also have an excellent masseuse available. The location is quite far removed from town so if you are looking for a place that is within walking distance of shops and restaurants this wouldn’t do. But if you are looking for a tranquil, relaxing place this is perfect.
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Date of stay: September 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A very nice hotel out of nowhere at the end of a chaotic path. Very nice rooms and bathrooms. Excellent food and breakfast. The very well equipped villas are bathed in a green and quiet park only disturbed by baboons.
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My family and I stayed in Olerai Lodge for one night on arrival into Tanzania prior to commencing our safari. It was the perfect start to our trip. The rooms were huge and tastefully furnished and the whole place had a very luxurious feel. The hospitality from all the staff was second to none and the children were delighted by the sight of monkeys playing in the grounds. What we hadn’t expected was the incredible gastronomic offering-the food was truly delicious. We wished we could have stayed for longer and recommend this lodge without hesitation. And yes- the road on the way in is bumpy but that just adds to the fun and sense of tranquility when you arrive!
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Arusha area.
PRICE RANGE
â‚ą15,364 - â‚ą19,206 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
TanzaniaArusha RegionArusha
NUMBER OF ROOMS
8
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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