Review: andBeyond Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge, Tanzania

Tucked away, in the greater Serengeti ecosystem, lies a slice of pure safari magic. Right at the banks of the Grumeti river you’ll find the stunning andBeyond Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge, a 10-suite luxury safari retreat that is widely regarded as one of the finest in Tanzania. Reason enough to check it out and see if the rumours are true.

The welcome

The welcome starts even before you make eye contact, as you’ll hear the staff sing when you’re still driving towards the entrance. Once you step out of the vehicle, warm smiles, cold towels and a welcome drink all await. Swiftly you are led to the main area which entails the restaurant, bar, terrace, lounge and tucked away in the corner also a little shop. It’s all very seamless and once you sit down you’ll instantly notice the hippos which are almost motionlessly looking at you from the river.

The room

After a swift and warm welcome we are escorted to our room. As we are travelling with our 2 kids, we’re staying in the family suite. Once you walk in you instantly notice the enormous size and abundance of light that comes in. To the left there’s a bar area with a fully stocked mini-bar, tons of coffee and tea options and all the tools you need to make the perfect afternoon G&T. The dressing is also directly to your left, while straight in front of you there’s a writing desk followed by a massive kingsize bed with a ceiling fan and mosquito nets that wrap all around it in the evenings. In front of the bed you’ll find several chairs to lounge in while reading a book or gazing outside.

A portable bluetooth speaker makes sure that even in the bush you don’t need to miss your favourite tunes. Meanwhile you can take the Swarovski binoculars to scout for any wild animals in the area.

Outside, the suite has a very large terrace with another set of lounge chairs and a plunge pool which instantly got claimed by the kids of course. Not to mention the discussion about who was going to relax on the floating bean bag first!

While to the far left of the suite you’ll have the massive bathroom, on the right there’s a small corridor which leads into a second full scale bedroom with twin beds, a dressing table and a full-size ensuite bathroom. Often family suites are just having a small additional bedroom without any bells and whistles, but not over here, on the contrary. And the best part? It doubles the size of your terrace, giving you tons of outdoor space to relax and enjoy.

There’s only one of these family suites. The 9 other rooms are basically the same, but without the additional bed-and bathroom.

The bathroom

While the design is very open plan, and thus the bedroom and bathroom flow into each other, it can be closed off by a massive curtain that runs the length of the suite. There’s a double sink and a massive mirror against the wall while on the side you’ll find the freestanding bath tub overlooking the bush outside. There’s of course also a massive shower and conveniently placed in the middle of the bathroom area you’ll find this massive pouf which surely comes in handy in the morning when you stumble out of bed and try to find your bearings.

The facilities

Food is a big “make or brake” factor on a safari cause you do spend quite a lot of time at the table. Luckily, at andBeyond Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge you never go hungry. Lavish breakfasts, superb lunches and dinners that always vary. One time you’ll have it around the campfire, the other night you’ll be seated in the dining area of the main building. And due to the small size of the lodge, the staff know exactly what you like, making the service feel effortless and well organised.

The bar area is one of the first things you see when walking into the main area, and because there are so many different seating areas all around, it really lends itself perfectly to hang around a bit and take it all in. In the evenings the campfire will be lit and the circular seating around it is a favourite among many guests.

Even though each suite has its own plunge pool, they still installed a bigger swimming pool just behind the main building. It has the same views over the river as the suites so you won’t miss out on any wildlife that might pass by on the other side. The hippos are omnipresent so consider them a free bonus.

For those looking to be a bit more active, there’s a small gym with all the necessary tools to make sure your heartbeat goes as high as when you saw a lion kill earlier in the day.

The location

The Grumeti area is somewhat of an insiders gem cause the area has very few camps and this results in very few vehicles around you during game drives. One day we went out on a drive for over 6 hours and only saw 1 car in the distance. Now that is true luxury!

Reason why it’s less visited is because it’s more remote and on the western side of Serengeti. The easiest way to get here is to fly from Arusha. The Grumeti airstrip is literally 500 meters away from the lodge, meaning you can board your plane in Arusha and be in the lodge within 90 minutes. Talking about convenience.

This location also allows you to enjoy the great migration without the crowds. In June and July large herds will pass through but even in November and December you might be lucky to see some of the huge wildebeest or zebra herds. The game viewing throughout the year remains superb though, so no matter what time you visit, there’s always a ton of wildlife to be seen.

Other nice touches

For me personally, one of the best surprises is how kids friendly this lodge is, even if they only have 1 family room and thus technically only have 2 kids maximum at any given time. We were here during Halloween and while nobody in the bush cares about this commercial day (let’s call it what it is), our kids dressed up as good or bad as they could. Instantly the staff noticed and within minutes there were carved pumpkins on the table and the staff went above and beyond to make it a special evening for them. Other times they come with a tray of marshmallows, tons of toppings and a few stick, in order for the kids to enjoy themselves at the campfire while mummy and daddy enjoy their nightcap. One day they were invited for some pizza making and baking which was such a success that we ended up leaving on our afternoon game drive with freshly prepped pizzas on the go. You can imagine the smile on their face driving around like a pizza delivery truck in between the animals.

Another thing that really stands out is the staff and their willingness to make your time the best you ever had. No request is too much and the genuine chats we shared with many of them made us feel like we were visiting friends rather than just another lodge.

Cost

Safaris are expensive and when going to one of the top lodges in Tanzania you know it ain’t going to be cheap. Rates for a suite start from around 2.600 USD per night and for the family suites prices start from 4.600 USD. Note that these rates don’t include any of the park or concession fees, but cover all the meals, drinks, game drives and so on. Even your laundry is included.

The best bit

It’s hard to pinpoint just one thing, but the location for sure is incredible, with lots of wildlife all around and the Grumeti river right in front of you, filled to the brim with hippos. This combined with the modern style and design of the lodge, really makes you understand why it is considered among the best in the country.

The final verdict

Yes, it expensive. Yes, it’s quite remote. But….it’s also absolutely worth it. From the level of service to the overall quality of the guides, wildlife, suites and so on, it’s hard to fault it.

Disclosure: Our stay was sponsored by andBeyond Serengeti River Lodge.

Kristof Eyckmans

Kristof Eyckmans is a travel writer from Antwerp, Belgium. He’s been living all across the globe and while he loves wildlife and nature, he can still enjoy a good urban jungle.