- At the edge of Serengeti National Park sits TAASA, a luxury safari lodge.
- A night in one of the 540-square-foot canvas tents costs $985 a person.
- Beyond luxury amenities, the staff and off-road game drives were highlights of TAASA.
As the Toyota Land Cruiser begins its trek up to TAASA Lodge in the northern part of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, the sound of voices grows louder and louder.
Moments earlier, rattling glass soda bottles and creaky car noises drowned out surrounding bird calls and the rumbles from passing African bush elephants.
Now, all ears are on sing-songy voices and the distant beat of the drum.
As the faces of the singers come into view, their lyrics become clear: “Jambo. Jambo bwana. Habari gani? Mzuri sana.”
While words like jambo — a Swahili greeting — were familiar, others were new to me.
Later, TAASA’s lodge manager, May Simon, translated the song and shared why the lodge staff greets all visitors with the popular melody.
The beginning of the “Jambo Bwana” song translates to, “Hi, sir. How are you? Very fine. Visitors are welcome in our country. No worries.”
But Simon said its meaning extends far beyond words.
“It’s about the love,” Simon said. “It brings joy and makes you smile.”
Ultimately, she said, it’s the lodge staff’s way of welcoming you home.
And after spending just two nights at the luxury lodge, TAASA quickly felt like home.
The luxury lodge sits at the edge of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park
TAASA sits in a game reserve near the northern edge of the Serengeti, overlooking Tanzania’s Lobo Valley.
The lodge itself has 12 canvas tents, each 540 square feet.
The small space is simple yet luxurious. At the front of the tent is a living area with a desk and an L-shaped couch. Two steps lead to an elevated bedroom area with a king-sized mattress sandwiched by nightstands. Behind the bed is the tent’s bathroom with a two-sink vanity, shower, and toilet.
Throughout the space, natural elements like a wooden chandelier and stone shower remind guests of the natural world.
Guests are paired with a butler who coordinates schedules, serves meals, cleans laundry, and tidies rooms. Mikindo woke me up each morning with a cappuccino and left a hot water bottle in my bed each night.
At their core, the accommodations are still tents, which was a positive in my mind. It meant I still felt in tune with nature every moment I spent in the room. I fell asleep to the roars of nearby lions, and one afternoon, I watched a family of baboons use my patio like a playground and my tent supports like a fireman’s pole.
In addition to the 12 identical tents, there is a main lodge where meals are served and unlimited drinks are poured.
Here, the space oozes warmth. Comfy couches are the ideal places to sip gin and tonics and share game drive photos. Outside sits a small infinity pool overlooking the valley and a shared bonfire that provides warmth during chilly evenings.
During this year’s high season, which is from June through October and the end of December, a night at TAASA Lodge in a shared tent costs $985 per person. This includes three meals a day, house beverages, laundry services, game drives, a visit to a nearby Maasai village, and transfers to and from the nearby airstrip. For 2025, nightly rates are $1,060 per person.
Additionally, guests pay a TAASA concession fee, a 1% tourism development levy, government taxes, and Serengeti National Park fees, which total around $150 per person a night. Business Insider received a media rate for the two-night stay.
I spent two days spotting Tanzania’s wildlife
While it was tempting to spend mornings sipping coffee on my tent’s veranda or afternoons lounging near the pool, the true highlight of TAASA is its game drives.
The lodge sits near three ecosystems: the Serengeti National Park, the Maasai Mara National Reserve, and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
For two full days, Logolie Milya guided me on game drives alongside tracker Sam.
This was my first lodge during my seven-night trip in the Serengeti, and I failed to realize how spoiled I was at TAASA.
Since it sits in a game reserve, not a national park, we could off-road and see animals up close and personal in our open-sided vehicles. One morning, we approached a male and female lion lounging in the sun; that afternoon, we watched a leopard carry its kill into the branches of a kigelia tree.
What I didn’t see were many other game vehicles. For major sightings — like a black rhino or our leopard spotting — Milya would call in the location to other guides, which meant two or three vehicles might pull up for the viewing. Beyond that, we were solo for the vast majority of the trip.
Later, when I stayed at a lodge in central Serengeti, I learned how intimate my TAASA viewings were. In the more populated parts of the national park, my guide and I would join crowds of 12-plus vehicles for a cheetah spotting or sit in a line of Range Rovers waiting for a chance to see a leopard.
The advantages of staying at TAASA continued as the sun set. In Serengeti National Park, night game drives aren’t permitted. But since TAASA isn’t in the park, you can track animals into the evening.
Night game drives are an entirely different experience. Sam sat at the front of the vehicle with a large light, scanning the distance for eyes and animals. We spotted two lions on the move — a drastic change from the lazy, lounging lions we had watched earlier in the afternoon. Beyond that, nighttime offered a completely different view of the bush with unfamiliar sounds and shapes.
After two nights, TAASA felt like home
At the end of each game drive, I was welcomed back to the lodge with the same melody and familiar faces.
Mikindo was always there to greet me with a cool towel and a refreshing drink. But beyond that, Mikindo became a smiling face eager to hear about the giraffe I spotted crossing the Mara River and dive into stories about his family and childhood.
I spent days with Milya and Sam, sharing anecdotes, laughing, and asking endless questions. Milya shared insight into how his childhood growing up in a Maasai village equipped him with the instincts and knowledge to be a guide. Sam told stories about his brothers and sisters who live in the nearby Ololosokwan village.
Simon said her goal as the lodge manager is to “always try to make sure guests leave with a memory. Try to capture their hearts.”
As I left TAASA, I found myself stuck singing “Jambo Bwana” throughout the rest of my Tanzania trip. I whispered the words to myself on game drives and woke up to the lyrics in my mind some mornings.
With those words came images of TAASA — the welcoming staff, the adrenaline-inducing game drives, and the serene landscapes.
