Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge

What better way to unwind after a safari (or get ready for one!) than sitting on your private plantation-style veranda sipping a drink while looking out over verdant coffee bushes.

Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge, on the foothills of Mt Meru near Arusha, is a great place to soak in Tanzania at its best. The atmosphere is relaxed, yet attentive, and the gardens are large. Lunch is served in these gardens every day, dinner is an a la carte dining experience, and if you’d like more flexibility, there is an all-day bistro and bar. 

The lodge’s main area, built around the original landowner’s home that dates back to the 1900s, is an oasis of calm, however, should you want to make the most of it, there is plenty to do here. As well as the swimming pool, cafe and pizza area, there is a lovely collection of boutiques on the property, called Trader’s Walk a destination in itself.

Aside from the authentic African cuisine restaurant called Jikoni, our favourite shop here is the Shanga glass recycling project. This is dedicated to supporting and empowering community members with disabilities, giving them a source of income but also, a sense of value and contribution in a country with sadly little support for them otherwise. Children in particular will enjoy a visit to the Shanga workshop to watch the heated, coloured glass being blown into a variety of items from elegant tableware such as water jugs, to fantastical animals. Shanga can ship worldwide, if something too large for hand luggage takes your fancy! 

From this base in Arusha, should you have time, Mt Meru and Arusha National Park (well worth a visit) can be explored on a day trip, as can a local Masai market, the Museum of National History, and even a Tanzanite gemstone boutique, should you wish to take a priceless piece of Tanzania home with you.