Africa Amini Life Maasai Lodge

Beautifully decorated mud-huts house the kitchen and dining area, while a stone patio provides spectacular views towards the mountains, and the fire-pit has some huge wooden stumps for chairs. Furniture is handcrafted by the Maasai, mostly from cow hide and local wood, with splashes of colourful fabric. A large, rim-flow pool is surrounded by thatched lapas and sun-loungers, as well as a bio-sauna. Lodge gardens sprout fresh, organic vegetables, and are also home to some beehives and a chicken run.

There's something unusual about a mud hut with a solar panel atop its thatched roof. But the reality is that this is a perfect marriage between rural Africa and western developments. The ten traditional huts are kept spotlessly clean and have up-market double or twin beds, shelving, a wooden table and a balcony or patio. En-suite bathrooms have modern rain-showers, a flushing toilet and complimentary toiletries. All the rooms are adorned with vibrant artwork and local fabrics.

Local activities include fun spear-throwing competitions and donkey rides. Guides will happily take you on a walk through the reserve, sharing their knowledge of native medicinal plants and herbs, show you how their community philosophy and practice of permaculture works, or take you to visit the local school. Both Mount Kilimanjaro and Arusha National Parks are close by (10 miles), and although wildlife is not as dense here as in other Tanzanian parks, there are much fewer tourists and the experience is more intimate. Elephants, buffalo, zebra and giraffe are commonly seen, and the views are sensational. Day trips to the parks are at extra cost.