Kigongoni Lodge

Paintbrushes must have been soaked in sunshine to get the colour of Kigongoni's main area – a cheerful palette that's offset perfectly by the thatched roof and wooden floors. The delightful crew will attend to your comfort throughout the main area, with its series of interlinked rooms housing the dining area and lounge-cum-bar. The lounge is furnished with leather sofas, a piano and a stone-clad hearth. Outside, prettily overgrown pathways wind through the extensive gardens, and there's a secluded pool.

The 18 rooms scattered across the grounds are reached via stone pathways that wind through the lush, well-tended wild garden. Built using both traditional and modern techniques, they have thatched roofs, concrete walls and sealed concrete floors, which combine to keep things cool in summer. The rooms are spacious, with four-poster beds in either twin or queen-sized configurations, and mosquito netting. All have outdoor furnished patios, and en-suite bathrooms with bathtubs and rainfall shower heads with excellent pressure.

For most travellers, Kigongoni will be little more than a stopover en route to Tanzania's wilder treasures, although its natural charms may tempt you to linger. Occupying 70 hectares in the charming, semi-rural outskirts of busy Arusha, the lodge is reached via orange dirt roads. It's surrounded by other farms and signs of village life: colourful washing lines, kids playing soccer, chickens and pigs. Soak up the serenity, enjoying a good book by the pool, delicious meals and fabulous staff.