Lemala Nanyukie is a recent addition to Lemala’s collection of luxury safari camps, having opened in late 2018. The camp has been designed with modern facilities, its luxurious decor combines with a contemporary safari aesthetic to create a stylish yet comfortable home away from home. The 15 tented suites are situated just outside of the Seronera circuit, overlooking the sweeping savannah grasslands and rocky outcrops where big cats laze on sunny afternoons. Guests can also expect to see herds of wildebeest passing through and grazing within the camp’s grounds during the Great Migration. Between April and June, and November and January, you will be able to enjoy a front-row seat for witnessing this incredible annual parade of wildebeest, zebra and gazelles.
Lemala Nanyukie tented lodge, Tanzania
Lemala Nanyukie is located just outside of the Seronera circuit, in the heart of the Serengeti National Park. The tented accommodations overlook the Serengeti plains and grasslands, and the camp’s proximity to the many rivers of the Serengeti brings in abundant wildlife. Guests can reach Lemala Nanyukie by flying to Seronera Airstrip and then travelling to the camp by car. The drive takes approximately 45 minutes.
- Located within Serengeti National Park
- Rich wildlife viewing opportunities
- Front seat for the Great Migration
- 15 luxury tented suites
- Camp is powered by solar
- Restaurant and bar
- Library
- Swimming pool
- Spa treatments available
- Activities for children
The Standard Tented Suites offer guests a luxurious stay with an oversized bed, spacious bathroom and comfortable living area. Each of the large bedrooms consists of a four-poster double bed, and 5 of the tented suites offer an optional day bed to cater for an additional occupant. The tented suites are raised on wooden decking, allowing guests to enjoy elevated views of the lush grasslands. From your bedroom, you can see out of the sliding doors that lead to your private deck and the sweeping wilderness. Outside, you will find a refreshing plunge pool, comfortable outdoor seating and an outdoor shower. The bathroom also features an indoor shower, large bathtub and twin basins.
The 2 Bedroom Tented Suite is ideal for families and groups of travellers who are staying together as the luxurious lounge area provides a comfy space for guests to converse and catch up, while the 2 bedrooms offer privacy and a peaceful setting to rest and relax. The 2 bedroom suite is similar to the standard tents, but features an additional bedroom. Both rooms include an oversized four-poster bed that faces out towards your extended decking area where you can enjoy elevated views of the lush grasslands and sweeping plains, or take a dip in your private plunge pool. The bathroom consists of a large bathtub, flush toilet, twin basins and both an indoor and outdoor shower. The 2 bedroom suite can cater for up to 6 guests, with the option of a relaxing day bed to make each room a triple.
The Family Suites are identical to the standard suites, but with the option of including additional beds to cater for up to 4 guests. Families can enjoy spending some quality time together in these luxurious suites with private indoor lounges and outside decking areas with seating and a refreshing plunge pool. Share stories about exciting safari moments against the backdrop of the sweeping grasslands and acacia trees. The tents are all generously spaced apart, meaning that guests can enjoy a private stay without any disruptions. The family suites each feature a large bathroom with a luxurious bathtub, double vanity and indoor and outdoor showers.
Guests can enjoy both indoor and outdoor dining at Lemala Nanyukie, with its spacious dining room and outdoor terrace. Both dining areas offer stunning views of the plains and passing wildlife. In the evenings, guests can choose to dine under the stars, surrounded by the warm light of gently glowing lanterns. This romantic setting is ideal for couples looking for an intimate moment to savour together.
Breakfast is served from 6.30 am. Guests can choose to take a picnic out into the bush, or enjoy a hot meal at the camp depending on their plans for the day. Picnic lunches are also available to be enjoyed during a game drive so that guests can spend as much time as possible out and amongst the incredible Serengeti wildlife. Hide from the warm sunshine and indulge in Afternoon Tea on the covered terrace from 3.30 pm, before embarking on your second activity of the day.
Dinner will consist of a three-course meal, featuring local delicacies and traditional cuisine. Lemala’s professional chefs prepared each dish with fresh ingredients and can provide special alternatives for any guests with specific dietary requirements if notified in advance. The a la carte menus are changed every 7 days to offer new culinary experiences and include vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
Venture out on an exciting game drive with Lemala’s professional guides, who receive bi-yearly training, and learn about the amazing animals that live in Serengeti’s wilderness. Witness lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, wildebeest and zebra in their natural habitat from the comfort of a specially designed safari vehicle.
Choose between a range of open, semi-open and closed 4×4 Land Cruisers which are fitted with a range of conveniences, including charging facilities, photography stabilizing bean bags, vehicle recovery equipment, radios, guide books, first aid kits, and binoculars. Serengeti’s incredible wildlife is not just limited to the Great Migration and year-round guests can expect incredible game viewing including the thriving local cheetah population.
Balloon safaris offer guests a chance to have a bird’s eye view of Serengeti National Park and its beautiful meandering rivers. Take in the vast landscape and view the incredible wildlife from above as you follow herds of wildebeest across the plains, float silently over prowling predators and grazing impala without the noises of an engine to disrupt the game, and view Serengeti from an entirely new perspective.
Enjoy a delicious gourmet lunch or dinner against the backdrop of the Serengeti plains. Guests are invited to dine under the shade of a grand acacia tree and relax as your personal butler attends to your needs. Alternatively, you can enjoy a nighttime meal under a canopy of glowing stars. The camp’s chefs will prepare a mouth-watering meal for you as you gaze out of the scenery and listen to the sounds of the wildlife within Serengeti National Park.
Experience pure relaxation as you sit back around a smouldering campfire with a refreshing cocktail in your hand as the sun dips below the horizon, leaving colourful trails in its wake. Enjoy conversing with your fellow travellers while participating in this peaceful African tradition, and admire the stunning landscape as it fades into a twilight silhouette.
Explore the wilderness on foot on a walking safari and get up close to incredible creatures without the disruptive sounds of an engine to scare away the game. Guests can wander the bush with Lemala’s knowledgeable guides and learn about the flora and fauna that live in Serengeti National Park. Nature walks allow guests to focus on the subtler details of a safari, such as identifying animals tracks, and finding smaller species and exotic insects. Sneak up on the game and watch elephants, giraffes and buffalo behaving naturally in their own habitat. Walking safaris are more intimate and allow guests to form a closer connection to the natural world.
Lemala Nanyukie has a range of fun activities to keep children under the age of 12 entertained, allowing parents to take a break and enjoy time together. Lemala Cubs offers young guests the chance to participate in educational and exciting pastimes including learning how to throw blunted spears and how to use a bow and arrow like the ancient Maasai people. Children can also go on walks with Maasai people, where they will hear stories that describe Maasai culture and how people can survive out in the bush, learn to identify a variety of animals and birds and how to track wildlife. These activities also help to educate children about the importance of wildlife and why it must be protected.
All of Lemala’s camps and lodges employ the majority of their staff from the communities in which they operate so that local people are able to find nearby employment in order to help support their families. Lemala has also recruited 9 employees from a homeless shelter in Arusha, giving the young men the opportunity to gain employment and restore their lives. Lemala’s staff are given training so that they can excel in their roles, and receive promotions within the company, broadening their opportunities for the future.
‘Of a workforce of 335 staff, less than 5% are foreigners of which 3% are East Africans. Our Lemala ExCo Team’s Senior Management includes a strong female presence, made up of 6 females and 1 male.’
Lemala Camps and Lodges are working to remove plastic waste from national parks and conservation areas by gathering the waste plastic and storing it in collection bins (made from recycled plastic). The waste plastic is then used to construct school chairs and desks by Dunia Designs, a sustainable company in Arusha. Each of these collection bins can hold approximately 375 – 400 1.5 litre bottles or equivalent, which can be used to make 2 chairs and a desk.
‘The plastic collected from each bin is approx. 10 –15kg of plastic, which would be the weight of the plastic used in the creation of one school desk and 2 chairs, and NOT ending up in a landfill or our wilderness. Keen conservationist Maasai Chief Lobulo is also a keen believer in education. His determination and vision is an inspiration to us all and we at Lemala Camps and Lodges have supported him via our CSR project, money donated by our guests and fundraising through the purchase of these plastic school desk & chair sets to build his first school called Eluway Primary, paying school teachers, providing clean water and education materials.’
Lemala encourages sustainable fishing within the local community by offering significantly higher prices for bigger fish. This results in fishermen catching fewer, larger fish and helps to protect marine populations while offering fishermen a fair price for their work.
‘The fish are purchased directly from the fishermen each morning at market prices ensuring the fisherman gets a fair price for his catch and that the proceeds of his efforts go directly to his family that all live local to Wildwaters.’
Lemala hosts an annual leadership academy for youths aged between 14 and 18, where speakers are invited to talk about their backgrounds, where they have come from and where they are now. This inspires and empowers young people and encourages them to consider career prospects. Lemala also supports a woman’s shelter.
‘Each day we donate something and on the 22nd of the month, the teams deliver in person to Pippi House which provides an empowering, supportive environment for women to seek refuge from the streets.’
Lemala Tented Lodges operate completely off the grid, producing zero emissions except in the event of power loss when they must use a backup generator. Lemala Nanyukie is powered by solar energy, a clean and renewable source that leaves no carbon footprint.
‘Our power plants include a 45Kw plant in Kuria Hills and a 65Kw plant in Mpingo and Nanyukie. We are proud to say that we have saved 150 tons/year of CO2 going into our atmosphere and have to date produced approximately 210 Mwh power/year.’
Lemala Tented Lodges have installed Reverse Osmosis Plants in each of their tented lodges in order to provide clean drinking water and negate the need for plastic water bottles.
‘We have now included state of the art pumps that communicate wirelessly to ensure that the water pressure remains constant. Every drop of water that comes out of the taps has been filtered and passed through a UV light to kill bacteria. In the new system we also constantly circulate the water in the holding tanks to ensure it does not stagnate and in this circulation we pass the water through a UV light.’
The main area at Lemala Ngorongoro includes a new floor entirely constructed from recycled plastic bottles which were mostly collected from Lemala Camps and Lodges. This collaborative project with Dunia Designs has repurposed plastic so that waste plastic does not enter rivers or water sources where it causing irreparable damage to aquatic life. Additionally, Lemala Camps and Lodges do not use any plastic straws.
Lemala Camps and Lodges recycle all waste that can be repurposed in order to prevent pollution and to reduce the amount of rubbish that goes to landfills. In May 2008, the company was the first in Africa to offer guests plastic-free, biodegradable lunch boxes and 30% of the steel that was used in the construction of Lemala Tented Lodges is recycled from scrap metal. Glass bottles are also recycled and used by Shanga, a community project that employs people with disabilities to craft jewellery and glassware out of recycled glass, which can then be purchased from their shop.
Children of all ages are welcome at Lemala Nanyukie