Little Chem Chem lies out the outskirts of a lush acacia forest, overlooking the tranquil waters of Lake Burunge. The camp’s position within its own private concession, adjacent to the Tarangire National Park, means that guests can look forward to abundant wildlife sightings, including the large volume of elephants within the local area. With towering baobabs scattered around the camp, the meandering Tarangire River, and the backdrop of the striking Babati mountain range, you will be able to enjoy endless beautiful views in a peaceful and relaxing environment. Enjoy exclusive game drives in the private concession, and look out for lions, cheetahs and leopards as they laze in the warm sunshine. Little Chem Chem consists of 6 luxurious vintage tents and guests are free to enjoy a private and personal safari experience, or to gather around the campfire at night, making new friends and swapping exciting safari stories over a glass of wine.
Little Chem Chem, Kwa Kuchinia, Tanzania
Little Chem Chem is situated within the Southeast region of the Burunge Wildlife Management Area, surrounded by 16,000 hectares of private and protected wilderness. At Little Chem Chem, guests can admire the diverse landscape, featuring the stunning Lake Burunge, the Tarangire River, grand baobab trees and the distant peaks of the Babati mountain range.
Guests can reach Little Chem Chem by flying Kilimanjaro International Airport and driving to the camp, taking approximately 3 and a half hours, or by travelling to Arusha Airport or Lake Manyara Airport which are both a 90-minute drive from Chem Chem Lodge. Alternatively, guests can fly to Kuro Airstrip and enjoy a 2 and a half – 4-hour game drive through Tarangire National Park, or take a private charter to Chem Chem Airstrip, which is just a 10-minute drive from Little Chem Chem.
- Picturesque views of Lake Burunge and the Tarangire Hills
- Located within a private concession
- Close proximity to Tarangire National Park
- Rich wildlife viewing opportunities
- Abundance of birdlife
- 6 luxury tents
- Private and communal dining
- Relaxing spa treatments
- Complimentary wi-fi
Little Chem Chem features 5 Luxury Vintage Tents which are located on the eastern side of the concession. Each of the spacious rooms consists of either a plush king-size bed or two twins, an elegant rocking chair, a study desk and a dressing room with a vanity area. En-suite bathrooms feature a flush toilet and both indoor and outdoor showers. Guests will be provided with dressing gowns, slippers and Molton Brown toiletries.
Enjoy your stay in a relaxing haven, spaced apart from the other guests and surrounded by open wilderness. Sit out on your private verandah and watch the towering silhouettes of giraffes and elephants as they wander across the horizon. Each tent also has a private fire pit where guests can huddle together once the sun goes down and the twinkling stars begin to emerge.
Little Chem Chem’s Luxury Family Tent features 2 bedrooms, one with a sprawling king-size bed and the other with two twins. An additional camp bed can be provided to cater for a total of 2 adults and 3 children. Each of the rooms has its own dressing room with a vanity area and en-suite facilities. The bathrooms both contain a flush toilet and shower, with an additional outdoor shower. Guests will be provided with dressing gowns, slippers and Molton Brown toiletries.
Enjoy some quality time with your family in a picturesque setting and without the distractions of everyday life. Sit out together on your private verandah and watch the passing wildlife against the backdrop of the Burunge Lake and Babati mountains. Each tent also has a private fire pit where you and your family can gather and reflect on the fun activities of the day.
Greet the morning sun with a fresh cup of tea or coffee and some delicious seed biscuits before enjoying a selection cereals, fruit and pastries from the breakfast buffet. You can choose to eat breakfast in your room or in the communal dining tent. Then, on returning from your first activity of the day, enjoy a three-course lunch under the shade of the acacia trees. Finish the day off with a mouth-watering dinner, chosen from Little Chem Chem’s a la carte menu. Select delicious starters and main courses that celebrate traditional Tanzania cuisine before ending the night with a sweet dessert and refreshing beverage.
Embark on an exciting game drive to either the Little Chem Chem Concession or Tarangire National Park, and learn about the amazing animals that there. Guests will have the chance to view lions, leopards, cheetah, elephants, buffalo, wildebeest and zebra in their natural habitat from the comfort of an open 4×4 safari vehicle, and can take the opportunity to learn about these incredible creatures from Chem Chem’s expert guides.
The Little Chem Chem Concession is open for both morning and afternoon game drives, and guests hoping to visit Tarangire can choose between a full-day or half-day trip which picnic breakfast and lunches at a secluded private spot. Tarangire is home to many giants, including elephants and ancient baobab trees, and offers a wondrous experience for visitors.
Sit back and enjoy a refreshing drink as the sun sinks down towards the horizon, leaving trails of blazing colour in its wake which are reflected in the calm waters of Lake Burunge. Watch as the birds swoop across the sky, searching for a place to roost, and the stars begin to emerge from above. Lakeside sundowners are an ideal way to finish off a brilliant day of exploring and learning about Tanzania’s incredible wildlife.
Start the day with a gentle walk with Little Chem Chem’s professional field guides who will teach you to recognise animals tracks and follow clues in the bush that lead to exciting game sightings. Wander under the shade of the giant baobab trees and watch as the local wildlife passes by, and predators slink off to find a place to snooze before the hottest time of day. Get up close, within 15 metres, to the incredible animals that live out in the wilderness, including elephants, zebras, giraffes, and lions.
Visit a local school, supported by the Chem Chem Association, and meet the young pupils learning there. Join them for a day of inciteful lessons, for both them and you, and maybe even teach a class yourself. Guests may also participate in a game of football, learn traditional African songs and dances, and discover what it is like growing up in Tanzania.
Little Chem Chem offers a range of fun activities for young explorers, such as building recyclable footballs, visiting a local school and decorating safari-themed cupcakes. Most exciting of all, children can learn bush skills from the Maasai warriors and practise making a campfire, using a bow and arrow and throwing spears. These activities allow young travellers from the age of 8 to forge incredible memories, learn new skills and give parents some time off.
Set off early and witness the start of a new day as you climb the hills that divide Little Chem Chem and Forest Chem Chem from their big sister, Chem Chem Lodge. One of Chem Chem’s professional guides will lead you across the grasslands as you admire the rising sun, bringing a vibrant glow to the landscape. Gaze across the protected land and appreciate both how beautiful the wilderness is and why it is worth saving.
Balloon safaris offer guests a chance to have a bird’s eye view of the vast plains, and take in the stunning Tarangire ecosystem from above. Drift over the tops of the giant baobab trees and view enormous elephants from above. Guests can enjoy floating silently over prowling predators and grazing impala without the noises of an engine to disrupt the game. Watch dramatic shadows shift across the plains as the sun rises higher in the sky, and take in unique sights over the course of this hour-long flight.
The Chem Chem Association works to prevent human conflict with wildlife which can be damaging to both animals and humans and result in the destruction of lives. Frustrated herders and farmers can be driven to retaliating and killing predators in order to protect their livestock. Additionally, crops can be trampled or attacked by elephants, damaging the livelihoods of local villagers. Without a source of income, families suffer as they cannot provide necessities for themselves and their children.
‘By supplying predator-proof bomas that protect livestock against predators, monitoring lion movements and persuading elephants back into the reserve, we are working to prevent the damaging clash between people and animals. We have planned for future projects in all our conflict areas such as building more predator-proof bomas, establishing education programs that will teach children that peaceful coexistence with our wildlife heritage is achievable and expanding our Lion Sentinel programme, to strengthen and extend our initiatives in preventing the damaging clash between people and animals.’
By helping to prevent this conflict, Chem Chem is protecting both wildlife and local people, as well as educating communities about finding harmonious solutions.
The Chem Chem Association works to support the local communities in the Tarangire region by providing education and career opportunities to villagers, as well as much-needed resources. Chem Chem has been supporting a number of schools in some of the villages, and also donated a bus that collects children in remote locations, making it easier for them to get to school. Chem Chem offers English courses for youth and women, broadening their education and opening new opportunities. They have also added a Marketplace Literacy course to teach women about starting their own business enterprise where they would be able to generate a self-sufficient income and provide for their families.
‘We hope to give as many people as possible an equal chance to expand their knowledge and skills in order to amplify their opportunities. Our intention is to expand our reach to include all 10 villages across the WMA, bringing as many people as we can, enhanced support in all areas of education, and improved living conditions.’
Chem Chem tackles the issue of illegal poaching with their antipoaching initiative which focuses on training rangers to protect targeted animals, the removal of traps and snares, and providing the equipment and manpower needed to monitor and guard the wildlife.
‘The Tarangire-Manyara Ecosystem has become a refuge for elephants, a place where they can be safe from the cruelty and the wanton destructiveness of poaching. It now supports not only the largest concentrations of elephants in Tanzania, but also the highest numbers of big tuskers of Tanzania. We conduct joint anti-poaching initiatives with government agencies and coordinate them throughout the ecosystem with intelligence-led operations. These operations are not only undertaken in order to protect wildlife against poaching for ivory and items traded on the black market, but also against the destructive practice of bushmeat poaching. Future projects we have planned include undertaking aerial patrols and training anti-poaching teams in state-of-the-art techniques.’
Chem Chem also runs research projects in order to monitor wildlife populations and to learn more about them. This is crucial in protecting wildlife as it helps them to understand what measures need to be put in place to better ensure the safety of each species living within the concession.
Children aged 8 years and over are welcome at Little Chem Chem