Review of One Nature Nyaruswiga Serengeti

Located in the heart of the Serengeti National Park, an area of around 15,000 square kilometres of space, this is the only place on earth where you can still witness the great and ancient migration of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles and elands across the Acacia plains all in search of fresh grass and water. This park was one of the first to be recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site back in 1981, being among those proposed earlier in 1972. It had already been given Protected Area Status in 1940, becoming a National Park in 1951. Whilst protected, it is unfenced unlike other parks, allowing animals the freedom to roam across the savannah and neighbouring country’s borders. 

As for animals, there is a great diversity of wildlife here from over 500 species of birdlife to predators such as hyenas, lions, leopards and cheetahs whilst African elephants amble across the plains looking for trees and leaves to munch on. 

One Nature Nyaruswiga is situated just a 25-minute drive from the Seronera Airstrip. 

Flights transfers can be made via Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) to Arusha Airport (an hour and a half’s drive) and from there, a 45 minute to one hour flight will have you arriving at the Seronera Airstrip. There are direct flights from Dar Es Salaam’s (DAR) Julius Nyerere International Airport to Seronera. 

From Nairobi, there are flights from both Jomo Kenyatta International Airport or from Wilson Domestic Airport, the latter necessitating customs formalities and luggage transfers. These flights will land at one of the international entry points of Tanzania for immigration checks and for visa purchases before carrying onto Seronera. Baggage for these flights is limited to 15 kilograms per passenger for soft-sided duffel bags only.

The 14 beautifully appointed tented suites of One Nature Nyaruswiga have a vintage and opulent feel. There are 12 luxury and two luxury family suites, all under canvas and featuring unobstructed views over the Nyaruswiga plains for as far as the eye can see. Each offers a main space with a bedroom and sitting area with an en-suite bathroom, an outdoor shower and a private sundeck. The family suites offer two bedrooms and two en-suites with a common sitting area and outdoor deck. Eco friendly toiletries and amenities are naturally de riguer here.

With sustainability at its core, One Nature Nyaruswiga has been designed to offer the utmost in modern luxury whilst using only eco-friendly materials and hardwoods. Expect mosquito-netted emperor sized four poster beds with 400 thread count Egyptian linens and a pillow menu offering European goose down pillows of varying firmness; walk in closets; a stunning claw-footed hammered copper bathtub positioned to catch the best views; eco-friendly vanity kits and Molton Brown toiletries; electric personal safes and hairdryers; a wood-burning stove; a vintage desk with stationery and an enclosed bathroom with twin copper vanities to complement the bathtub. The emperor sized bed can be divided into twin accommodation too. 

Both the indoor and outdoor showers feature polished Hansgrohe showerheads whilst the other furnishings are custom made for the resort from leather bars to sustainable hardwoods for the butler tables and side tables. This being a tented hotel, old-fashioned leather trunks are used to good effect for storage and useful coffee tables.

The most social parts of the camp are of course the large and inside/outside guest lounge and the bar. Everything here has been clearly thought about with enough seating for everyone at the camp on comfortable Chesterfields or leather armchairs, styled with objets d’art with a personalised “home away from home” feel, albeit a very high end one. To while away the hours, there are chess sets, backgammon, cards and more lit by gleaming hurricane lamps whilst there is also an array of tempting books to peruse and board games to enjoy with the family. 

For relaxation, there is the two-level swimming pool offering unbeatable views out over the landscape. The upper level has an adjoining Jacuzzi and a waterfall edge, whilst the lower features in-pool loungers to keep cool even in the hottest of temperatures. Happily, there is also a swim up bar close to hand too for added refreshment. 

To soothe tired muscles, in-tent massage and treatments can easily be arranged whilst there is an Astral Observation Deck with a high-powered telescope for scanning the clear, night skies and a Trading Post for souvenirs, accessories and clothing. Guests may also rent a full range of professional DSLR cameras and lenses. 

What everyone is here for of course is to go on safari and One Nature Nyaruswiga, as you might expect, does it in style and comfort with either an open four-seater or a semi-enclosed six-seater luxury safari vehicle kitted out with extra suspension and ergonomically designed Italian leather seating and binoculars for each guest. They also employ some of the best guides in the Serengeti.

When one dreams of Africa, a vast arid savannah with wide open vistas, roaming clusters of wildlife and big skies comes immediately to mind. That vibrant African colour palette is like nowhere else on earth and this impeccably realised ultra-luxury camp is the perfect accompaniment, serviced by friendly, smiling and efficient personnel.

It is clear that the owners have gone that extra kilometre to ensure that sustainability is married up with luxury with all the materials used in the creation of the resort being both eco-friendly and of the highest quality of custom craftsmanship. There is even a state-of-the-art laundry here using eco principles and a solar farm, for goodness’s sake.

With sustainability at the core of One Nature Hotels & Resorts, One Nature Nyaruswiga is committed to offering sustainable luxury amidst nature’s beauty under the mantra – one people, one planet, one nature. They hope that by showing their guests how to live comfortably yet ethically on the earth, they will go on to be environmental and conservation advocates in their own right. I would say that they have easily delivered on this and more with any guest bound to be transformed by staying here – they’ve well and truly nailed sustainable luxury at this intimate outpost.

The Main Guest Dining Area offers both indoor and outdoor tables with sweeping unobstructed views over the Nyaruswiga plains. There is a certain silver service formality to the décor with custom commissioned furnishings, deep piled rugs and designer objets d’art coupled with high end tableware. A highlight of the room is an original 300-year-old map of Africa created for Sir Isaac Newton. Expect a menu of African signature dishes and international favourites, created from locally grown organic produce enlivened with Tanzanian herbs and spices. 

The well-stocked Bar offers a menu of innovative cocktails and classic drinks alongside premium alcohol and wines, served alongside delicious amuse bouches. For those coffee lovers who cannot do without their daily cup, there is even a top-of-the-line Victoria Arduino hand-hammered coffee machine sitting on the counter. 

Even in the middle of the plains, you will find a range of the finest cigars in the cigar lounge abutting the main guest lounge. With the tent’s walls rolled up on both side, this is the perfect place to relax and have a smoke accompanied by a glass of two of the finest XO rum or cognac.

The entire ethos of One Nature Nyaruswiga is about eco-tourism, sustainability, conservation and community. Their electricity is powered by a Solar Farm whilst the resort’s water is purified and conserved by the camp’s own reverse osmosis water treatment system. All the packaging is recyclable and the Molton Brown toiletries are offered in re-usable containers – care is taken here to ensure that their footprint is light upon the earth. 

As far as is possible, they source all their dining ingredients locally with fresh organic produce grown nearby. 

The owners have established a One Nature Hotels Foundation to protect the environment and the communities who live in the area with three key areas – conservation, sustainability and community. They have been actively supporting the Serengeti De-Snaring Programme to prevent animal poaching and provide financial support for groups advocating the elimination of wildlife poaching. They also support tree planting initiatives, believing they are caretakers rather than owners of the land. 

As their business relies on keeping the region and wildlife safe from environmental and malicious damage, the Foundation is committed to conserving the wild areas and to implementing any measure that will offset their carbon footprint. They also believe in mutually beneficial partnerships with the local communities and businesses to boost the local economy and preserve the communities’ cultural integrity. This might include augmenting incomes by silk farming and beekeeping or initiating solar power initiatives in schools. 

Since 2016, they have funded 500 projects and supported 100 causes.