Grumeti Serengeti, Tanzania
Price
$$$$
Rated for
Design Luxe ResortOutside the door
The house
SingitaEdwardian safari manor
Life here runs like a country estate, with dinners on fine china and billiards after tracking wildlife across the plains.
“Sasakwa has been imagined as an Edwardian manor house, albeit one in the middle of the Serengeti’s 350,000-acre Singita Grumeti Reserve.”
What it’s good at
Remarkable
Edwardian manor styling with parquet floors and verandas overlooking the Serengeti savannah.
Remarkable
Dedicated Tanzanian field guides, private hosts, and safari storytelling in the library.
Notable
An on-site equestrian centre complements two private bush tennis courts overlooking the reserve.
What they say
Also in Condé Nast Traveler, The 50 Discovery and AFAR.
The flagship (with roaring stone lions at the entrance to remind you) is Sasakwa Lodge, which has possibly the best viewing point in East Africa: up on a plateau.
Tucked away
A place apart: the property is the destination.
Sasakwa Hill overlooks 350,000 acres of private reserve, along the corridor where the Great Migration crosses the western Serengeti.
1 of 8
The rooms
Each cottage has an open fireplace and a veranda plunge pool, with a spotting scope aimed at the wildlife below.
The pool
Bring a swimsuit.
The main infinity pool stretches along the hilltop lawn, looking out over the vast plains of the reserve.
Spa and tennis
Two red-clay courts overlook the savannah, and spa therapists use carved Swahili mwarobaini wood tools on private decks.
At the table
Chefs cook in an open interactive kitchen, and evening tables are set across the lawn under hurricane lanterns.
The grande dame of the reserve, Sasakwa Lodge, boasts luxury cottages, a spa, a wine cellar, dining room, a bar and lounge, a billiards room, a conservatory, and even an equestrian center.
How it began
Paul Tudor Jones built the manor as a private home after converting the surrounding hunting concessions into a protected wildlife sanctuary.
Serengeti
More like this
Singita Milele
“Hilltop savanna redoubt”
Mwiba Lodge
“Boulder-perched safari lodge”
Singita Sabora
“Pared-back safari camp”
The app
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.