Two hours from Arusha, Chem Chem Lodge sits alone on a 50,000-acre private concession bridging Tarangire and Lake Manyara — a working wildlife corridor that elephants, big cats and Maasai cattle still cross daily. There is no park gate, no queue and no other lodge: the land, and everything that moves across it, is yours.
This is the pioneer of the "slow safari" — and a Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice 2024 "Best Resorts in the World" winner — where mornings are spent on foot with a walking guide, flamingo-pink sundowners happen on the Manyara lakeshore, and afternoons are allowed to simply unfold. That makes it the single best first stop on a northern Tanzania circuit: you land at Kilimanjaro, decompress here for two nights, and arrive in the Serengeti already in rhythm with the bush.
This is where we send guests who ask us for the Tanzania nobody rushes through — the slow safari between Tarangire and Manyara. It sets the tone for everything that follows.
— Evance & JenniferChem Chem also has two smaller sister camps on the same private land — Little Chem Chem and the exclusive-use Forest Chem Chem. Ask us which suits you.
You never pay more than booking direct — usually less. And everything around the lodge is handled.
As a trade partner we access preferred rates and seasonal offers the lodge doesn’t always publish — you’ll never pay more than booking direct. And a lodge can only sell you its own beds; we build the journey around it: international flights, the right nights, and where you go next.
A private car waiting at Kilimanjaro airport, light-aircraft hops timed to the Serengeti, and a guide who already knows your name. Book direct and the gaps between lodges become your problem; book with us and there are none.
Our Tanzanian-born team has walked this concession. We know which suites face the marsh, when the elephants come through, and how many nights Chem Chem actually needs — so nothing about your stay is generic.
A missed flight, a weather delay, a change of heart mid-trip — you contact one person, and we re-arrange everything behind the scenes. The lodge looks after you on property; we look after the whole journey.
Epic luxury safaris and just magical. I was referred by a friend in the USA — Evance customized our trip beautifully, the accommodation was first class and our guide so professional. Will definitely be back.
50,000 acres (20,000 ha) of the Burunge Wildlife Management Area between Tarangire and Lake Manyara, with no other lodges — off-road driving, night drives and walking, all forbidden inside the national parks.
Chem Chem’s signature: tracking big game on foot with a professional walking guide, ending at a bush table set with chilled champagne.
Tarangire’s great herds move through the corridor daily, the Manyara region is famous for its tree-climbing lions, and sundowners on the lake shore come with flamingos in the foreground.
The concession exists because neighboring Maasai communities lease the land — visits here are relationships, not performances.
Eight air-conditioned 100 m² suites — lava stone, canvas and wood — with freestanding tubs, indoor and outdoor showers, butler service and private verandahs, plus a pool and the Amani Spa.
Widely spaced suites, private dinners under the baobabs or the stars, sundowners on the Manyara shore and a spa — the romantic first stop of a Tanzania honeymoon before the Serengeti.
A dedicated family suite (two tents joined by a wooden bridge — up to 2 adults and 3 children), flexible mealtimes and Maasai-led activities for kids. Note: young children share with an adult, and bush walks are reserved for older children and adults.
Stays include full board with house wines and beers, a private Chem Chem guide and vehicle for the concession and Tarangire, laundry, and signature activities like Maasai tracking and the baobab bush breakfast.
The lodge that made walking its trademark — easy, well-guided walks on private land where walking is actually allowed, from sunrise runs with Maasai warriors to the champagne bush walk.
June–October for dry-season elephant herds; January–March for green season, calving and lower rates. The lodge closes annually from 1 April to 14 May.
2–3 nights (a 2-night minimum applies), ideally your first stop after landing at Kilimanjaro.
Slots naturally into day 1–3 of a northern circuit: Arusha → Chem Chem → Ngorongoro Crater → Serengeti.
Continue west for a dawn descent to the crater floor — the natural next stop, three hours on.
Explore Ngorongoro Crater →Fly from the Manyara airstrip to a migration camp — we time the camp to where the herds are in your month.
Explore The Serengeti →Finish on the Indian Ocean — 90 minutes by air from the bush to a barefoot villa on the north coast.
Explore Zanzibar →Tell us when you want to go and what matters most to you — the animals, the food, the quiet. We’ll design your private, bespoke luxury Tanzania safari around Chem Chem Lodge and take care of everything in between. No pressure, ever.
Plan your safari