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The Vijiji Center Lodge & Safari

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Traveller (289)
Room & Suite (40)
Dining (36)

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About

#6 of 41 guest houses in Arusha
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Make The Vijiji Center Lodge & Safari your safari headquarters. We offer traditional African-style meals and accommodations - and safari too - all at reasonable rates! We're a small, family-owned lodge located just minutes from Arusha and within easy reach of Kilimanjaro International Airport. We have 12 spacious guest rooms in built in a traditional "banda" style and we've just added 8 new contemporary-style rooms overlooking the pool, and new banda specially designed with families in mind. All rooms have a private bathroom with shower, a sitting area, in room coffee and tea and an outdoor patio. We have a full-service restaurant and dining room, a lounge, beautifully landscaped gardens, and a swimming pool, all on two fully-fenced, secure acres. There's free Wifi too. We also offer one day and multi-day safaris to the national parks, cultural tourism and outdoor activities in and around Arusha. Let our family welcome yours. Karibu sana!
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Pool
Free breakfast
Bicycle rental
Hiking
Airport transportation
Baggage storage
Wifi
Outdoor pool
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Snack bar
Special diet menus
Shuttle bus service
Gift shop
Mosquito net
Shared lounge / TV area
Sun terrace
Laundry service
Ironing service
Shoeshine
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Room features
Housekeeping
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
3.0 of 5 stars
HOTEL STYLE
Quaint
Charming
Hotel links
Special Price:25% off room rate
218Reviews7Q+A24Room tips
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GeorgiaBirdGirl wrote a review Feb 2024
ATL278 contributions100 helpful votes
+1
The warm, welcoming staff is the heart of this establishment. Each member works hard to make sure your stay is a pleasant one. Loved staying in the garden cottages - the well-tended landscaping is delightful. The restaurant and bar staff were the best - even serenaded one of our friends to celebrate her birthday. Asante sana for an unforgettable stay.
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Imman C wrote a review Dec 2023
1 contribution
I really like the place, the rooms are nice the garden also, good food and good hospitality. It really peaceful and calm there. The place is a little bit out of town, so it's the best place to calm down after long trips at daytime. Vijiji is my best place to stay any time when I visit Arusha!!
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Dike Mike wrote a review Sept 2023
Arusha, Tanzania1 contribution
We stay here on Friday I and among of my friends from Arusha And I can say this is not the way we expected. First" Although we are resident guests you should treated us like other guest People here are not friend the Man at the bar is like we force him to bring us drinks and meal we order some drinks but it take one hour for delivernce he live us like he didn't want us there. Second ' The dog at the Restaurant his roaming around Everytime we order Food from Outside the hotel because they told us no any food is available at the moment then the dog was disturbing us until we call for help from the Other guy who was there . And last I went to pay bill at the bar they don't have chench until he went outside from the small shop and they bring to us and that take more than 30min. I can't recommend this to anyone the hotel is horrible 😕.
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Bill S wrote a review Jun 2023
1 contribution
My friend and I enjoyed a great stay and safari with Vijiji! From the beautiful gardens to the great local food to the comfortable beds and the very helpful staff, our stay was very relaxing... and the safari was a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Our excellent and knowledgeable guide Suma was amazing, and we saw lions lounging in trees, majestic herds of elephants and giraffes, spunky warthogs, and so many more beautiful creatures and landscapes... even a baby rhino! We also did several day trips such as the stunning hike at the Shira Plateau and a village walk. Highly recommended!
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Date of stay: April 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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lynnsie2015 wrote a review Jun 2023
Vernon, Canada7 contributions4 helpful votes
We were on the 9 day safari which took us to Tarangire park, Ngorongoro conservation area and the Serengeti. Our experiences were well beyond anything I could have imagined. Not just the diversity of the animals but the sheer numbers that we saw were amazing. The accommodation on the safari was excellent - the tents were well set up and comfortable and the food was mostly top notch. We stayed a few days at Vijijicenter as well. The grounds are beautiful and relaxing and the staff are amazing - friendly and helpful. We were in one of the small huts which could use a bit if upgrading. The shower just had a small curtain separating it from the toilet area so the entire floor was covered in water. Perhaps one of those long handled squeegees would have helped. The rooms could also use additional seating (only one chair in our room). Thanks Sandra, Suma. and Amos for a truly once in a lifetime experience.
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Date of stay: February 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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JTravels wrote a review Jun 2023
Kelowna, Canada32 contributions4 helpful votes
+1
My stay and safari with Vijiji were great and made for the experiences of a lifetime! From the beautiful gardens to the excellent food, the facilities were relaxing and enjoyable and the staff were wonderful and helpful. Our safari with our fantastic guide Suma was incredible - from lions in trees to hippos to majestic elephants - and even a baby rhino - we saw amazing wildlife. Highly recommended!
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Date of stay: April 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Cori K wrote a review Feb 2023
3 contributions1 helpful vote
We spent several days at Vijiji Centre itself and we also went on an amazing nine day safari planned for us by Sandra. To say we were well looked after is an understatement! Sandra arranged everything for us and we had a worry free trip. Vijiji is like a little tropical garden/jungle with bush babies, tortoises and more. The food that Baraka prepares is delicious! You may want to bring bigger clothes as you definitely don't go hungry. Everyone at Vijiji is so friendly and so ready to help with anything you may need; to answer your questions or just have a chat and teach you some of the local words or sayings. There are so many day trips that you can do directly from Vijiji and the staff will help you organize them and make sure everything goes smoothly. Even just walking from the lodge to the local market and doing a tour of the town with Jimmy was so informative. Amos, Suma and Sandra did an outstanding job with the safari from Vijiji! We were treated so well and they were all so informative about all aspects of the people, country and wildlife! It was so much fun! We laughed and learned so much! We can't thank Sandra and all the amazing staff at Vijiji enough for gifting us with such wonderful memories and adventures of Africa!
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Date of stay: February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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LK wrote a review Feb 2023
1 contribution
+1
I spent 4 nights at the Vijiji Centre Lodge & Safari in Arusha. On the day of departure I would have liked to spend more days in this wonderful place. The location outside the busy city center is very good and allows one to really relax and make quick trips to local attractions and markets. The Lodge is beautiful and resemble a small garden of Eden with very nice planting that attracts bushbabies & birds. The place is too beautiful & the team too friendly and helpful to just disappear from there to the national parks. I would definitely plan extra time to experience the local life and small ventures like a coffee tour, the local markets, … Or just to enjoy the hospitality of the whole team, the fantastic food and the pool. Thank you very much for the hospitality. The team & owner at Vijiji Centre will let me remember me great stay in best memories. Asante Sana!
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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M S wrote a review Dec 2022
Hamilton, Canada31 contributions54 helpful votes
Sandra and the staff are so welcoming and friendly! Amazing way to experience the culture of the area. Food was awesome, the gardens beautiful and the rooms have everything you need! Highly recommend the village tour and coffee farm tour - not only informative but lots of fun! Jimmy and Richard do a fabulous job with the tour!
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Sandra Peacock, Owner at The Vijiji Center Lodge & Safari
Responded 10 Jan 2023
Asanteni sana - many thanks - for your kind review. We are always happy when guests decide to spend a few extra days with us to explore our wonderful community and learn about the ways of life here in the village. It gives us a chance to get to know you, too! Glad you felt welcomed and cared for and comfortable at our lodge and we hope to see you again in the future.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Romevisitor2008 wrote a review Oct 2022
United Kingdom103 contributions22 helpful votes
arrived about 6 pm on Mon 24th Oct, during a power cut,Staff showed us two rooms in main block (looked like a dormitory, we booked 2 cottages. They were promised but they were not ready.We went to the bar for a drink, The rooms were prepared. Miserable rooms. We went to the "restaurant' for dinner, no other guests were around,(that should have told us) we asked for Chicken and chips, Awful meal. a miserable so called meal after a long drive. went to bed early as we had a long drive ahead. we asked for an early breakfast 6.30 am, we arrived at restaurant , again nobody around. Eventually some one turned up , we asked about breakfast , she said ive got milk and cold water.................... We decided to leave and went to River trees for breakfast. Would not stay here ever again.
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Date of stay: October 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip: Find somewhere else, Basic 1 Star accommodation
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Sandra Peacock, Owner at The Vijiji Center Lodge & Safari
Responded 17 Jan 2023
Thank you for review and please accept our sincere apologies. Clearly, we weren’t up to our usual level of service and hospitality. We realize this was distressing, particularly after a long day of travel. We have fully refunded your stay and hope this goes some way to compensating you for the inconvenience.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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PRICE RANGE
HK$618 - HK$759 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
TanzaniaArusha RegionArusha
NUMBER OF ROOMS
22
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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THE VIJIJI CENTER LODGE & SAFARI - Updated 2024 Prices & Guesthouse Reviews (Arusha, Tanzania)

Frequently Asked Questions about The Vijiji Center Lodge & Safari
Which popular attractions are close to The Vijiji Center Lodge & Safari?
Nearby attractions include Kilitanzania Pride Tours and Safaris (2.7 km), Mount Meru (7.3 km), and The School of St Jude (3.7 km).
What are some of the property amenities at The Vijiji Center Lodge & Safari?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and a pool.
What food & drink options are available at The Vijiji Center Lodge & Safari?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at The Vijiji Center Lodge & Safari?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to The Vijiji Center Lodge & Safari?
Conveniently located restaurants include Chinese Whispers, Georges Tavern, and Pablo Picasso Café.
Are there opportunities to exercise at The Vijiji Center Lodge & Safari?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does The Vijiji Center Lodge & Safari have airport transportation?
Yes, The Vijiji Center Lodge & Safari offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.