Lemala Mpingo Ridge

Lemala offers a selection of 14 tented lodge suites, scattered around the central areas to ensure privacy and peace. Most have a single bedroom that can be configured as a king-size double or twins, however 5 of the suites have an extra sofa bed, and there is one suite with 2 bedrooms, ideal for families and groups. Each suite features a comfy seating area, a writing desk, dressing area, tea & coffee facilities, and minibar. All have their own en suites, which are equipped with an indoor and outdoor shower, flush toilet, hairdryer, and an outdoor bath.

The camp serves a quality blend of local and international cuisines. Meal times are flexible to fit your schedules and the chef can arrange a picnic-style lunch or breakfast to take with you on a game drive. Breakfasts on camp are a buffet selection, offering fresh fruit, cereals, cold meats, fresh bread and pastries. The chef can also cook eggs to order. Lunches are simple and light, often served with salads. In the evenings dinners are served a la carte in the main dining area, but private dining can also be arranged if you’re wanting to enjoy an evening under the stars.

Journey to the heart of one of the Tarangire for unmatched experiences in connecting with nature and the opportunity to observe the magnificent wildlife up close. Witness the wonders of the Tanzanian wilds from an open-sided, photography-optimised safari car. While staying at Lemala, you’ll have excellent chances to see an amazing array of animals.

Their game drives make the most of the cool early mornings and evenings when the wilderness first stirs and is no longer slowed by the day’s heat. Watch the herds of zebra, giraffes and antelope and the prides of lions, spot cheetahs and packs of wild dogs, and if you’re lucky catch some glimpses of elephants and shy elands. For a fully rounded safari experience, night-time drives are also available so you can see how the bush is still bustling with life even after the sun goes down.

Start your day on a high as dawn breaks across the plains. Glide silently over the Tarangire and take in the beautiful scenery and undisturbed wildlife below. Expect to be starstruck by the serene silence and stillness, the perfect setting to take in the wildlife from above without any interference.

The areas surrounding the camp are home to Tuk Tuk and Maasai villages with wonderful cultures and rich heritages waiting to be explored. Spend a few hours around the Mto wa Mbu village where you’ll visit the rice fields, Makonde carvers, tinga-tinga painters, finishing in the banana plantations for a local, home-cooked lunch. You’ll also be able to visit a traditional Maasai boma, meet the locals and have the change to delve deep into an amazing cultural experience.

Drive out to Lake Manyara for a unique perspective of the Tanzanian wilderness and wildlife upon the water while your guide tells you all about the local landscape and history of Manyara.

Lemala Cubs offers young guests under the age of 12 a range of wonderful activities to experience and enjoy the magic of the African bush, as well as teach them about the importance of conservation.

All of Lemala’s camps and lodges employ the majority of their staff from the communities in which they operate so that local people are able to find nearby employment in order to help support their families. Lemala have also recruited 9 employees from a homeless shelter in Arusha, giving the young men the opportunity to gain employment and restore their lives. Lemala’s staff are given training so that they can excel in their roles, and receive promotions within the company, broadening their opportunities for the future.

‘Of a workforce of 335 staff, less than 5% are foreigners of which 3% are East Africans. Our Lemala ExCo Team’s Senior Management includes a strong female presence, made up of 6 females and 1 male.’

Lemala Camps and Lodges are working to remove plastic waste from national parks and conservation areas by gathering the waste plastic and storing it in collection bins (made from recycled plastic). The waste plastic is then used to construct school chairs and desks by Dunia Designs, a sustainable company in Arusha. Each of these collection bins can hold approximately 375 – 400 1.5 litre bottles or equivalent, which can be used to make 2 chairs and a desk.

Lemala encourages sustainable fishing within the local community by offering significantly higher prices for bigger fish. This results in fishermen catching fewer, larger fish and helps to protect marine populations while offering fishermen a fair price for their work. ‘The fish are purchased directly from the fishermen each morning at market prices ensuring the fisherman gets a fair price for his catch and that the proceeds of his efforts go directly to his family that all live local to Wildwaters.’

Lemala hosts an annual leadership academy for youths aged between 14 and 18, where speakers are invited to talk about their backgrounds, where they have come from and where they are now. This inspires and empowers young people and encourages them to consider career prospects. Lemala also supports a woman’s shelter. ‘Each day we donate something and on the 22nd of the month, the teams deliver in person to Pippi House which provides an empowering, supportive environment for women to seek refuge from the streets.’

Lemala Tented Lodges operate completely off the grid, producing zero emissions except in the event of power loss when they must use a backup generator. Lemala Tented Camps are powered by solar energy, a clean and renewable source that leaves no carbon footprint.

Lemala Tented Lodges have installed Reverse Osmosis Plants in each of their tented lodges in order to provide clean drinking water and negate the need for plastic water bottles. The main area at Lemala Ngorongoro, for example, includes a new floor entirely constructed from recycled plastic bottles which were mostly collected from Lemala Camps and Lodges.

This collaborative project with Dunia Designs has repurposed plastic so that waste plastic does not enter rivers or water sources where it causing irreparable damage to aquatic life. Additionally, Lemala Camps and Lodges do not use any plastic straws.

Lemala Camps and Lodges recycle all waste that can be repurposed in order to prevent pollution and to reduce the amount of rubbish that goes to landfills. In May 2008, the company was the first in Africa to offer guests plastic-free, biodegradable lunch boxes and 30% of the steel that was used in the construction of Lemala Tented Lodges is recycled from scrap metal. Glass bottles are also recycled and used by Shanga, a community project that employs people with disabilities to craft jewellery and glassware out of recycled glass, which can then be purchased from their shop.