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The Vijiji Center Lodge and Safari

3.0 star property
your current months are December, 2024 and January, 2025.
December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for The Vijiji Center Lodge and Safari

Property grounds
Ecotours
Double Room
Outdoor pool, pool umbrellas, pool loungers
Breakfast, lunch, dinner served; local cuisine

Reviews

7.4 out of 10

Good

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Pool
  • 24/7 front desk
  • Breakfast included
  • Laundry
  • Housekeeping

Explore the area

Map
Kwa Pole Road, Nguruma Village, Arusha
  • Lake Duluti
    6 min drive
  • Arusha Golf Course
    9 min drive
  • Chama Plaza
    13 min walk
  • Kilimanjaro (JRO-Kilimanjaro Intl.)
    56 min drive

Room options

View all photos for Double or Twin Room

Double or Twin Room

Double or Twin Room

  • 20 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Twin Beds

View all photos for Double Room

Double Room

Double Room

  • 20 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

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The price is NZ$66
for 1 night
includes taxes & fees
5 Jan - 6 Jan
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About the area

Arusha

Located in Arusha, The Vijiji Center Lodge and Safari is in the mountains, within a 15-minute drive of Arusha Clock Tower and Natural History Museum. .This lodge is 6.8 mi (10.9 km) from Arusha International Conference Centre and 21.1 mi (34 km) from Arusha National Park.
View more Lodges in ArushaOpens in a new window

What's nearby

  • Arusha Clock Tower - 9 min drive
  • Arusha International Conference Centre - 11 min drive
  • Njiro Complex - 13 min drive
  • Arusha National Park - 51 min drive
  • Mt. Meru - 73 min drive

Getting around

  • Kilimanjaro (JRO-Kilimanjaro Intl.) - 56 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Onsea House - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Karibu Uzunguni City Park - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪The Chinese Dragon - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪The Cube Pub - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪Kitamu Cafe - ‬10 min drive

About this property

The Vijiji Center Lodge and Safari

Lodge with free breakfast, in the vicinity of Arusha Clock Tower
The Vijiji Center Lodge and Safari offers 22 accommodations, which are accessible via exterior corridors and feature complimentary bottled water. Rooms open to patios. This Arusha lodge provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Bathrooms include showers with rainfall showerheads. Housekeeping is provided daily.
Recreational amenities at the lodge include an outdoor pool.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.

Make yourself at home in one of the 22 guestrooms. Rooms have private patios. Complimentary wireless internet access is available to keep you connected. Bathrooms feature showers with rainfall showerheads.
Don't miss out on recreational opportunities including an outdoor pool and bicycles to rent. Additional features at this lodge include complimentary wireless internet access, gift shops/newsstands, and a television in a common area. Guests can catch a ride on the shuttle (surcharge), which operates within 25 kilometers.
Enjoy a satisfying meal at The Restaurant serving guests of The Vijiji Center Lodge and Safari. Unwind at the end of the day with a drink at the bar/lounge or the poolside bar. A complimentary full breakfast is served daily from 6 AM to 9 AM.
Featured amenities include a 24-hour front desk, luggage storage, and laundry facilities. For a surcharge, guests may use a roundtrip airport shuttle (available 24 hours) and a bus station shuttle.
A complimentary full breakfast is served each morning between 6 AM and 9 AM.
The Restaurant - This restaurant specializes in local cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The Lounge - Onsite cocktail bar. Open daily.

Languages

English, Swahili

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and public transport

  • Free secured, uncovered self-parking on site
  • On-site parking includes off-street options
  • 24-hour return airport shuttle (surcharge)
  • Airport shuttle on request
  • Local area shuttle (surcharge) up to 25 kilometres
  • Bus station shuttle (surcharge)
  • Shopping centre shuttle (surcharge)

Food and drink

  • Free full breakfast available daily 6 AM–9 AM
  • 1 restaurant
  • 1 poolside bar and 1 bar

Restaurants on site

  • The Restaurant
  • The Lounge

Things to do

  • Bike rentals
  • Billiards/pool table
  • Outdoor pool

Family friendly

  • Laundry facilities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Soundproofed rooms

Conveniences

  • Banquet hall
  • Gift shop/newsstand

Guest services

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Laundry facilities
  • Luggage storage
  • Tour/ticket assistance

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • Picnic area
  • Pool sunloungers
  • Pool umbrellas
  • Terrace

Accessibility

  • This property does not have any lifts

More

  • Designated smoking areas
  • TV in lobby

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bed sheets

Bathroom

  • Private bathroom
  • Rainfall showerhead
  • Shower
  • Towels

Food and drink

  • Electric kettle
  • Free bottled water
  • Free tea bags/instant coffee

More

  • Access via exterior corridors
  • Connecting rooms available
  • Soundproofing

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: 2:00 AM
Early check-in subject to availability
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

This property offers transfers from the airport (surcharges may apply); to arrange pick-up, guests must contact the property 72 hours prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
The property charges 5 percent for credit card payments
Guests must contact the property in advance for check-in instructions; front desk staff will greet guests on arrival
To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property ahead of time using the information on the booking confirmation
If you are planning to arrive after 10:00 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available

Payment types

Important information

Optional extras

  • Airport shuttle fee: USD 50.00 per vehicle (one-way, maximum occupancy 6)
  • Credit card charges are subject to a surcharge of 5 percent

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards and cash
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and window guards

We should mention

This property does not have elevators
Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms
The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation
A car is not required for transportation to and from this property

Property is also known as

Vijiji Center Lodge Arusha
Vijiji Center Lodge
Vijiji Center Arusha
Vijiji Center
The Vijiji Center
The Vijiji Center And Safari
The Vijiji Center Lodge and Safari Lodge
The Vijiji Center Lodge and Safari Arusha
The Vijiji Center Lodge and Safari Lodge Arusha

The Vijiji Center Lodge and Safari Reviews

Reviews

7.4

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 8 out of 23 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 7 out of 23 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 3 out of 23 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 23 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 23 reviews" "

7.8/10

Cleanliness

8.0/10

Staff & service

7.6/10

Amenities

7.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

6.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Bad conditions and service
There was no hot water for the shower. The bathroom floor was flooded. Food at the restaurant was expensive and grassy. We could not eat the wrap we ordered, as it was dripping oil. The hotel was empty and with strange vibes. I would not recommend for this price. Other options around are better. We did not come back after our safari.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

8/10 Good

Kevin

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice place except the noise coming from the other side of the wall was ungodly which is out of managements control. Loud music and preaching until 3am several nights in a row so very hard to sleep. Also rather hard to locate at first. On the other hand, the rooms were great, staff very friendly & helpful, the food is excellent and the grounds are beautiful.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff were friendly, the accommodations were great, and the location was excellent!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2021

8/10 Good

Eitan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice place. Very nice people tried to make the best of our stay.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2021

2/10 Terrible

Manish

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Avoid at all costs!
This hotel is probably the worst encounter i've had in over 20 years of travelling. I know its Africa but!! Stayed 4 nights,wanted to leave after first night but had already paid for the room. On first day had to change room 3 times due to various things like power outlets not working, dead flies in the room etc. Power outages all the time, day and night, they say they have a back up generator! But never used it!! When i asked about the back up generator they just smile and laugh,never once did they answer the question! No hot water, they have disconnected the electric water heaters in each room and are using a wood burning fire to heat water!! I got one hot shower in 4 days. No wifi, they say it is broken and are using a single dongle to get wifi,most times it doesn't work or somebody else has it! Although i knew they were not in Arusha itself, it was inconvient to be so far away from town. Rooms only cleaned once every 2 days. On the plus sides, generally helpfull staff. The grounds are lovely and the food tasty, though breakfast is basic and fairly bland. I feel the whole Covid situation has seen this hotel trying to save costs, which i can understand but to not even be able to provide hot water, thats going too far in my book. I read the reviews and saw the pics which is why i booked, however i feel they have dropped the ball somewhat! I would never stay there again nor would i recommend this hotel to friends or other travellers, shame really as the set up is great
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2021

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very pretty, a lot of nature, amazing staff,very good food! I just have a minor regret is to not have coffee and a bottle of water in the room, but otherwise it was incredibly good experience.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Unseasonable rains made the room damp and smelly, roof leaking through. The sheets weren't fully dry.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Resonably priced hotel with very friendly staff. Close to Arusha Town.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Matthew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
My partner and I spent the first few nights of our holiday at the Vijiji Center. The accommodation, food and staff are absolutely fantastic. We were unfortunate enough to have our safari day trip fail to show up. The staff helped us to try and track the company down and when this proved impossible they rearranged our trips for us. They have even written a letter of support to help us get our money back. If you are looking to stay in Arusha and go on day trips we strongly advise that you organise it all through the Vijiji Centre. There is not a great deal to do in the local area but it is a beautiful surrounding within which to relax after a day out on safari. Thank you so much to Sandra, Amos, Maria and all the staff (plus the dogs 😊) for making our trip so memorable.
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice place and settings with pleasant cottages, clean room and bathroom, friendly and helpful staff and good restaurant. Limited breakfast but it's the same all over Tanzania. For some people might be a disadvantage it is a little far from the center of Arusha (15 min. drive) but the feeling you're in the country compensates for that.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Xiaoli

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019

8/10 Good

Zoe

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Friendly!
Very welcoming. Good customer service and staff. Lovely grounds. Had s buffet dinner which was tasty. Would recommend as a stopover hotel.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

Amy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing stay at Vijiji
The hotel is beautiful grounds are beautiful and have a very tropical vibe, complete with tortoises and beautiful birds. The pool is excellent and great for a refreshing dip. The food was amazing! Most importantly, the staff were extremely kind and helpful. It is not exactly central for Arusha, but it is tucked in a quaint village with an amazing fruit & veg market behind it. We stayed for a chill day and night before heading to Kili airport, which is only 45 minutes away.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019

4/10 Poor

Sabine

Business traveller
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness
Leider ist Vijiji nach der Renovierung in einem schlechteren Zustand als vorher. Im Zimmer ist kein Schreibtisch, von WLAN auf dem Grundstück ganz zu schweigen - obwohl ich vorab hierzu eine (unbeantwortete) Anfrage geschickt hatte. Das Bad war leider in einem schlimmen Zustand (alte Monatsbinden im Müll), verdreckte Armaturen. Das Zimmer war einfach aber zweckmäßig eingerichtet - nur leider ohne irgendeinen Tisch, abgesehen von einem kleinen, niedrigen Beistelltisch. Schade, der Garten ist immer noch prächtig, die Lage, wenn man nicht mitten im Zentrum sein will, sehr gut.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022

2/10 Terrible

muriel

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Horrible.
À éviter. La première chambre n avait pas d eau ! La seconde était sale. Les photos ne correspondent pas du tout. Je voyage beaucoup. Je met rarement un commentaire négatif. Ici tout était décevant. On nous a même donné un faux billet de dollar en payant le transfert à l hôtel.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2021

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Hôtel situé loin du centre-ville. Jardin et bâtiment sumpa. Chambre spacieuse mais surchargée, serviettes de toilette moisies, linge blanc pas très blanc, douche sommaire, propreté globale très médiocre. Personne à l'aéroport pour venir nous chercher malgré notre requête acceptée par l'hôtel, pas d'eau après une nuit passée dans l'hôtel. Wifi consistant en une clef 4g portable à se partager avec une autre chambre.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2021

8/10 Good

Rachel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2021

6/10 Okay

Hanne

Redusert drif pga corona, så ikke alt fungerte som normslt vil jeg tro. Vanskelig å gi riktig rating.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2020

10/10 Excellent

Matilde

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Unique and worth a visit!
Very cool an unique place that is worth a visit. Located 15 min out of Arusha, things go at a perfect slow pace and the staff is wonderful. Highly recommend staying there for a few days, it's clean, neat, good pool, friendly and the Wifi works.
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Ein schöner Ort vor den Toren Arusha's um sich mal aus dem afrikanischen Trubel herauszuziehen. Das Personal ist stets hilfsbereit und engagiert. Leider ist das dinner - buffet nicht immer eine Empfehlung wert. Das Frühstück hingegen ist top!!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wonderful place near Arusha. Beautiful place within typically African setting. Warm welcome and excellent service! The food was delicious!
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019

8/10 Good

Anneli

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
En pärla mitt i ingenstans, men ...
En liten pärla mitt ute i ingenstans! Vi bodde här i två nätter, lugn och mysigt! Åt middag på lokal restaurang bara några meter ifrån hotellet, wow, vilken mat! Hotellet tog 10 USD/person för en buffé, det vi åt på den lokala restaurangen kostade 5 USD för två personer, middag, en öl och en liten glada vin. Våga prova dom små lokala haken, fantastisk mat, för en billig peng! Hotellet har ingen AC på tummen :( och det eldas skräp/ris i tid och otid, så det liggen en konstant rökdimma/lukt i luften! Våga även ta en dala-dala in till Arusha, kostar 500 TSZ/person!
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2018