Laba Grumeti Art Lodge

A Hilltop Above the Lower Grumeti

Laba Laba Grumeti Art Lodge stands alone on a hilltop above the lower Grumeti River near the western end of the Western Corridor, the 50-mile valley that runs from the central Serengeti toward Lake Victoria. The Grumeti airstrip is a 30 to 40 minute game drive away, and Kirawira lies about 12 km to the west.

• The Crossing Country: The lower Grumeti woodlands below the lodge are where the herds mass to cross the river from May through July, and the stretch of river east of the old Grumeti River Camp holds the largest crocodiles in the Serengeti.
• Set Apart: The lodge was deliberately built well away from any other property, on a hill with views across the Grumeti plains, so the only vehicles on the tracks below are usually its own.
• Resident Game All Season: The river and its forests hold hippo, crocodile, giraffe, elephant, and the Serengeti’s only black-and-white colobus monkeys year-round, and resident wildebeest and zebra keep the lion, leopard, and hyena in place from July through November after the migration moves on.
• Getting There: Most guests fly into the Grumeti airstrip on a scheduled charter and transfer by road with game viewing on the way. By road, Seronera is roughly three hours east through the corridor, a good game-viewing drive when the lodge is paired with a central Serengeti stay.

The lodge is unfenced and guests are escorted between the suites and the main lodge after dark. Tsetse flies are present in the woodland, so long sleeves in neutral colors are a good idea on drives.

The Grumeti River and the Wild West

Laba Laba Grumeti Art Lodge looks down on the lower Grumeti woodlands, with the river crossings close by and the corridor’s great game areas spread out to the east.

• Lower Grumeti Woodlands: The dense acacia woodland and riparian forest that hug the Grumeti River below the lodge are the stronghold of the Maasai giraffe, which browse the tender acacia leaves in numbers found nowhere else in the park, and the Serengeti’s only habitat for the black-and-white colobus monkey, which depends on the riverine forest for shoots and seed pods. The river itself is famous for its Nile crocodiles, giants of up to 17 feet that live as long as 70 years and survived the poaching of the 1950s and 60s; the best-known stretch is an eight-mile section of river near the old Grumeti River Camp. The Grumeti Game Loops are small winding tracks that follow the river through the forest, where hippo, elephant, and leopard are the regulars. In the dry season, thousands of wildebeest and zebra gather here to take the cold plunge across the crocodile-laden river.
• Ruwana Plains: North of the river, 120 square miles of open plains are the beating heart of the Western Corridor and its premier predator area. Two resident lion prides live here, one of them denning on Sundowner Hill, cheetah are seen often on the open grass, and several large clans of spotted hyena hold strict territories, so boundary patrols, whooping calls, and battles between rival clans are a regular part of a drive. The Ruwana Waterhole draws everything in the dry season and is the setting for dramatic hunts. The plains were only added to the park in 1967; before that the Serengeti ended at the river.
• Musabi Plains: East of the lodge and roughly halfway down the corridor, Musabi is an off-the-beaten-path sanctuary of open plains framed by acacia woodland and dotted with termite mounds. It is a favored breeding ground for topi, which stand sentinel on the mounds, and the western Serengeti holds one of the park’s largest elephant concentrations, more than 2,000 animals and rising since the 1989 ivory ban. Resident wildebeest and zebra support lion, leopard, cheetah, and hyena all year, with eland, waterbuck, buffalo, and Thomson’s gazelle alongside.
• Mbalageti River Valley (Full Day): Linking the southern short-grass plains with the western woodlands, this 540-square-mile valley of rivers, hills, and riverine thickets is the main route of the largest group of the migration, which follows the river north from the plains through Moru in May and June. The herds often linger here for the rut, when bulls stake out small temporary territories and the valley becomes a synchronized mating pandemonium. Lion and leopard concentrate where the prey does, Martial eagles nest in the tall trees, and the baboon troops are among the largest in the park. From the lodge it is a full day out with a picnic lunch.
• The Grumeti Crossing (May through July): The main event of the Western Corridor. As the plains dry out, the herds that moved north through the Mbalageti and Seronera valleys arrive at the Grumeti River and mass on the banks until the pressure of numbers pushes them across. The crossings are smaller and more scattered than the Mara River crossings in the north, but they happen in the woodlands directly below the lodge, and the crocodiles waiting in the river are among the largest in Africa. In November the herds briefly regroup in the corridor on their way south.

In Camp

Giraffe and elephant on the slopes below the suites, hippo grunting from the river at night, and lion and hyena calling across the plains.

Twelve Suites Hung With Art

Laba Laba Grumeti Art Lodge has 12 tented suites, every one with original artworks from the collection, floor-to-ceiling canvas windows, and a private deck facing the Grumeti plains.

• Luxury Tented Suites (11): 120 square meters (about 1,300 square feet) with a king bed, a lounge area, a large private terrace, and an en-suite bathroom with a bathtub, an indoor shower, and an outdoor shower. Eight of the eleven can be made up as twins, and two or three extra single beds can be added for families.
• Family Suite (1): Two large en-suite bedrooms joined by a central living room, 180 to 200 square meters in all, with an 80 square meter outside terrace. Each bedroom has its own bathtub and indoor and outdoor showers.
• In Every Suite: Ceiling fan, mosquito netting, complimentary minibar and coffee station, WiFi, safe, hairdryer, international outlets and USB charging, linen bathrobes, Healing Earth organic toiletries, and a walkie-talkie to reach the lodge staff. Solar power.
• Children: Welcome from age six.

• The Art Collection: More than 40 works by ten contemporary African artists, including Zizipho Poswa, Zanele Muholi, Rich Mnisi, Madoda Fani, Porky Hefer, Jomo Tariku, Chuma Maweni, Thandiwe Muriu, Jean Servais Somian, and Adam Birch, placed through the lodge and suites, with guided tours of the collection on request.
• 22-Meter Infinity Pool: Built into the ledge of the hill below the lodge, with a pool deck over the plains.
• Spa: Massages and facials with Healing Earth organic products, in a treatment space surrounded by nature.
• Professional Gym: Technogym cardio and strength equipment and Eleiko cross-training gear in an open-air space, which the lodge calls the only professional gym in a Tanzanian reserve.
• Gourmet Organic Dining: Breakfast, lunch, and fine-dining dinners indoors or on the covered veranda, with at least 80 percent organic ingredients and organic wines. Full board with house drinks; confirm inclusions with us when booking.
• Private Vehicle and Guide: Game drives in private vintage-style Land Rovers that run on diesel, ethanol, or electric power for quiet approaches, with a dedicated guide for each party.
• Walking Safaris: Guided walks from the lodge with an armed ranger.
• Balloon Safaris: Western Serengeti balloon flights from May 15 to October 31, arranged with us in advance.
• Bush Dining and Sundowners: Gourmet picnics on the plains, sundowners on the hill, and dinners under the stars.
• Practical Comforts: WiFi, laundry included, credit cards accepted, and staff escorts after dark.
• Sustainability: Solar power, hybrid vehicles, organic supply chain, and CarbonScored certification.