Hatari Lodge ('hatari' meaning danger in Swahili) is a fantastic and highly unique lodge, situated on the northern boundary of Arusha National Park. The lodge is named after the famous 1960s blockbuster 'Hatari' starring John Wayne, which was filmed in the surrounding area.

Hardy Krüger, one of 'Hatari's' stars, fell in love with Africa during the filming and decided to make his home here. In 1960 he bought Momella Farm – and lived there happily for thirteen years. Today this former farm makes up part of Hatari Lodge – a luxurious lodge under the ownership of Joerg & Marlies Gabriel.

Hatari has been thoughtfully put together, with every corner filled by a unique piece of art or fantastic handmade piece of furniture. Remmy Macha, the in-house artist, has worked hand in hand with Marlies to create an unusual mix of contemporary and African design. Retro 60's artwork covers the walls and modern African sculptures are dotted around. Though one of the most noticeable things about Hatari, is that everything here is of a very high quality.

The dining room, lounge and bar are all housed within the central building, that look out over some grassy plains and into Arusha National Park. In front is a veranda, where you can sit and watch game such as waterbuck, zebra, large numbers of giraffe and often buffalo coming down to graze. On clear days you can even see Kilimanjaro from here! The veranda is furnished with tables and chairs made from fibreglass, inset with Maasai beads. Between September and April, breakfast and lunch is served out here – weather permitting.

Inside is the dining area, which has tables and chairs positioned in front of a large fire place – in the winter month's breakfast and lunch is served inside. The tables are individually set for breakfast, though for dinner there is usually one long table set in a dinner party style. Even the coffee cups at breakfast fit the modern retro theme, and the colour-scheme of the tables is changed for different meals, to create a different atmosphere – further examples of the attention to detail here.

In the centre of the room is a small lounge area, with sumptuous 60's leather sofas, scattered with brightly-coloured cushions. On walls throughout the room, are sculptured animal heads, handmade by the in-house artist Remmy, which house wall lights – and create a cozy glow whilst adding a funky stylish edge.

The second lounge/library, set to one side in the main building, is a continuation of the pop-art style. A sofa lines the edge of the room, and is dotted with animal skin cushions. A patchwork animal skin carpet covers the floor and brightly coloured Andy Warhol remakes of the stars in 'Hatari' hang on the walls. Under the glass coffee table, a large number of interesting books are kept for guests to look at.

By the long wooden bar, you will find bright bar stools in an assortment of colours. All of the glassware is beautifully made entirely from recycled glass by 'Kitengela glass' in Nairobi Then behind the bar is Hatari's shop which sells a variety of 'Hatari' T-shirts and hand made embroidered textiles. All products are made by the community project 'Mama Momella' – a project that helps 60 women from the local community to earn an income.

The 9 bedrooms at Hatari Lodge are each uniquely designed by Marlies, but all broadly follow the same retro 60's theme. Each has a different colour scheme, with one wall painted in a vibrant 60's pattern. Eight out of the nine rooms has a fire place, hanging space for clothes, a writing desk and very comfortable beds. On winter evenings the fire is lit for you, and the rooms become wonderfully cozy.

Each bedroom has a spacious en suite bathroom, with a large walk-in shower, proper flush toilet and twin sinks. The bathrooms follow the same colour scheme as the main room and toiletries are provided. Two bathrooms also have bathtubs and are often used for honeymoon couples.

The activities at Hatari Lodge usually take you into Arusha National Park, where you can head out on safari walks, game drives and canoeing on the Momella Lakes. The walking here is lovely, and the scenery is incredibly picturesque. On most days you can see the top of Mount Meru and all the way across to Kilimanjaro.

Arusha National Park is not the place to come if you want to see lots of big game. But the activities are varied and the park is stunning. When we were last here we really enjoyed the walking and thought that this was a great park to visit for a few days if you felt like doing something other than the safari norm.

Hatari is a great base from which to explore this charming little park, and it is certainly an unusual property in style. But a large feature of this lodge is its community involvement. Around 80 percent of the staff come from the local community. Hatari is involved in numerous community projects in the area – one of which is to help build a local pre-school and set up a vegetable farming project.

In conclusion... We periodically see Hatari Lodge described as having a 'modern-retro' design or a '60s theme' and having 'art-deco elements' ... and the reader must think 'what a mess!' However, the reality is far from that – it works exceedingly well. Hatari has been designed and fitted with an incredible amount of thought, to a very high level of quality: there is nothing gaudy or over-the-top about this lodge.

Aside from all these comments on its style, Hatari is primarily a high-quality lodge from which to explore the small yet incredibly beautiful Arusha National Park. You'll find a scattering of plains game amidst some stunning views and vistas – and you are allowed to go walking and canoeing in this very relaxed environment. Stay for two or three nights: Hatari makes a superb place to start or end any safari in Northern Tanzania.

Lodge overview

Lodge type: Safari

No. of bedrooms: 9 rooms

Season: 1st June to 31st March

Ideal length of stay: Stay here for two or three nights to explore Arusha National park and try a range of the activities on offer here.

Geographics

Location: Arusha, Tanzania

Directions: Hatari stands on the northern boundary of Arusha National Park; 58km from Arusha which takes about 90 minutes to drive. From Kilimanjaro Airport, Hatari is slightly closer and takes only one hour to drive.

Accessible by: Fly-and-Transfer

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Full Board

Food quality: On our last visit in June 2008, the food at Hatari was very good - the menu was varied, tasty and used fresh ingredients. Breakfast at Hatari usually started with a buffet of fruit, yogurts and cereals. You can also order a hot breakfast with eggs of your choice, bacon and sausage. There is also toast and preserves as well as tea, coffee and fruit juice. For lunch guests will often have a picnic out in the park. Stop at a quiet picnic spot and unpack the wicker hamper that contains a variety of cold dishes. When we were there, we had mixed salad doused in a lovely vinaigrette, and a savoury pasty with a delicious tomato and meat filling. We also had tea, coffee and fruit juice. You can also have lunch back at the lodge – it is usually served between 12 - 2 pm. Between 3 - 5 pm tea and cake is served in Hatari's lounge; there is always a freshly baked cake to tuck into as well as a variety of teas and coffee. Dinner is sometimes served in a dinner-party style, and sometimes with guests at separate tables. Guests usually gather in the bar and lounge area for a few drinks – and are then invited to the table when dinner is ready. The evening meals are three courses, with a light starter, a main course which is usually a meat or a chicken dish, and then a desert. When we were last here, we had a delicious meal of miniature trout cakes, lamb with mint sauce and a fruit and pastry desert. The food was very tasty and the meat was really succulent – over all we enjoyed the food very much. Special dietary requirements can be catered for with some advanced notice.

Dining style: Group Meals

Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining

Room service: Hatari do not offer room service.

Cost of meal e.g. lunch: Included

Drinks included: All house wines and water are included during dinner. Beers, soft drinks and specially imported wines are an additional cost. Before and after dinner – drinks are not included.

Children

Attitude towards children: Joerg and Marlies have a young son called Donyo and are happy to have children of all ages at Hatari Lodge.

Age restrictions: There are no age restrictions at Hatari.

Activities: Hatari will happily do special meals.

Generally recommended for children: Yes

Central communications

Power supply: Generator

Communications: There is some mobile phone reception here, but the lodge requests that guests don't use mobiles in the main area. There is an office phone and internet for use in emergencies.

TV & radio: Not really – but do have an old-style screen for showing old African movies like Hatari!

Health & safety

Malarial area: No

Medical care: First aid kit on site and staff trained. There is also a clinic at Momella Gate and in Ausha. Hatari also have contact with flying doctors. In regards to malaria – Arusha National Park is malaria free, however most other areas in Tanzania that form part of a greater safari or holiday, do have malaria. For this reason, travellers are advised not to stop taking their prophylaxis whilst in Arusha or during any point of their trip.

Dangerous animals: High Risk

Security measures: There are Askaris to escort you between the rooms at night.

Fire safety: Fire extinguishers are dotted around the lodge.

Extras

Disabled access: On Request

Laundry facilities: Full Laundry Service - Extra Charge

Money: Hatari are not able to change large amounts, but could do small amount on special request.

Accepted payment: Hatari will accept cash in Euro, pounds sterling, US dollars and Tanzanian shillings. Hatari cannot accept any credit cards or travellers' cheques.

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