Location
Arusha, Tanzania

Conveniently located halfway between Kilimanjaro and Arusha airports, Rivertrees offers a peaceful respite before or after your safari. This TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence winner, situated among 10 acres of lush vegetation on the Usa River, was formerly a coffee plantation and has been beautifully transformed into a serene boutique hotel. The original farmhouse was refurbished to become the main lodge, while the adjacent buildings, including the stables and coffee factory, have become accommodations that combine Old World colonial elegance with rustic African ambience. For those seeking seclusion and personal attention, put your feet up at this country estate as you drink in the views of Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro.

Guests have a choice of accommodations, all en suite: Four Garden Rooms open onto expansive grounds. Some rooms adjoin, allowing friends or families to stay together. Two spacious River Cottages are sheltered beneath a forest canopy at water's edge, with atmospheric features including an outdoor rain shower, wood-burning fireplace and deck overlooking the river. And, for the party that wants the utmost in privacy and luxury, River House offers a thatched hideaway with spacious living area, wraparound veranda and two double bedrooms, shaded by an enormous ancient fig tree. 

Rivertrees’ lively restaurant and open kitchen serves gourmet country cuisine using fresh farm vegetables, fruits, and herbs grown in gardens on the premises. Meals are enjoyed in the restaurant, at the bar, al fresco in the dappled shade, on the river deck, or in the artfully restored farmhouse, surrounded by warm ochre colours and cherished family antiques. In keeping with the restful environment at Rivertrees, the spa offers a soothing treatment involving all the senses. Guests follow a personal therapist down the meditation walkway to slow the body and mind. Once inside the outdoor massage banda, swathed in mosquito netting and adorned with flowers, savor a Swedish massage followed by a soak in a deep bathing tub, accompanied by the sounds of the river gently rolling past just beyond.