Usa River: Dolly Escape Farm & River Camp

Tented room

 

I had the opportunity to attend a workshop in Usa River that was hosted by Dolly Escape Farm & River Camp. One of our friends used to have a property in this estate which is a 4,000 gated estate about 20km from both the international airport and Arusha. The estate is a former plantation turned real estate venture that is more South African than Tanzanian; there is a polo grounds, golf course, and reintroduced animals such as eland, zebra and gazelles. 

I'll save my comments about the estate and write about the tourism facilities in a vacuum. I stayed at the river camp, which was a beautiful setting directly on the river with the sounds of the river providing a steady backdrop throughout the day and night. The tents were luxurious and tasteful and a special nod to the property for providing a tasty snack plate in my tent after my late arrival at night. 

There are several tents but each has enough space between for adequate privacy and there is a nice communal dining area where meals are served. The meals were delicious three course meals with freshly made bread and local ingredients prepared in creative ways to appeal to international palates.

I also spent some time at the villas which were private and luxurious. The rooms were tastefully done in an old farmhouse style with a small pool and open dining area. I actually preferred the setting and safari style luxury tent but that is purely a personal preference!

View of the river