About Amani Beach
Located on Tanzania’s Ras Kutani coast, Amani Beach fronts a beautiful stretch of broad white beach and sits ...
... in almost 0.5km² of manicured gardens and wide-open lawns dotted with palm trees.
Amani Beach is a bright, welcoming hotel with a lovely beachfront location. Its one main problem is that it could be anywhere in the world – the few Swahili artefacts are not enough to mask its European feel.
Accommodation
10 chalets
Children
Fine for all ages.
Open
All year
Activities
Birdwatching
Boat trip
Snorkelling
Watersports
Traveller reviews of Amani Beach
5 real, un-edited reviews from Expert Africa's travellers.
Arrived 2 Feb 2019, 3 nights
"A great place to relax and unwind"
Overall rating: Excellent
Arrived 14 Jul 2016, 3 nights
"Amani Beach review"
Overall rating: Excellent
Arrived 13 Aug 2014, 3 nights
"A great place to relax at Amani beach"
Overall rating: Excellent
Arrived 9 Aug 2010, 5 nights
"Amani Beach review"
Overall rating: Good
Arrived 21 Dec 2007, 2 nights
"Amani Beach review"
Overall rating: Good







Expert Africa's gallery
When we travel we take lots of photos ourselves to give you a real and un-edited view of the holidays. See our 12 pictures of Amani Beach to get the candid view.
View galleryAmani Beach: Our full report
Located on Tanzania’s Ras Kutani coast, Amani Beach fronts a beautiful stretch of broad white beach and sits ...
... in almost 0.5km² of manicured gardens and wide-open lawns dotted with palm trees.
Located on Tanzania’s Ras Kutani coast, Amani Beach fronts a beautiful stretch of broad white beach and sits in almost 0.5km2 of manicured gardens and wide-open lawns dotted with palm trees.
Its rather- eccentric previous owner built Amani Beach as a hobby. Together with his wife, he created a stylish lodge that has a real mix of European and Swahili styles, from the Spanish-style . The buildings are all crisp white washed stone with terracotta-tiled floor tiles to the traditional Zanzibaris, reminiscent of buildings you might find on the coast of Italy or Spain. Yet the thatched roofs and occasional piece of Zanzibari furniture remind you that you are in Africa and on the Swahili coast.
The 10 spacious cottages at Amani Beach have whitewashed walls and thatched roofs. Outside each, large, tiled verandas extend onto the lawn and house a hammock, which is the perfect place to relax and read a book. Through the French windows, you’ll find a spacious and airy bedroom, big enough to act as a triple, or even a quadruple for families. Air conditioning and a fan are standard, so the rooms are delightfully cool during the day.
Fittings and furnishings are a mix of European and Africa materials: most of the furniture, such as the enormous beds and beautiful Zanzibari boxes, has been sourced locally, while the tiles have come from Germany and Italy.
The tiles continue through to the en-suite bathrooms, accessed through a large arched doorway with shuttered doors. There is a bath and a separate shower, both with hot and cold water, and a separate door leads to the toilet and bidet.
The dining area at Amani Beach is set up away from the beach and extends inside and outside for different dining locations. The red terracotta-coloured tiles and white washed walls give the impression that you are in an Italian villa. Yet the arched doorways and furniture do add a Swahili slant to its style. Above the main dining room, up a flight of stairs, is the TV and games area. It has a pool table and satellite television – an ideal place to entertain the kids in the evenings.
Down by the sea is the beach bar where drinks are served throughout the day, and where buffet lunches are also served. It is a comfortable open-sided thatch area, with lovely views out over the sea. The simple wicker chairs and sofas are a cool place to retire out of the sun during the heat of the day.
Just adjacent to the beach bar is the large rectangular swimming pool with plenty of sunloungers and grass lawn around it. The large pool is great for kids, though its rather uniform shape is a little lacking in character. To one side there’s a lovely big garden filled with indigenous plants.
Activities offered at Amani include surfing, mountain biking, and horseriding.
It’s worth noting that since our last visit Amani has been bought by a large hotel chain.Whether this improves or takes away some of its character and charm remains to be seen.
Geographics
- Location
- Tanzania Coast, Tanzania
- Ideal length of stay
- 2-3 nights
- Directions
- Amani Beach is only about a 15-minute flight from Dar es Salaam, or a two-hour drive away from the capital.
- Accessible by
- Fly-and-Transfer
Food & drink
- Usual board basis
- Full Board
- Food quality
- Breakfast at Amani Beach is a buffet offering cereals, pancakes, fresh fruit and yoghurt. You can also order tea and coffee, as well as a cooked breakfast with eggs and bacon.
Lunch is a small set menu, usually including salad, pastas and cold meats.
Dinner is a three-course menu served in the main restaurant. This is either a buffet or à la carte, depending on how many people are staying. - Dining style
- Individual Tables
- Dining locations
- Indoor and Outdoor Dining
- Further dining info, including room service
- Yes, for an extra charge.
- Drinks included
- Drinks are not included in the full board rate.
Children
- Attitude towards children
- Children are welcome at Amani Beach
- Property’s age restrictions
- There are no age restrictions here.
- Special activities & services
- Amani Beach can offer babysitting – nannies need to be requested in advance.
- Equipment
- Cots and highchairs are available, as well as inflatable toys for the pool.
- Generally recommended for children
- Yes
- Notes
- Amani is very family friendly. The areas are well spaced so there is an abundance of room for kids to have fun without getting under other guests feet.
Communications
- Communications
- There is intermittent cell-phone reception at Amani Beach. There is intermittent cell-phone reception at Amani Beach. You can ask to use the hotel’s phone, though and this will be charged to your final bill. Free internet access is available to guests.
- TV & radio
- There is a TV in the bar.
Health & safety
- Malarial protection recommended
- Yes
- Medical care
- There are first aid-trained staff on site and the hotel has associations with a local doctor; for more serious cases you would need to fly to Dar es Salaam.
- Dangerous animals
- Low Risk
- Security measures
- There are guards on site 24 hours a day.
- Fire safety
- Fire extinguishers are found in every room.
Activities
Birdwatching
Boat trip
Snorkelling
Watersports
Extras
- Disabled access
- On Request
- Laundry facilities
- Extra Charge
- Money
- No currency exchange is offered at Amani Beach
- Accepted payment on location
- Though Amani Beach prefer guests to settle their bills in US dollars cash, you can also use credit cards. Please note that credit cards incur a 5% surcharge. You may also use travellers’ cheques, for which there is no charge.
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Amani Beach's location
Look closer at the environment and surroundings of Amani Beach.
Other lodges in Tanzania Coast
Alternative places to stay in this same area.

Kimbilio Lodge
Kimbilio Lodge is a simple beachfront lodge outside the sleepy port town of Kilwa Masoko and an ideal base to visit Kilwa Kisiwani ruins.

The Tides
The Tides Lodge is a pleasant, small barefoot beach lodge in a quiet location on the coast north of Dar es Salaam.
When to go to Tanzania Coast
Our month by month guide: What it's like to visit Amani Beach in Tanzania Coast
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Tanzania in January
January usually marks the start of the short dry season, although the exact timings of this are a little unpredictable. You can expect clear blue skies and sunshine, if the short rains have stopped, and the temperatures will be building. The short dry season is a little less pronounced in Southern Tanzania, and so it can still be wet in these areas. It is an interesting time for avians as resident birds go into breeding plumage and migrant species can be present.
Once the New Year busy period has quietened down, January can offer great value and quieter parks, although the weather can be variable, and in the Selous and Ruaha the wildlife is more dispersed.
- Variable weather: clear & dry or cloudy with some rain.
- Occasional thunderstorms may occur.
- A good time of year for birding as and many migrant species are around
- The wildebeest migration is gathering in the southern Serengeti.
- Busy in early January, quietening down through the month.
Our view
A good time to visit, with pros & cons
Weather in January
Tanzania in February
February is during the short dry season and is one of the hottest months in Tanzania, with temperatures reaching around 33°Celsius. This can be a good time to visit, as some areas of the Northern Circuit are comparatively quieter than during the European summer months, and lodge rates are also a little lower.
The wildebeest will typically be on the southern plains of the Serengeti for their calving season, which tends to occur in a 2-3 week window in early-mid February – although this does vary year on year. This is also a particularly rewarding time for birdlife, as northern hemisphere migrants join the resident species.
- Hot and dry weather.
- Wildebeest migration calving on Serengeti’s southern plains.
- Ngorongoro Crater and southern Serengeti busy for the migration.
- Selous and Ruaha are typically quiet at this time.
- The parks are likely to be lush and green, leading to pretty landscape
Our view
A very good time to visit
Weather in February
Tanzania in March
The heavier ‘long rains’ start in earnest in March although exactly when varies year on year. With no need to stay close to permanent water sources, migratory wildlife disperses, and so game viewing starts to become more challenging. This is most prominently seen in Tarangire National Park. The wildebeest migration may still be calving, or have moved on into the central regions of the Serengeti.
Many of the camps in the southern parks close mid March and mobile tented camps in the Serengeti will wind down towards the end of the month in order to move location or carry out refurbishments, ready for the new tourist season.
- Hot with building humidity, before the rains begin at some point.
- Wildlife viewing is variable depending on the start of the rains.
- Parks are quiet and rates are low.
- Not great for southern or western Tanzania.
- March can be a good time for birding, with many migrant species.
Our view
A good time to visit, with pros & cons
Weather in March
Tanzania in April
April is in the middle of the long rainy season and is the wettest month, with on average 250mm of rain. Temperatures are fairly high and humid in comparison to the rest of the year. Expect the bush to be lush and flowering, and alive with insects, birds and smaller animals. It is however also dense, allowing wildlife to hide, which in turn makes game viewing harder. This is a very quiet time in terms of visitor numbers.
Many of the tented camps are closed in April, however the larger lodges remain open. The rates are significantly cheaper, and so if you are willing to work harder to spot the bigger game, some accommodation bargains can be had.
- Heavy rain expected, with impressive thunderstorms and lightning.
- Many camps closed and roads impassable due to ground conditions.
- Rates are at their lowest all year round, with very few other tourists
- Places that are open are green and vibrant, wildlife more dispersed.
Our view
This is not a great time to visit
Weather in April
Tanzania in May
As Tanzania is close to the equator there is no dramatic difference in climate throughout the year, but temperatures do start to drop a little in May. The rains are likely to still be present, although potentially clearing towards the end of the month. Visitor numbers and lodge rates are still low. The wildebeest migration is making its way through the western regions of the Serengeti, crossing the Grumeti River.
Virtually all camps in southern Tanzania remain closed, and many of the roads and tracks in the Selous become impassable.
- Heavy rains and storms are likely, this can create some dramatic skies
- Blissfully quiet in northern Tanzania, and a good time to avoid crowds
- The parks are likely to look lush and green, with long grass.
- Wildlife is likely to be more dispersed, with fewer sightings.
- The low prices make safaris much more affordable at this time.
Our view
This is not a great time to visit
Weather in May
Tanzania in June
The rains come to an end at some point during the month and migratory wildlife begins to be drawn back to perennial water sources as the land starts to dry up. It’s likely that the parks will still be quite green and the grass high though, so walking and fly-camping may be unlikely. This marks the start of the season with camps reopening, but prices are still more affordable than the subsequent months.
The migration may still be in the Western Corridor, or on the move northwards towards the Mara River. Western Tanzania presents more challenging conditions for chimpanzee trekking in Mahale National Park, as the chimps are higher in the mountains.
- Variable weather: clear & dry or cloudy with some rain.
- A transitory time for the migration – moving from west to north.
- The parks may still be quite green, and grasses high.
- Wildlife may be dispersed still.
- Relatively low visitor numbers and good value, shoulder season prices.
Our view
A good time to visit, with pros & cons
Weather in June
Tanzania in July
July is considered to be the start of the peak season, with no rainfall expected and pleasant daytime temperatures. As the parks dry, the wildlife congregates in fewer areas, grass is eaten and trampled by the migration, and game viewing gets better and better. The wildebeest are typically arriving in the northern Serengeti, ready to begin their period of crossings of the Mara River.
In the Selous and Ruaha wildlife sightings can be fantastic, with animals gathering around the lakes and rivers. Great conditions and school holidays mean the parks are at their busiest, with Ngorongoro and the Serengeti particularly crowded.
- Dry and warm daytimes, chilly and windy in the mornings and evenings.
- Great wildlife viewing, as water sources diminish.
- The most popular time of year with very high visitor numbers.
- Prices are at their highest due to the great conditions on the ground.
- To avoid the crowds consider Tanzania’s southern parks.
Our view
Fantastic: the very best time to visit
Weather in July
Tanzania in August
August is the middle of the long dry season, with clear skies and sunny weather. You can expect some cooler weather at night and first thing in the morning. Remember to pack layered clothing, so you can wrap up warm on your early morning game drives, but remain comfortable as it heats up throughout the day.
August is a very popular time to visit, so accommodation prices are at their highest and advanced booking is necessary. It can get noticeably busier in some of the northern parks – in particular the Ngorongoro Crater and northern Serengeti, as visitors flock to the area in hope of witnessing an exciting migration river crossing.
- Dry and warm daytimes, chilly in the early mornings and evenings.
- General wildlife viewing should be excellent.
- An exciting time of year for the wildebeest migration.
- Certain areas will be very busy and camps fill up fast.
- Great wildlife sightings in the Selous and Ruaha, and fewer people.
Our view
Fantastic: the very best time to visit
Weather in August
Tanzania in September
September can be an excellent time of year to visit Tanzania. As the parks continue to dry up the wildlife becomes increasingly reliant on the remaining water sources, leading to high densities of animals. Whilst early September can be busy, with fewer families traveling at this time the parks typically become quieter as the month goes on.
You are still likely to see the wildebeest migration in the northern Serengeti, with river crossings occurring on a regular basis. Tanzania’s southern parks are also fantastic at this time of year, generally receiving far fewer visitors than the north, and wildlife sightings can be great. Prices remain high and the weather generally remains good.
- Wildlife viewing in September can be fantastic.
- Whilst still fairly busy, often the parks are typically a little quiet
- The parks will start to become very dry, with little new vegetation
- Cooler mornings and evenings, warming up during the day.
- Prices remain high.
Our view
Fantastic: the very best time to visit
Weather in September
Tanzania in October
At the tail end of the dry season, the wildlife should be the easiest to spot, although photographers should be aware that it can be a bit dusty at this time of year, as there has been no rain for several months. Great general wildlife viewing throughout as animals are attracted to remaining sources of water. Elephant numbers are particularly high at this time in Tarangire, and Mahale and Katavi are especially rewarding with frequent wildlife sightings close to camp.
There is a chance of rainfall towards the end of the month, if the short rains commence. While prices remain high, visitors numbers are significantly lower than in July-August.
- Mostly dry and temperatures comfortably warm, with the chance of storm
- Great game viewing although the landscape can be a bit barren.
- Much lower visitor numbers than the earlier months.
Our view
A very good time to visit
Weather in October
Tanzania in November
In November you can expect the start of the short rains, although the start date varies every year. The rains are highly localised, and are much lighter and more unpredictable than the long rains that occur earlier in the year. These should not really interfere with your safari – as the game viewing at this time is still good - but you should pack a waterproof jacket and be prepared for some short rain showers!
The majority of tented camps remain open, but some of the mobile camps in Northern Tanzania will close for the latter half on the month. Given the seasonality, camps are charging shoulder season rates so there are often some bargains to be had. Early November can offer great value for money and the weather conditions are likely to be comparable to late October.
- Variable weather: clear & dry or cloudy with some rain.
- Parks are comparatively quiet and prices at the lower end.
- Some camps will close towards the end of the month for maintenance.
- Good wildlife sightings, but animals will disperse when rain starts
- The wildebeest migration is on the move and the location unpredictable
Our view
A good time to visit, with pros & cons
Weather in November
Tanzania in December
December is also during the short rainy period, but this does not stop Tanzania being a popular destination to spend the festive period. Be aware that many of the lodges book up early, and charge peak rates over this time. Advanced booking is essential over this period, especially if travelling in larger family groups.
Travelling in December outside of the festive period allows travellers to make use of excellent shoulder season rates. Temperatures are pleasant with the averages of 27Celsius, although there is the chance of intermittent thunderstorms.
- Variable weather:clear & dry or cloudy with some rain and thunderstorm
- Good general game viewing in parks with low seasonality - Serengeti.
- Very quiet early in the month, becoming exceptionally busy.
- Prices reflect this – great value rising to the highest they are.
- The wildlife in southern Tanzania is more dispersed.
Our view
A good time to visit, with pros & cons
Weather in December

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