Also, booking your safari at the top eco-friendly lodges and camps in East Africa help create jobs for local community members. COVID-19 had a devastating impact (hopefully temporary) on tourism and the local communities that rely on it for financial support.

Ecotourism in East Africa will play a vital role in the recovery of safari travel, now more than ever. And by going on a sustainable safari, you have the opportunity to give back. So, if you’re considering a safari with a purpose, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite eco-friendly lodges in East Africa…

Top Eco-Lodges in Tanzania

Singita Sasakwa Lodge, Serengeti, Tanzania

The Singita Grumeti Reserve is contiguous with the Serengeti National Park and is an integral part of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. In 1994, the Tanzanian government created the reserve to protect the path of the annual Wildebeest Migration and granted the Grumeti Fund – a non-profit organization that carries out vital wildlife conservation and community development programs – the right to manage the reserve from 2002. 

In 2006, Singita became the Grumeti Fund’s conservation partner, and some of their combined successes include:

The recovery of species like buffalo, wildebeest, and elephants in the region.
Carrying out the largest, single relocation and reintroduction of critically endangered eastern black rhino.
Sasakwa Lodge is one of Singita’s five eco-friendly lodges and camps in the Grumeti. This turn-of-the-century-style manor house pays homage to the romantic grandeur of safari’s bygone era. Perched on the slopes of Sasakwa Hill, it delivers breath-taking views over the Serengeti’s endless plains.

Singita boasts some of the top eco-friendly lodges in East Africa. Their lodges in the Serengeti are front runners in wildlife conservation, community development, and sustainable tourism through programs like:

Carbon offsetting – special levies allow guests to mitigate the impact of emissions.
Renewable energy – almost all geysers (hot water cylinders) at Singita’s Serengeti lodges are solar-powered.

Local and sustainable food – fresh, organic, and seasonable produce is sourced from local and humane farmers.

Waste reduction – food waste is composted on-site and used in landscaping or gifted to community farmers.

Scholarships – awarded for secondary school, vocational studies, and university education in the conservation and tourism sectors.

Serengeti Girls Run – an annual, all-women race through the Grumeti in which women from across the world run for the empowerment of Tanzanian women.

Chem Chem Lodge

Chem Chem Lodge is an elegant and intimate property situated in a private concession between Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Parks. Not only do the owners manage and operate Chem Chem to ensure guests receive personal attention, but they also share a deep love and respect for Tanzania’s delicate ecosystem.

The non-profit Chem Chem Association was founded to give guests, donors, and friends the opportunity to help foster Chem Chem’s commitment to a sustainable future through community outreach and conservation programs like:

Human-wildlife conflict resolution – educating local communities about the ecological and economic importance of conservation, and implementing pro-active interventions to reduce conflict.

Economic empowerment – supporting Village Community Banks (mutual savings banks) that enable low-income households to access basic financial services on a sustainable basis.

Education – supports and maintains the infrastructure of local public schools, and provides educational materials and scholarship programs.

Health – advocates for the wellbeing of people with disabilities and facilitates donations like wheelchairs.

Fundu Lagoon on Pemba Island, Tanzania

This rustic resort is located on Pemba Island, just off the south-western coast of Zanzibar. Boasting a gorgeous private beach, Fundu Lagoon is only accessible by boat and is one of the best coastal eco-lodges in Tanzania.

When Fundu Lagoon was developed in the late 90s, the aim was to have as little impact on the pristine landscape and to only work with local resources and craftsmen.

Since then, this eco-lodge in Tanzania has been at the forefront of developing a sustainable style of ecotourism that works closely with local communities to promote Pemba Island’s conservation and environmental management programs.

Fundu Lagoon places great importance on local communities being able to benefit from tourism. The lodge works closely with neighboring villages to help:

• Improve facilities for education and health care.
• Find innovative and sustainable solutions to meet local energy needs, minimizing the impact on the environment.
• Provide boat transport when medical emergencies arise.

If you’re looking for an unforgettable post-safari experience with magnificent beaches, unspoiled scenery, and warm-hearted people, then look no further than Fundu Island. The area is also one of the top five scuba diving destinations in the world.

Chumbe Island Coral Park in Tanzania

Situated in a Marine Protected Area off the coast of Zanzibar, Chumbe Island Coral Park is set in the heart of an award-winning private nature reserve. This boutique eco-lodge in Tanzania offers accommodation in unique bungalows situated right on the beach.

Upon its inception, Chumbe Island Coral Park recruited former fishermen from neighboring villages and provided them with training to become park rangers. They played a vital role in early outreach programs to raise awareness within the local communities about marine ecology and the sustainable management of natural resources.

Today, Chumbe’s strong ranger team patrols and monitors the reserve, use non-confrontational and educational approaches to deter poaching, and guides visitors.

The nature reserve includes a coral reef sanctuary – the first gazetted marine park in Tanzania – and a forest reserve. Thanks to its protection, the reef is home to 90% of East Africa’s hard coral species, over 400 fish species, and is a vital feeding ground for green and hawksbill turtles.

The forest reserve harbors highly specialized flora that has developed to survive without any groundwater – the bedrock of the island comprises fossilized coral that is unable to store rainwater.

It’s also a sanctuary for a plethora of birds, rare and endangered species like Ader’s duiker, and a healthy population of coconut crabs (the world’s biggest arthropod).

Chumbe Island Coral Park is one of the most state-of-the-art, eco-friendly lodges in East Africa and a diver’s paradise.