Onsea House

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near Arusha, Tanzania

A newly opened chic retreat with top gourmet cuisine, just a short drive from Arusha New!

Reviewed by Guy Hunter-Watts

Onsea House, Tanzania, Overview

ONSEA HOUSE - REVIEW

East of Arusha, a line of hills covered in lush, subtropical vegetation run up towards the towering cone of Mount Meru. Onsea House grabs a perch on the first of these green ridges, with soaring views out to the town and to the distant flank of the Rift Valley: sunsets seen from here are simply phenomenal. Dirk and Axel Janssens, two polyglot cousins from Belgium, created this diminutive boutique guest house with a brief of providing top-notch accommodation and first-class food. They've succeeded brilliantly on both counts.

Onsea House bills itself as a 'home from home', and from the moment that you're greeted by Axel's easy smile it feels good to be here. The relaxed mood flows over into the bar and sitting room: the deeply cushioned sofas, bright Tinga Tinga artwork, angular lamps and light slanting in from high, valley-facing windows impart a feel that's bright and uplifting. Bedrooms have the same cared-for feel and the restaurant's gourmet cuisine further gilds this remarkable African lily.

HIGHS

You won't find better food in Arusha: just a year after opening, Onsea's restaurant is the favoured venue of the local intelligentsia
This is a perfect place to chill before or after a safari or gruelling Kili' ascent
The subtropical garden's exotic plants, trees and bushes are home to myriad avian and insect life
The dining terrace and alfresco sitting area, with long views out across the valley, is a great place to be at any time of night or day
The lodge is set on a hillside peppered with smallholdings: you get to see plenty of ethnic colour by simply stepping outside the front gate

LOWS

The 2 rooms that give onto the restaurant's dining terrace feel a little too much in the public eye
You should expect to hear galagos (night apes) in the small hours
Rooms in the garden cottage are accessed by exiting through a locked gate, crossing a dirt road, then passing through a second locked gate: all a bit of a to-do

Print Whole Report

Name	Onsea House	Location	near Arusha, Northern Circuit
Type	Country Inn: 5 rooms	Country	Tanzania
Price Guide	Dbl: US$140-175 BB	Open	All year


DISTANCES	Airport: 15km	Nearest Shops: 2km	Nearest restaurant: 2km	Beach: 350km