Onsea House

We stayed here after a week of safari trips. It felt like a wonderful oasis, being surrounded by a beautiful garden in a very tastefully decorated house. Onsea is the original place, extend via a walkway to the newer Machweo part (where you also find the fine-dining restaurant). We stayed in Machweo House and were treated amazingly well. The room has a patio to enjoy the garden and the pool, the bathroom was huge with a big bathtub, and the bed was very comfortable. We chose the place because of its great restaurant, and we were not disappointed! Highly recommended!

We stayed at Onsea House for one night at the start of our safari for our honeymoon. We really enjoyed our stay. The staff were very helpful and attentive. They also kindly gave us some celebratory champagne for our honeymoon and decorated our dinner table with rose petals. We thought the food for dinner was delicious and also enjoyed the breakfast too. The hotel is set in a beautiful location with a great view of Meru. We found it to be very quiet. The room was comfortable though there were some issues with the electricity which for a period of an hour or so did keep cutting out. However this isn’t unexpected given the location. We would definitely recommend Onsea House.

This was undoubtedly one of Tanzania’s if not the Continent’s hidden gems. Hard to understand since the Belgian born chef so intrinsically gets his clientele. The experience is truly not to be missed. The service, decor, food and gentle touch are Tanzania at its best.

I had a wonderful stay at the Onsea House while recently visiting Arusha and the surrounding areas. The property is set on a hill overlooking the green valley of Arusha and Mount Meru. It’s set back off of the busy road so you really feel nestled into the natural environment, away from all of the buzzing horns and city life. I loved waking up to the birds singing and stepping out of my room and into such a lush natural environment. My house (#7) was very quiet, I never heard the neighbors next door and I slept better than I have in a long time! ||The staff were extremely accommodating and very responsive via email even before I arrived. In person, they couldn’t be warmer and sweeter. I enjoyed the many chats that I had with them. While everyone was incredibly friendly, they were also very efficient and on top of everything. Even when there was a misunderstanding on my end regarding the bill, they treated me with kindness and grace- a true reflection of the character and values of the Tanzanian people. ||I could write an entire review dedicated to just the food, which was superb. What I will say is that I appreciated that they went out of their way to provide food to guests that had allergies or intolerances. They made a special rosemary cassava flour bread for me since I don’t eat wheat- and I’m still dreaming about it. ||Just a heads up to future travelers: if you need to rely on a strong internet connection while here, I would suggest getting an international or local SIM card while you’re there so you can use the hotspot. The internet at the hotel is a little slow and spotty. ||Looking forward to my return at Onsea House when I'm back in town!

Cannot recommend this place enough! Such a magical place, beautifully designed to indulge us in greenery and remarkable view of Arusha. The breakfast setup, quality, freshness and variety was among the best we ever had. Staff are very attentive, warm and professional in every detail. We had dinner served in our room while our little one was sleeping and this was the highlight of our stay. We had a 5 course perfectly and carefully made dinner. The room is so cozy, bathroom has a large bathtub, very well equipped and maintained. We loved Onsea! We hope to come back

Loved staying at Machweo Retreat instead of at a Hotel. Located just 15 minutes outside of Arusha town I felt immersed in Tanzanian life from the onset as you are in fact experiencing a village aspect.||Reservation was easy to make with Leonard online and pre-arranged pick up was on time at Kilimanjaro airport - driver very nice and provided air conditioned comfort plus water.||Stunning views over Arusha and Mt Meru, delicious food and staff all friendly and extremely helpful. Pool area is lovely and gardens are lush. Victor the manager helped organise a driver for a day 0930-1630 to take us around Arusha at a most reasonable rate. I had done my homework and knew how much to pay. Special thanks to Emmanuel for looking after us so well in the dining area - you are a star. The set dinner menu was absolutely delicious which we had on our second evening with matching wines. ||The rooms are spacious and well fitted out. Extremely comfortable bed. Only small negative was that we could hear the couple in the next room to us cough and talk. On the website it says rooms have maximum privacy however our cottage (number 4) shared a terrace and common area with another cottage. This would be great if you were travelling with a family or a group but not otherwise. The staff did offer to change our room allocation but then we would have lost our magnificent view so we decided to stay with it. Just something to be aware of when booking.|Purchased the absolutely stunning book "A Taste Of Tanzania" that Axel Janssens and his friend Wim have created - it was worth lugging around Tanzania and I can't wait to properly devour it for its content and recipes. I was able to have it signed as both Axel and Wim were in residence - very fortunate and a real keepsake. ||Would thoroughly recommend this property for ambience, location and a super start or finish to your Tanzanian Safari. |

We stayed here during our daughter's graduation ceremony. The food exceeded our expectations. The chef made sure everyone got what they wanted. They offer very good breakfast. Their rooms are clean and spacious. The staff were friendly and their service above bar. A good place overall

The best food with chef Axel. Great room and magnificent views. Very good hammam and massages.|They are so professional and friendly. They also arranged our three day safari trip to Tarangiri and Ngorongoro with full service. Really place to start your trip in Tanzania. And pleace let them organise your trip.