Onsea House

Onsea House sits at about 1,400 metres on Namasi Hill, ten minutes from central Arusha and forty five minutes from Kilimanjaro International Airport, which makes it a natural first or last night on a northern circuit safari. Founded by the Janssens family in 2006, it keeps just five rooms: two double suites and a family suite in the country inn, plus an adjacent self contained guest cottage that sleeps up to six. Every room has a four poster bed with mosquito net, an en suite bathroom, a safe, a mini bar and a private balcony or veranda facing the Meru valley, and the calm African colonial decor is freshened daily with cut flowers. Beyond the rooms there are landscaped gardens, a floodlit swimming pool with a lawn bar and a spa offering massages and wellness treatments. The kitchen is the real draw. Michelin trained Belgian chef Axel Janssens serves a fusion of European and African cooking, from freshly pressed juices and patisserie at breakfast to a five course dinner with matched wines, taken either at the neighbouring Machweo restaurant or privately at Onsea House for guests on an exclusivity package. Airport transfers, guided day trips to Arusha National Park, Mount Meru walks and cultural excursions are all arranged in house.