Lemala Kuria Hills Lodge, perched among the granite kopjes of Wogakuria Hill in the northern reaches of Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, completed a full renovation in August 2026.
Operator Lemala Camps & Lodges added a two-bedroom family suite, relocated the lodge spa, and completely redesigned its main dining tent.
Better, Not Bigger
Where other properties tend to expand, Lemala took a different approach, making better use of the space it already had.
The work took place during the lodge’s annual closure, between March and May. The centerpiece was a two-bedroom family suite built on the exact spot where the spa once stood.
The new space includes a private pool, generous living areas, and a contemporary look that blends comfortably with the rest of the property.
Leanne Haigh, CEO of Lemala Camps & Lodges, said the guiding principle was to build on what was already working well at Kuria Hills rather than add new infrastructure to the landscape.
The spa was relocated to a new area within the lodge compound, and the dining tent was expanded and redesigned to improve flow between the bar, the restaurant, and the common areas — all without losing its visual link to the surrounding bush.
Wogakuria: One of the Best Spots to See the Great Migration
The lodge’s location is no coincidence.
Wogakuria Hill sits within the corridor that leads to the Mara River crossing, one of the most prized spots for travelers tracking the Great Migration — the annual movement of more than one million wildebeest and zebras between the Serengeti and Kenya’s Masai Mara.
Between July and October, the herds gather here before attempting the crossing — one of the migration’s most dramatic moments, with crocodiles waiting in the current and big cats poised on both banks.
The landscape here combines open grasslands, sparse woodland, and the rounded granite outcrops, or kopjes — ancient rock formations that rise from the plain and serve as natural lookout points and favored resting spots for lions.
Unlike busier sections of the park such as Seronera, the northern Serengeti draws far fewer visitors, making for a much more intimate safari experience even at the height of the season.
Beyond the migration window, the region’s wildlife doesn’t vanish. Farther south, within the Serengeti itself, the green season — November through April — coincides with calving season, when thousands of wildebeest and zebra calves are born within a matter of weeks, which in turn draws the area’s predators.
What Changes for Families
Before the renovation, Kuria Hills had no accommodation designed specifically for family or multigenerational groups.
The new two-bedroom suite fills that gap, letting a family share one space while keeping their own privacy — with a private pool as a bonus.
The addition brings Kuria Hills in line with the rest of Lemala’s Tanzania lodges, which already offered similar options at other locations. The lodge welcomes children of all ages, and the expansion appeals directly to groups who want to travel together without sacrificing comfort.
More Than a Luxury Brand
Lemala Camps & Lodges operates around a dozen properties across the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Tarangire regions of Tanzania, as well as a property on the Nile in Uganda.
The company is part of Tourvest, a South African tourism group with more than 60 brands and 5,000 employees across the region.
Beyond hospitality, Lemala has earned international recognition for its sustainability programs.
Among other initiatives, the company has eliminated single-use plastics across its properties, recycles part of its waste into school furniture, and distributes reusable sanitary pads to girls in Maasai communities — a program meant to cut the school days girls miss for lack of menstrual products.
How and When to Visit
Kuria Hills closes every year between March and May, a period the company typically uses for maintenance and, this time, for the renovation it has just completed.
July through October is the most sought-after season, given the proximity to the Mara River crossings, while November through April offers a far greener landscape and the possibility of heading south into the park to witness calving season.
From the lodge, available activities include photographic game drives, guided walking safaris, and hot air balloon rides at dawn over the savanna.
All of this keeps the northern Serengeti among the last corners of East Africa where you can still feel truly alone — even in the middle of one of the most spectacular wildlife events on Earth.
