David Crater Homestay

We stayed 3 nights at David's place and couldn't be happier! David has built a very nice place with nice houses and a great garden. It is still being expanded and we would like to see the result when everything is finished, because it will certainly be even better! The room was very cozy and clean, it is also worth mentioning that the shower is the best (and hottest) we can remember having experienced in Africa. The food was delicious! Not to mention, David and the rest of the staff were wonderful hosts. David helped us with anything we needed. We can't help but recommend this place warmly, and wish David and his family all the best!

Very nice stay at David Crater Homestay. We had 3 nights there and it was an excellent experience. The rooms are quite big, the buildings are unique, the service for breakfast and dinner is very friendly and supporting with everything, the food is very good and much enough for good eaters. David is a very good guestfather, he is there for every question and we enjoyed very much to stay with him every evening on the woodfireplace with a lot of time to talk about everything. If necessary, he can arrange good guided tours in the area of Lushoto/Usumbara. But, and this was for us really great, he don't refuse if someone wants to go alone (like the hike to the famous viewpoints Irente or Yogoi/Java). It's one of the rare places in Tanzania, where you can go without a guide.

Davids homestay is a little paradise hidden near Lushoto. It is a lovely place, where you can hear nothing but the sound of all the surrounding animals, hidden in the forrest. We found more chameleons and monkeys on davods ground, than while we were hiking The rooms are very comfortable and clean and the food is very tasty. Every one of emoyees is very kindly and helpful. We did a hiking trip and our safari near Arusha with David and he made it to an amazing trip for us. He is well connected, and combines everything as you wish for your safari.

PROS: Rooms are very clean and cozy with nice bathroom, equipped in a "european" style. The overall compound is very nice and relaxing, with lots of vegetation. We spotted monkeys, chameleons and some birds in the garden. There is a common patio with a fireplace where every evening the staff made a fire. They offer great homemade meals. The breakfast was included in the price and contained a good variety of food (eggs, pancakes, homed jams, fruits...) You can also buy lunch or dinner - for $8 you get the whole menu including soup, salad, fruits. Very big portions. Ideal after a whole-day hike. Also the staff was very friendly. We met David only few times as he was busy working out of town, but we had a great chat with him and got some good tips for our hikes. There were also David's nephews, who were always present and were very friendly and helpful. CONS: If you arrive in Lushoto town and want to get there by foot, you have to walk a steep hill. It's quite a journey, but it is walkable. You can hire a motorbike to get you there, if you are brave enough. If the weather outside is cold (which in these mountains usually is), the rooms are cold as well as there is no heating. Also in our room, the air was very humid and had a bit of a "moldy" smell (there actually was no mold at all, I guess its just from the moisture in the walls). As the homestay is located up on the hill, we were hoping for a nice view in the valley, which unfortunately is not the case due to the high trees surrounding the place.

David, danke … für dein wunderbares Homestay. Du hast dir wirklich ein kleines Paradies geschaffen. Einfach nur dasitzen und Affen beim Bananen klauen oder Chamäleons beim Klettern beobachten … das Klasse Dinner deiner Frau … das Frühstück to Go für unsere sehr frühe Weiterreise … die Organisation unserer Weiterreise nach Zanzibar. Busbuchung, Transfer zum Ferryterminal, Ferry Tickets. Es lief alles wie am Schnürchen Wir sind schon auf die Umsetzung deiner Expansionspläne gespannt. Sind uns sicher, dass noch viele Gäste eine grossartige Zeit bei Dir verbringen werden. In den Usambara Bergen waren wir mit Richard unterwegs. Vielen Dank Richard … dass du uns an so schöne Orte wie den Irente view Point und den kisasa waterfall geführt hast … dass du gefühlt jedes „Steigerl“ in Lushoto kennst, was die Wanderungen sehr abwechslungsreich macht … für die Guacamole 🥑 die du uns zum Lunch zubereitet hast … dass du uns die Landschaft und das Landleben der Menschen näher gebracht hast Für uns wird die Zeit in Tanzania unvergessen bleiben. Wie es mit den schönen Dingen so ist gehen sie leider viel zu schnell vorbei.

Super Homestay! Der Besitzer legt unheimlich Wert auf Qualität und Perfektion. Es macht Spaß zu sehen was sich wieder geändert hat und wie das kleine Paradies über Lushoto sich über die Zeit verändert. Kann ich jederzeit ohne Einschränkungen empfehlen. Einfach toll, wenn man ausspannen möchte in schöner Umgebung mit netten Leuten. Das Kamelion lebt dort mit einigen Freunden in einer Hecke. ;-)