Jabali Ridge
Upping the game
Roar-scored Ruaha
Perched in the baobab-blotted Ruaha National Park, Asilia Africa’s Jabali Ridge bursts with pride in more ways than one. Its luxe, Earth-kind camp beams with an infinity-edge swimming pool, treatment room, luxurious lodgings and all-encompassing views of your striking surroundings. But its confidence comes in equal part from the land, where low footfall and its lion share of big cats create prime seasonal sightings.
Once you’ve booked your chosen stays, the Asilia team will work to be in touch, on business days, within 48 hours, to help arrange travel between camps, which may include charter or private small-plane flights and/or overland transfers.
Facilities
Rooms
Nine, including one three-bedroom private house.
Checkout
10am. Check-in is at 2pm. Please note that late check-out may incur additional park fees, food, drink and transport charges.
More Details
Rates include all meals and drinks (except premium wines), limited laundry service, open-vehicle game drives, walking safaris and return transfers to Msembe Airstrip. Stays in the Private House also include a private chef, guide and safari vehicle.
Also
Unfortunately, this remote camp is not suitable if you have limited mobility.
Hotel Closed
Jabali Ridge closes its camp each year from the middle of March until the end of May.
Free Internet Access
Laundry
Pool
Room Service
Spa
At the Hotel
Gift shop, library and information centre, lounge area, sunset deck and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: radio, electric fan, torch, USB charging ports, tea- and coffee-making kit, free bottled water, mosquito net, laundry detergent, bathrobes, slippers and Healing Earth bath products.
Our Favourite Rooms
Jabali’s Private House is the gold standard for an all-frill safari stay, with its trio of family-friendly bedrooms, alfresco plunge pool and very own chef and guide-accompanied game vehicle. The Suites may have smaller set-ups, but they make for an all-the-more romantic affair with cushy emperor-size beds and wraparound decks that watch over the bordering baobab forest.
Poolside
The small infinity-edge swimming pool (open sunrise till sunset) and surrounding sunloungers watch over Ruaha’s ancient baobabs from its hilltop vantage point. There’s a bar just behind that spotlights gin-based tipples, and if you’re staying in the Private House, you’ll have the added luxury of a private plunge pool.
Spa
Set back from the main pool between baobabs, a single treatment room (open 8am to 8pm) hosts hot stone and traditional massages — the signature 'Ikuka Waterfalls’ is particularly healing for its coffee and coconut body scrub, and the ‘Jabali Awakening’ employs ancient techniques and scents of lemongrass, ginger and Tanzanian clove to soothe. Treatments can also be set-up in your suite, or anywhere around camp.
Packing Tips
All the safari staples: wide-brimmed hats, neck scarves to protect against the dust during dry season, hiking boots (walking safaris are Ruaha’s mainstay) and neutral colours.
Also
Once you’ve booked your safari stays, the Asilia team will be in touch within 48 hours, on business days, to help arrange travel between camps, which may include charter or private small-plane flights and/or overland transfers.
Children
Kids aged five or older are welcome. For some activities, the minimum age is 12 years old; younger Smiths will need to stay at camp, supervised by one of their adults.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
Watch as calming pastel hues colour the baobab-silhouetted skyline with a seat on the sunset deck.
Dress Code
Come as you are in this remote, outdoorsy stay.
Hotel Restaurant
Expect farm-to-fork dining that showcases seasonality and is proudly low on food miles. A commitment to sustainability and a celebration of local, indigenous ingredients underpin Asilia Africa’s approach to cuisine across all camps. Breads, cakes and even ice-creams are made freshly in-house, and dishes are always paired with South African wines.
At Jabali Ridge, breakfast might be a picnic in the bush consisting of fresh fruits, yoghurt, muesli, freshly squeezed juices, baked pastries, breakfast sandwiches and wraps. But if you're staying in camp, you also have an option to start your day with hot dishes à la carte.
Across all Asilia Africa camps, the menu changes by the day; at each meal, there’ll be a choice of starters, mains, sides and desserts, with vegetarians as well served as meat eaters. Lunch on Wednesdays and dinner on Sundays are a distinctly Swahili affair, spotlighting local culinary traditions. If you have food preferences or dietary requirements, the camp’s kitchen team will be happy to adapt dishes to suit.
Hotel Bar
There’s a dedicated-to-gin bar at the pool, with menus that put traditional African twists on the celebrated spirit, for sharp concoctions served straight to your sunlounger. You’re also welcome to order drinks to your suite, should you prefer your sips to be a little more secluded.
Last Orders
Rather than working to scheduled hours, meals fit around your plans and staff are happy to flex to meet your wishes.
Room Service
Available 24 hours: you can order drinks and snacks to your suite; meals, too, can be arranged chez vous.
Planes
From Kilimanjaro, Arusha or Dar Es Salaam airports, connecting flights touch down at Msembe Airstrip, where you’ll be met by Asilia staff for the 50-minute drive to camp, included with your stay.
Automobiles
All the driving at Jabali Ridge is taken care of by trained staff using Asilia vehicles.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
Jabali Ridge puts you in the heart of Ruaha National Park’s ecological patchwork, where semi-arid plains, baobab forests and miombo woodland create a haven for Tanzania’s wildlife. Between July and October, day and night game drives — as well as walking safaris — trail prowling big cats, giraffes, zebras and buffalos. Or, if you’d rather watch from afar, hot-air ballooning offers a scenic snapshot. Birders will find their flock in December, when 550 species of migratory birds come into sight. In January, herds of elephants graze the Mwagusi River’s banks, where you’re also welcome to go fishing. Cultural and community visits explore the native Hehe tribe’s legacy and influence; and conservation talks teach you more about Asilia’s efforts to protect this park’s rich biodiversity.
To explore the exceptional safari landscapes of Ruaha in detail, you could add Asilia Africa’s sister camp in south Tanzania to your itinerary. Start with three nights at Usangu Expedition Camp to explore the flora and fauna of its diverse wetlands and Miombo woodlands, before heading for the (slightly plusher) creature comforts of Jabali Ridge, where it's also advisable to stay for three nights.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
