Manna Safari Lodge, Glen Lorne: A Wildlife Retreat on the Edge of Harare
Manna Safari Lodge sits in the leafy hills of Glen Lorne, one of Harare’s most verdant suburbs, and offers something genuinely unusual for a city hotel: zebra and impala roaming the grounds, stone-clad lodges set among indigenous gardens, and enough space and quiet to make the capital feel far away.
It is not a remote bush camp — Harare’s restaurants and amenities are minutes away — but it earns the safari label through atmosphere rather than geography.
Location
Glen Lorne lies on Harare’s northeastern fringe, a hillside area of large properties and mature trees that buffers the resort from urban noise without isolating it.
The lodge is self-contained enough to spend several days without needing to leave, but the city center is accessible by car, and a cluster of well-regarded restaurants is within five minutes of the gate.
For international visitors, Harare Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport is reachable in under half an hour depending on traffic. A private car or transfer is the practical way to get here; the location is not served by public transport in any meaningful sense.
Rooms and Chalets
Accommodation is spread across five categories: Standard, Deluxe, Platinum, President, and thatched Chalets.
The design throughout draws on natural materials — stone cladding, warm textures, indigenous finishes — and the overall effect is one of considered African contemporary style rather than generic hotel comfort. Rooms are spacious, beds are reliably comfortable, and cleanliness is consistently well maintained.
The thatched Chalets offer the most immersive experience, surrounded by the sounds of the bush and with the greatest sense of privacy.
President rooms deliver premium furnishings and the best views on the property. A dedicated Bridal Suite is available for couples celebrating a wedding or honeymoon stay.
Food and Drink
The restaurant serves a menu that moves between African-influenced dishes and broader international fare, with fresh local ingredients and evident care from the kitchen. Breakfast is complimentary, filling, and well-executed.
Beyond the restaurant, the lodge offers outdoor braai spots and picnic areas set within the grounds — a relaxed alternative for groups or families who want to eat with the landscape rather than indoors.
The setting for an open-air meal here, with wildlife wandering nearby, is the kind of experience that justifies the trip on its own.
One caveat: the restaurant is expensive relative to the food quality, and the cooking is honest rather than ambitious. If fine dining is your benchmark, you may find the nearby restaurants in Glen Lorne and the broader Harare dining scene more satisfying for a special evening out.
Facilities and Service
The lodge has a swimming pool, spa, laundry service, conference facilities, dedicated wedding and events spaces, and ample secure parking on site. The spa offers massages and treatments that several visitors have singled out as a genuine highlight.
Service is the lodge’s most defining quality. Staff across every department — reception, housekeeping, restaurant — are warm, attentive, and genuinely invested in making a stay work.
Pros and Cons
✔ Zebra and impala roaming the grounds — a genuine bush atmosphere within city limits
✔ Spacious, well-designed rooms and chalets in natural materials
✔ Warm, consistently praised service across all departments
✔ Complimentary breakfast included
✔ Spa, pool, braai spots, and picnic areas on site
✔ Secure on-site parking
✔ Well-suited to families, weddings, and corporate groups alike
✔ Close to Harare’s restaurants while feeling removed from the city
✘ Some maintenance issues
✘ Restaurant can feel expensive relative to the food quality
✘ No practical public transport access — a car is essential
✘ Not a remote safari destination; wildlife is limited to the lodge grounds
Overall
Manna Safari Lodge makes a persuasive case for itself: a place where you can watch impala from your veranda, eat breakfast outdoors, and be in a Harare restaurant by evening. It is not trying to compete with the great camps of Hwange or Mana Pools — the name aside, this is an urban safari lodge — but within that category it delivers consistently. Book a chalet if the bush atmosphere is what draws you, report any room issues promptly, and let the staff do the rest.