Banyan Group has gone on safari. The resort group best known for Asian hideaways has opened Ubuyu, a Banyan Tree Escape, in Tanzania's Ruaha National Park — its first safari property anywhere and only the second Escape, following the wall-free Buahan retreat near Ubud in Bali.
The choice of Ruaha is the interesting part. Most first-time safari-goers head for Tanzania's northern circuit — Serengeti, Ngorongoro and the rest — where the crowds can be as dense as the wildlife. Ruaha, in the country's south in the Iringa region, sits where East African savannah meets southern miombo woodland, and sees far fewer visitors. It holds one of Africa's biggest elephant populations, what is claimed to be the world's highest concentration of lions, a refuge for the endangered African wild dog, and more than 570 bird species. The Great Ruaha River sustains it all, and the land carries deep cultural weight for the Hehe, Bena and Kinga peoples.
Ubuyu — Swahili for the baobab fruit — is deliberately small. Six villas line the river, each with a private plunge pool and layouts built around river, savannah and mountain views. The line-up includes three One-Bedroom River Front Villas, a secluded River Glade Villa, a Two-Bedroom River View Villa for families, and the Ubuyu Private Retreat, a three-suite residence with a 360-degree rooftop terrace, firepit lounge and optional private chef. Design details nod to Maasai circular homesteads, with local clay, thatch, solar power and Mninga wood furniture made by Tanzanian artisans.
Communal life centres on the Living Room, an open-air space around a firepit where guests and staff share meals, plus a plant-forward Open Kitchen using nearby farm produce under a zero-waste philosophy, a rooftop Mganga Bar pouring botanical elixirs, and the riverside Maji Spa drawing on indigenous healing traditions.
What sets the Escape concept apart from a standard luxury lodge is how each stay is run. Every guest gets a dedicated Escape Host who builds the days around individual interests — dawn walking safaris, village visits preceded by proper cultural briefings, private dinners on the riverbank — rather than a fixed game-drive schedule. Conservation is built in too, with guest experiences tied to the Ruaha Conservation Project.
For travellers, the takeaway is simple: if you've done the northern circuit, or want serious wildlife without a convoy of other 4x4s, Ruaha now has a high-end, low-impact option. Families get a genuine two-bedroom villa; groups or multi-gen trips can take over the entire Private Retreat. With only six villas, booking well ahead — especially for the June-to-October dry season, when wildlife congregates at the river — is advisable. Story via Hotel Designs.
