Email us

933 Reviews

Traveller Stories

Enquire

Why book with us?

What are you looking for?

Onsea House & Machweo Retreat

Arusha, Tanzania

Home > Accommodation > Tanzania > Arusha > Onsea House & Machweo Retreat

Onsea House & Machweo Retreat

PROPERTY FACILITIES

Pool

Gym

Spa

Wi-Fi

Business Center

Library

AVAILABLE SERVICES

Laundry Service

Airport Transfer

COMFORT LEVEL/PRICE RANGE

Mid-range

Ready to plan a tailor-made safari with this guest house?

Enquire now and a Travel Expert will get back to you within 24 hours.

Lets start planning

Is the Onsea House & Machweo Retreat for Me?

ONSEA HOUSE was founded in 2006 as a small but luxurious boutique hotel. From the beginning this establishment strived to bring greater comfort and better food than any other guesthouse or restaurant, with more personalized service than in a hotel and more privacy than a lodge resort.

MACHWEO WELLNESS RETREAT & FINE DINING was opened next to Onsea House in 2011. Machweo brings an even more luxurious and tranquil environment while maintaining the same personal approach.
All 9 new rooms offer top class amenities and a private balcony and have amazing views on sunset (‘machweo’ in Swahili) and Mount Meru.

Enjoy an amazing meal in our critically acclaimed restaurant by our star chef Axel and his team. Mixing local influences with classic French cuisine and only working with the best and freshest products, every bite and every sip will be an experience for your senses.

Machweo can be your home base for a safari or Kilimanjaro climb with beach holiday extension on Zanzibar, while supporting the iThemba Foundation Baraa Primary School project and other responsible tourism initiatives.

We believe Machweo to be the hidden gem you have been looking for: a refuge for those who enjoy the finer things in life.

Onsea House & Machweo Retreat Photo Gallery

Onsea House & Machweo Retreat Rooms

The Onsea House & Machweo Retreat has 14 rooms. Select a room for more details.

Machweo Honeymoon Suite

Stay in one of our three lovely Honeymoon Suites. The sand colored walls and floors combine perfectly with the wooden tailor-made furniture and create a soothing atmosphere. Some African artifacts decorate each room in a subtle way. Every Honeymoon Suite has a private sitting area to take in the amazing view.

Each Honeymoon Suite is exquisitely furbished with four-poster beds, satellite TV, minibar, tea-making facilities, safe and complementary WIFI.

Machweo Cottage

Stay in one of our 6 luxurious cottages. Each cottage contains amazing African art and is beautifully decorated to give each guest the most tranquil environment possible. Every cottage has a private terrace to enjoy the view on Mt. Meru and take in the African sunset.

Each cottage is exquisitely furbished with four-poster beds, satellite TV, minibar, tea-making facilities, safe and complementary WIFI.

Onsea House Guest Cottage

These sunny rooms feature a private wooden balcony with a great swimming pool and garden view. They have a sitting and writing area and an en-suite bathroom with hot bath/shower and toilet. The extra shared terrace offers direct access to the swimming pool. The fully equipped living room and kitchen make this room ideal both for either short or long term stay with family or friends.

Onsea House Country Inn

Onsea House Family Suite

Two doube rooms and one twin room with an excellent view from the private terrace providing a great sunset. The family suite has an en-suite bathroom with bath, shower and toilet.

The suite has a private garden, relax area and garden bath tub.

A private living room is connecting the different rooms. Free WiFi is available in the family suite.

Room facilities

Coffee/Tea

Safe

Gowns

Hairdryer

Television

Mini Bar

Mosquito Net

Lounge Area

Pure Cotton Linen

Activities offered by Onsea House & Machweo Retreat

Activities on site

Walking Safaris

Bird Watching

Activities off site

Golf

Onsea House & Machweo Retreat Restaurants

Machweo Fine Dining

Dining at Machweo is a delight. In 2006, Belgian chef Axel Janssens started to create the “Onsea House” style: a fusion of what he learned in the Michelin starred restaurants during his career combined with local influences and ingredients. Five years later, in 2011, the restaurant moved to its current location at Machweo.

The food and service is best described as Brasserie style with an African touch. Mixing the best of both worlds, the traditional French cuisine and the wonderful creativity and inspiration of this continent. The pure taste and flavours of the freshest ingredients are dressed and presented in the best way: elegant and contemporary. And of course everything is home made, yes, even the bread and the ice-cream,…

For every dish on the menu we recommend a complementing wine. Alternatively, you can make your own choice out of an amazing selection of wines that you can find on our wine list.

Our chef Axel is not only a very experienced and creative chef, he is also a great teacher. Throughout the year we have vulnerable youth who take on the challenge of the kitchen and we see them develop and grow under Axel’s wings. We now have, in addition to Axel, a few very talented young people who can provide peer-training of (future) chefs. What they can offer you and/or your staff is on-site, needs-based training. For a few hours, a few days, a few sessions… we are flexible. Our team is specialized in food presentation, cooking with quality products, dietary-request-cooking and wine stewarding.

More about Onsea House & Machweo Retreat

Wellness at Machweo

Relax in our Wellness area after an exhausting trip to Mt. Kilimanjaro or a bumpy safari trip.
Get away from it all, pamper yourself in this pure haven of peace and quiet. Spoil your body and soul. Choose one of our treatments to boost your energy levels, refresh your mind and get rejuvenated from head to toe.

Machweo Wellness Retreat & Fine Dining offers the finest spa & wellness facilities including steam bath, sauna and additional separate swimming pool. You also have the possibility to book a yoga session. The practice of yoga gives strength, flexibility and balance of the body, mind and spirit, revealing inner radiance and connecting us to the divinity of the universe.

List of massages:

– Swedish Massage
– Hot Stone Massage
– Shiatsu Massage
– Thai Massage
– Sports Massage
– Chocolate Massage
– D-Stress Massage

Coffee Tour

This trip will take you to a local organic and Fair Trade coffee farm. As you walk through the plantations you will be educated on the entire coffee-processing. You’ll enjoy a cup of coffee with the farmers while having a homemade Tanzanian lunch. You will also get the chance to visit the oldest church on Mt. Meru and to visit a local primary school.

Cultural Walk to Baraa Primary School

Visit the Baraa Primary School project which we are supporting in collaboration with the iThemba Foundation.

The first part of your walk will submerge you in the local way of life, housing, social structure and agriculture of Tanzania. In the school your guide will be joined by a pupil and together they will tell you everything about a Tanzanian primary school and all past and future iThemba projects. You will see the brand new classrooms, sanitary block, kitchen and all the other infrastructure iThemba built for the school and will learn everything about the projects to ensure a greater quality of education and a higher quality of life.
After that you will visit a local crafts shop, a daladala trip to the Banana Beer Factory and then a meal in a local restaurant. Your day ends with an unforgettable visit to the local market.

Mount Meru Walking Safari

You will be taken to the slope of Mount Meru for an 8km walk through the Mount Meru forest, an old, thick forest with a magnitude of birds, Colobus monkeys and small antilopes. You will have lunch in a beautiful spot at the top of the waterfall where you have a stunning view over Arusha town.

Lake Duluti Forest Reserve Tour

The Duluti-tour takes you to the caldera lake where you can choose between a lake forest walk or a canoe-trip on the lake. What makes this trip so interesting is that, according to local beliefs, the lake hides many stories and is a popular place for worshipping.

Arusha City Tour

Our local guide will show you the centre of Arusha. You will get a chance to visit the busy local market, see some beautiful African artifacts in the Cultural Heritage Museum or buy some local souvenirs at the Masai market.

Meru Cultural Tourism Walking Tours

Discover the local life in Tanzania through a beautiful walking tour. There are numerous options to get to know every part of the local environment.

– Meru Village Tour:

A local guide will take you to Tengeru where you get the chance of interacting with the villagers and learning about their culture and day-to-day habits.

– Visiting the pottery place:

This program takes you to the heart of a local industry. You’ll get the chance of learning about – and participating in – the entire process of making clay pots.

– Flower farm tour:

If you fancy vibrant colors and smells, this tour is just right for you. We’ll take you to both a local and an international flower farm where you’ll get to know all there is about producing flowers.

– Masai Village tour:

About 30km along the Namanga-road is the village of Oldonyoshambu, a traditional Masai village in the middle of the Rift Valley. This trip promotes people-to-people tourism and encourages multicultural friendship.

Dutch

English

Flemish

French

German

Swahili

Why Book with us?

Our safari experts are with you at every step of your journey.

Personalised Advice

Plan your trip with experts who live in Africa and have first-hand experience of the places you dream about. With this knowledge, they’re able to tailor every detail of your safari to your interests.

Exceptional Value

Safaris planned around your comfort and budget, with industry-leading financial protection. From rustic camps that move with the herds to private-use villas for families, we'll find your ideal set-up.

Responsible Safaris

We plan journeys with care and only work with partners we trust so that your safari has a positive impact on local communities, economies, and conservation initiatives.

24/7 Support

Our team of safari experts (with over 60 years of collective experience) are with you every step of the way, from planning your trip to landing back home after the experience of a lifetime.

What Our Guests Have to Say?

Read recent reviews from travellers who have planned and booked their trips with us

"Justin took great care to make sure we had the best possible experience in Kruger NP and we are so grateful. Through the booking process we were looking at several options and he patiently guided us through the alternatives but ultimately encouraged us t..."

Mark, Australia•01 Aug 2026•

"I worked with Justin Van Wyk at Discover Africa Safaris to arrange safaris in Zimbabwe and Botswana, including a stop at Victoria Falls, for two of my children and me. The safaris were exquisite, and Justin was phenomenal—professional, responsive, and detai..."

Bill Reid, United States•24 Jul 2026•

"Amazing and truly unique experience! Susan was absolutely wonderful from start to finish. She was incredibly friendly, professional, and always available to help with every detail. Her knowledge, organization, and passion made the entire safari unforgett..."

Chloé, United States•12 Jun 2026•

"Chrizaan was wonderful. She took our requests to heart and created a once in a lifetime trip for us. The transportation was arranged flawlessly and the safaris were breathtaking. We saw so much and did so much but it didn’t feel rushed. I would recommend Ch..."

Jacqueline Berkebile, United States•28 May 2026•

"Fantastic support in planning a once in a lifetime trip with amazing recommendations of places to stay whilst maximising the budget set. Thank you Chrizaan for your attention to detail in making this such a special trip. The partnership between Imvelo and t..."

Andrea J, United Kingdom•26 Apr 2026•

"We travelled last August on a trip planned with Dev at Discover Africa. It was a family trip that i wanted us to remember forever and we definetly will! We could not have had an easier or more wonderful time and we would never have been able to plan and man..."

Megan Gray, United Kingdom•16 Feb 2026•

View All Testimonials