Home | The Researchers Rest | Arusha

The Researchers Rest is part of Arusha Lore, built by Jo and Judith, two British women who could not resist adventure. Childhood friends and classmates, their journeys took them in wildly different directions, but convirged back in Arusha where they became nothing less than local celebrities.

One of these adventures ended in the purchase of part of a Coffee Planation where the Researchers Rest stands today. Designed to house members of the research community during their time in Arusha, the 5 bedroom property provides privacy while giving you the feeling of being at home.

The architecture of the house is a unique blend of british colonial style adapted for the materials available at the time. The focal point is the huge bay window looking out into the garden from the sitting room, which was to satisfy Jo's love for bottany.

The house is furnished with an eclectic mix of British antiques, african furniture and some odds and ends from different expeditions around the world. The libarary shelves are filled with volumes many written by regular guests and the walls are decorated with photos from the various resident photographers.

I am an ecological anthropologist and have been working in East Africa for 40 years. I work on issues related to land-use, livelihood diversification and the impacts of conservation on local communities. I have conducted research in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, around Loliondo to the east of Serengeti National Park and now outside of Tarangire National Park.

I started staying at what is now Researchers Rest in the early to mid 1990s. Of course, it was then known as Jo and Judith’s (JJs). It was a wonderful place to come to from the field and exchange stories about fieldwork and research with the other researchers who also called Jo and Judith’s their home away from home.

I’m a human ecologist and geographer at Virginia Tech in the US. For the past 15 years, I’ve worked with Maasai communities in Simanjiro and Longido.

My first visit to the house, which is now Researcher’s Rest, was as a graduate student in 2005. The memory is so vivid for me. And in 2010, I lived in the house with my wife and our 1-year old daughter while I collected data for my dissertation. Over many years, it has been wonderful to enjoy the warmth of the excellent staff at the house and thrilling to share space and time, food and drink with researchers and travelers from around the world.

In 2019, I was able to return to the house with my wife and our three young children. Sharing this place with them is something I will always treasure. Occasionally, when I jog their memories about our exciting trip to Africa, one of them will say “I miss Eddie.” I couldn’t agree more.