The Ngorongoro Crater and surrounding highlands are one of Africa's most beautiful regions. Volcanic craters form stunning backdrops to some of the richest grazing grounds in Africa. The most famous is without question the Ngorongoro Crater, the worlds largest intact volcanic caldera; home to the highest density of big game in Africa. With 600 metre high walls and a rich volcanic floor that plays host to the big five, Ngorongoro is one of the continent's most famous safari destinations. A trip to Northern Tanzania has to include Ngorongoro, it is an exceptional place to interact with the Maasai and is one of the most beautiful natural wildlife sites in the world.
The Ngorongoro Crater: an overview of where to stay
The question here is whether you stay on the Crater rim or off the crater rim, in the Ngorongoro highlands. The Ngorongoro Crater lodge is world class and is by far the best hotel on the Crater rim, but at approximately $3,000 a night it probably should be! The Serena and the Sopa are much more affordable options and have equally stunning views of the Crater floor, their negatives being the fact they are large and fairly old hotels.
Staying away from the Crater rim in nearby Karatu in the highlands open up the option of staying in small coffee plantations and guesthouses which cost approximately the same as the Serena and Sopa but have undeniably more charm, albeit without the amazing Ngorongoro views. The best of these are The Plantation Lodge, Gibbs Farm and The Manor.
Yes the Ngorongoro Crater is busy, at times very busy, but given it is one of the worlds most amazing natural wonders, it is going to be busy! The Ngorongoro Crater is the best place in Tanzania to see the 'Big Five' and is an absolutely beautiful place to be on safari. However due to the crowds we recommend a 2 night stay only, after that the safari time should be spent in the Serengeti. The advantage of staying at a hotel on the Crater rim is the view, the advantage of staying away from the Crater at nearby Karatu is the range of activities that Karatu offers such as walking
The Ngorongoro Crater: When to go
Since the game stays in the crater all year, there really is no good or bad time to be in the park. However given that the crater floor can be busy with vehicles the low season months are probably the best time of year to travel. There is also something to be said for that fact that more water in lake Magadi (in the center of the Crater) results in higher flamingo concentrations, but travelling to Ngorongoro at any time of year will guarantee great game.
A Safari in the Ngorongoro Crater: What game will you see
The Ngorongoro is the best place in Tanzania to see the big five. A healthy population of black rhino and some of the largest tusker elephants left in Africa today are the prize spots, but the Crater is home to strong populations of lion, leopard and hyena along with good herds of wildebeest, buffalo and zebra. Other game in Ngorongoro includes serval cat, cheetah, jackal, Grant's and Thompson's gazelle, flamingo and bat eared foxes along with approximately 400 species of bird.
The Ngorongoro Crater: What activities are on offer
Activities in the Ngorongoro Crater itself are limited to game driving only. There are also picnic spots in the park. When you include the surrounding Ngorongoro Conservation area a full range of activities are on offer including walking, trekking, visiting the Masai and other tribes and Olduvai gorge.
The Ngorongoro Crater and Conservation Area explained:
The Ngorongoro Crater floor
The Crater rim is over 2,200 metres high, and touched with swathes of clouds for most days of the year. By contrast the Ngorongoro Crater floor is a unique habitat where rich volcanic soil and year round water supply has resulted in a rich and healthy ecosystem supporting approximately 25,000 of Africa's big game. The Lerai forest and Lake Magadi filled by the Munge river, along with the famous hippo pool, are surrounded by vast plains that cover a crater floor which is up to 20km's wide (260 sqkm). Even though some of the animals do leave the confines of the Crater, Ngorongoro is the perfect habitat for many species, inclining both grazers and predators to remain throughout the year.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Found on the Western side of Africa's Great rift valley, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a striking range of volcanic craters that make up one of the most dramatic areas of Africa. The Ngorongoro is by far the areas main attraction but for people spending longer in the area other crater's such as Empakaai are far off the tourist track and are excellent for walking trips, albeit with a fraction of the game viewing available at Ngorongoro. We arrange hiking trips of the area and include expeditions to Oldonyo Lengai, the Masai's Mountain of God.
Olduvai Gorge
Olduvai, a misspelling of the Masai word Oldupai, is one of the areas main attractions with Olduvai Gorge being the site of numerous prominent archaeological finds. Made famous by Louis and Mary Leakey, the site has thrown up discoveries which date back nearly 2 million years giving Olduvai the title of the 'Cradle of Mankind'. Today a small museum gives visitors an introduction to the area and guides are available to walk you into the gorge. A copy of the famous Laetoli footprints, found nearby, are on display.
Ngorongoro Lodges
We have included all the lodges below ordered by our ranking, and by price. Clicking on any of the links will bring up more information; our detailed view of the lodge, video, photos, key facts etc.
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Ngorongoro Crater Lodge The famous 'Crater Lodge'; people travel to the country to stay here! One of the most famous lodges in Africa comes with a high price tag but is one of the most unique properties in Africa. Offering by far the best accommodation on the Crater rim you have to want to be completely spoilt to stay here. A stunning albeit completely over the top hotel that is rightly viewed as one of the continents finest.
Plantation Lodge - Ngorongoro Highlands Plantation lodge is located off the Crater rim, in nearby Karatu. The negative of staying here is the distance you have to drive to the Ngorongoro, but Plantation certainly has better accommodation than everything on the Crater rim (apart from Crater Lodge). The rooms are slightly more affordable than nearby Gibbs farm and for that reason Plantation is our favourite lodge in the Karatu area.
Gibbs Farm Gibbs Farm, as with Plantation Lodge, is located off the Crater rim, in nearby Karatu. The negative of staying here is the distance you have to drive to the Ngorongoro, but the lodge certainly has better accommodation than everything on the Crater rim (apart from Crater Lodge) and can be used as a base to explore Ngorongoro and Manyara. A famous lodge with a great reputation.
The Manor The Manor is an extremely luxurious hotel that offers some of the highest quality rooms in Northern Tanzania. As with Gibbs Farm and Plantation lodge, the Manor is located in Karatu with the only negative being the fact that the driving distance to the Ngorongoro is the longest of any hotel in the area. Designed in the style of an old colonial homestead the Manor offers unique and very good accommodation with the service levels we have come to expect from the Elewana brand.
Ngorongoro Serena Lodge The Ngorongoro Serena is a great lodge to use as a well-priced base for safari in the Crater. Located on the Crater rim, the views are utterly breathtaking and staying here guarantees the benefit of an early start for the Crater floor. With balconies to every room and a stunning restaurant and bar area with equally good views, this is a great choice for Crater accommodation.
Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge The Ngorongoro Sopa is an old hotel that has arguably the best views of any of the Ngorongoro Crater hotels. The Sopa also has the quietest access route to the Crater floor which is a huge benefit over the busier Serena entrance. Our only issue with the Sopa is the fact that the hotel is old and subsequently, fairly rough around the edges However, we cannot deny that this lodge is good value, and a great hotel for location and views alone.
Lemala Ngorongoro Lemala is the only permanent tented camp on the Ngorongoro Crater rim and subsequently offers a welcome change from the Crater's large hotels. However the camp doesn't have a few onto the Crater floor and is the only Lemala property still to have the old tents the company used to use for all their properties. As a result, this camp hasn't quite got the character you expect from this price. We hope to see the new tents in place soon.
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