Ngorongoro Crater Lodge | &Beyond Lodges

Without doubt one of the top ten hotels in the world. Perched on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater and with views to die for; people come to Tanzania just to stay here. This is &Beyond’s flag ship property; quirky and something different from other properties on a northern itinerary. &Beyond call it ‘ Masaai meets Versaille’, we find it verging on over the top - but if you can afford it - you must stay here!

Ngorongoro Crater Lodge - The Facts

The Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is located on the rim of the crater with fantastic views into the crater it self. The lodge is best accessed by aircraft arriving at Manyara airstrip, which is an hour’s drive from the lodge. The Crater lodge works well in combination with the Serengeti National Park which is right next door, and so forms an intrinsic part of any top-end Tanzanian safari holiday and a wonderful addition to a Tanzania Honeymoon

The Crater itself is famous for its excellent animal sightings, especially of members of the 'Big 5' such as lions, elephants and buffalo. The Crater offers some of the most astounding photographic opportunities, from the look-out points dotted around the rim, to the exceptional wildlife within, make sure you bring a camera with plenty of batteries and memory cards!

Ngorongoro Crater Lodge - The Rooms

The lodge is split into 3 camps, each with a very similar feel and when you are staying at one of the camps you would have no idea that there are two other camps there. The camps are North, South and Tree. Tree Camp is lower down and nearer the rim among the trees, however sometimes the views can be obstructed by the trees. The main communal area is huge and slightly over the top; grand chandeliers, massive windows with the magnificent views and open log fires to keep cosy.

The Bandas are private and spread out on the grassland in front of the lodge, the deep reds, chandeliers; free-standing baths make this lodge very different to anywhere else in north Tanzania.

&Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge - Activities

The main activity here is game driving in the crater itself which is normally a daily 6 hour Ngorongo Safari drive. With activities limited to eploring the Crater and visiting local Masai Villages, we only recommend a couple of nights here.

The cultural village visit is an afternoon or morning activity and the Crater is relatively small compared to the open plains of the Serengeti, so one day exploring the Crater is more than enough.

After a couple of nights at Crater Lodge, heading into the Serengeti is a must. &Beyond's mobile migration camp, Serengeti Under Canvas is the most luxurious of the tented camps in the National Park. Following the wildebeest through their annual migration, the camp moves as well. Whether it is based in the Southern Ndutu Plains or the Northern Kogatende region, you can be assured that you will have every amentiy one could wish for. It is the epitomy of 'glamping'.

Another camp that is certainly worth considering if you are combining the Ngorongoro Area with the Serengeti is Klein's Camp. Based in its own private concession on the Eastern border of the Serengeti, extra activities like night drives and premitted off-road driving allow you to escape the National Park's crowds and enjoy exclusive and intimate wildlife sightings.

There are always a number of great deals around so make sure you contact one of our Tanzania experts to find out more about the best combinations and what deals can be taken advantage of!

AT A GLANCE

Ngorongoro Crater Lodge Rates:
$1,990 per person

Honeymoon Offer: 50% off the bride

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Client rating

[95% BASED ON 4 REVIEWS]

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Client Reviews

[95% BASED ON 4 REVIEWS]

Still another suggestion by A. O. was to stay at Ngorongoro Crater 2 nights instead of the 3 we had initially scheduled. Spot on!! (We thoroughly enjoyed the Masai Village visit )

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- R Nelson

Ngorongoro Crater Lodge (Rating 5) – I absolutely loved this lodge. The service, food, staff were great. The crater itself was not my favorite way to safari (in a closed car, on designated roads) but I did enjoy the experience.

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- E. Gozukizil

As anticipated, this was way over the top - who expects to see electric golf carts in a game lodge? - but great fun for a couple of nights. Super luxurious, superb banda with a great view, personal butler service and everything one could wish for. It was possibly a little too luxurious to have the true feeling of a game lodge - for us the ideal balance is Beho Beho - luxury but with a feeling of intimate contact with the game. Apart from a small hiccup at the beginning, the service and food were excellent. I should explain that after an overnight flight to Nairobi, then a four hour hopping flight with Coastal to Manyara, then a one and a half hour drive to the lodge, we were dog tired on arrival, and all we wanted was a siesta. The manager however was insistent that we have pep talk with others and then lunch before we could go to our banda, about 4 p.m. We were not best pleased. They did however make up for it and more the following day. We arrived back after a nine hour game drive in the crater to find the bath run, surrounded by thousands of rose petals, and with champagne on ice by the bath! That evening our table at dinner was covered with roses and again all around masses of rose petals. Altogether a brilliant day. We suspect there was a little TO sorcery involved! The game viewing was also excellent. Staying at Crater Lodge meant that we could be down in the crater very early, which meant that for the first 3 to 4 hours there were very few other vehicles. The variety of game was astonishing in such a limited area and Mudy was an excellent guide. The only downside (which was understandable in such a limited area) was that the vehicles are not permitted to leave the tracks.

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- P Bullick

Rooms and view were outstanding, food and staff were excellent. Not sure it is worth the price compared to the other places we stayed.

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- M. Goldsmith

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&Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge

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