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Ngorongoro Crater Lodge
Scratching mum's back
Masai with donkeys overlooking the Ngorongoro crater

The Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is perched on top of the breathtaking Ngorongoro Crater surrounded by some of the most spectacular flora and fauna in Africa. Ngorongoro Crater Lodge offers families accommodation in a truly unique and imagination stirring setting.

The lodge is inspired by ancient African architecture and offers a modern and comfortable place for the family to enjoy the natural splendour of their surroundings. Each of the lodge suites commands an awe-inspiring view of the crater floor 500 metres below.

In the early morning your driver will take your family down into the Crater for a morning's game viewing straight after breakfast. After an hour or so as the crater starts to get busy you’ll head off through Olduvai Gorge to explore other smaller craters and game before returning to the lodge.

Your family will be inspired to learn that Ngorongoro Crater was originally a volcano larger than Mount Kilimanjaro but approximately three million years ago a huge series of eruptions caused the centre to subside forming a vast volcanic caldera ten miles wide. The floor of the caldera is 1500ft below the rim and on this 80-mile² area live 20,000 animals of all kinds. There are thousands of wildebeest, zebra, antelope, giraffe and other plains game, lion, leopard, hyena and bat-eared fox and seventeen rhinoceros which have been preserved from the poachers and are now beginning to flourish again. The animals in the crater are used to the presence of mankind, which makes this a good area for wildlife photography, particularly as the crater floor is so diverse with areas of swamp, woodland and dry savannah grassland, all set against the backdrop of the forested crater walls.

In the southern quarter of the crater lies Lake Magadi which is a haven for waterbirds and you can frequently see flocks of thousands of flamingos gathered in one corner making their raucous calls and presenting a mass of pink wings, necks and legs.

The lodge itself consists of three opulent camps all located with spectacular views of the crater. All of the camps are opulently presented with sumptuous suites, open fire places, chandelier lit baths scattered with rose petals and a personal butler, who will bring you tea in bed.