Tanzania‘s Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s great wildlife sites, a huge caldera with a dense concentration of animals. It is the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera, and the name comes from the Maasai who have long lived around it.
The crater is about 19 km across, with a floor of roughly 260 sq km, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Eastern Rift Valley of northern Tanzania.
The wider conservation area was protected in 1959. The crater floor holds around 25,000 animals and one of the densest concentrations of wildlife in Africa: lion, zebra, cheetah, giraffe, buffalo and famous big-tusked bull elephants, along with the endangered black rhino, which this is one of the best places in Tanzania to see. More than 400 bird species have been recorded.
There is plenty to do, and it helps to stay somewhere with easy access to the crater. Here are some of the best hotels around it.
1. Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
The Serena sits high on the crater rim, built of local stone and half-covered in vines so it blends into the slope.
Inside are cave-style paintings, arched stone passages and timbered decks. Rooms and the Kimba suite have private balconies over the crater. Activities include game drives, a trip to Olduvai Gorge, bush breakfasts, sundowners and nature walks.
2. Pakulala Safari Camp
Pakulala is a small camp right on the crater rim, styled after 19th-century safaris.
Its 11 canvas tents are spacious, each with a private terrace looking over the crater, and evenings are around the campfire under an open sky. From here you can drop straight onto a game drive, trek to the Empakaai crater or visit Lake Natron, away from the crowds.
3. andBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge
The Crater Lodge sits on the caldera edge, with striking architecture that mixes Maasai and colonial styles.
Interiors combine Victorian furnishing and teak panelling. There are three camps and 30 suites, each with a private dining area and a butler. There is a honeymoon offer for couples, and treks, game drives and lion-conservation visits for everyone else.
4. Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge
This lodge sits at about 7,500 feet on the rim, a few kilometres from the airstrip, built in local style from stone and wood, with wide views over the crater.
It was the first lodge built on the rim, so it carries some history. There are 80 suites overlooking the crater, plus family rooms, three junior suites and a presidential suite. Game drives are the main draw, along with visits to Maasai villages.
5. Neptune Ngorongoro Luxury Lodge
The Neptune sits just outside the conservation area, spread over 50 acres of bush.
It has 20 private log cabins with fireplaces, large terraces and wide views, plus a bar and conference facilities. It is known for its spa, and guests can visit the lodge’s coffee plantation and gardens. Safaris run to the crater and to Lake Manyara.
6. Ngorongoro Oldeani Mountain Lodge
Oldeani sits on a hill outside the conservation area, high enough to see Lake Eyasi and Lake Manyara as well as Oldeani mountain and the crater.
The colonial-style lodge has 50 rooms and a Livingstone suite, with a stone house holding the main lounge, dining room and a boutique. It is a quiet place to relax, with safaris, nature walks and sundowners on offer.
The Ngorongoro Crater is worth building a trip around, and the right base makes it easier. Any of these will put you within reach of the crater.
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