Exceptional Crater views and game viewing. No avoiding the crowds though.
Guide Price: From: $655 To: $1450
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is an extravagant boutique lodge in one of the world's more dramatic locations. A great place to spoil yourself, but not everyones idea of authentic East African safari.There's little middle ground here, Ngorongoro Crater lodge is high luxury and somewhere you'll either love or hate.
You'll either have the time of your life and love the sheer indulgence of sunken baths, massages, personal butlers and even a shop where you can peruse the latest in Maasai bling, or you'll feel that this level of extravagance is more appropriate to Las Vegas than Ngorongoro.
This is entirely a matter of taste, but what is beyond dispute is the excellent level of service and the extraordinary location. Where else can you sit at 7500 ft with a cold drink and watch the game almost 1/3 a mile below you. This place is the product of a superbly creative imagination, which makes for an almost theatrical atmosphere and accounts for half of the fun of staying here. Every last detail at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is decorated and designed - with burnished steel and elaborate sculptural décor at every turn and masks spears and tribal art adorning the walls.
The rooms here are incredibly comfortable, beautifully constructed with lavish attention to detail and no luxury spared; you'll find electric blankets, hot showers, sunken baths and even a small box of chocolate offerings. The rooms are a monument to African hardwoods, which will either delight or depress and you'll find your bed strewn with rose petals every time you turn your back.
What's more, if you ever get as far as looking out of your window, you have one of the most exceptional views of the Ngorongoro Crater and Highlands and this is one of the best ways to view it; spend the morning on the floor of Ngorongoro Crater, seeing the game close up then retire to the verandah at Ngorongoro Crater lodge with a cold drink and watch from there - it's the ultimate seat in the gods.
Not surprisingly, game drives to the Ngorongoro Crater floor are the mainstay at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge - expect good guides and shared vehicles (max 7 per vehicle)
Outrageous Maasai bling with 30 rooms split into 3 seperate areas
From: 655 To: 1450
Exceptional Crater views and game viewing. No avoiding the crowds though.
price includes accommodation, food, drinks, laundry, activities and excludes transfers.
Unique is a thoroughly overused word, but it really does apply to the Ngorongoro Crater. This is the largest unbroken caldera in the world - and it's full of big wild animals. The difficulty here is remembering that what you're looking at isn't artificial. And this becomes harder when you realise the only thing to rival the animal population in Ngorongoro is the tourist population...and for this you must be prepared. On a bad day you'll can find yourself persued by minibuses full of camera-toting tourists each time you stop. It's probably harsh to suggest that you should miss the Crater out altogether on account of the traffic jams, but our advice would be plan to leave wishing you'd stayed longer, rather than the other way round. Read more?
Tanzania safaris rival a safari any other country in Africa in terms of sheer wilderness, formidable landscapes and volume of wildlife. At Natural High, we have travelled all over the country, worked in some of its best Tanzania safari camps and lodges and flown all over as bush pilots so we feel qualified to venture such opinions. Read more?
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Vanessa's 16 years in travel has seen her knowledge develop from sub-Saharan Africa into North Africa, Central and Southern America and the Galapagos. Consequently, she’s a veritable encyclopaedia of travel information and exceptionally cool, calm and collected in the face of the greatest planning demands.
At Natural High, we've had long experience putting together trips in Africa that really work. Whether it's intimate bushcamps in out of the way places, or a private lodge in one of Africa's top-billing wildlife areas, light mobile camping or remote island escapes, we know there is a lot to choose from. We're absolutely confident that we can recommend the right places for you.
