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| Ngorongoro Crater Lodge |
Luxury |
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is perched on the edge of the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater at the eastern edge of the Serengeti in northern Tanzania. It lies within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which covers more than 8 000 square kilometres (3 100 square miles) of pristine African wilderness.
Inspired in design by the Maasai mud-and-stick manyatta (homestead), Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is without doubt one of the most architecturally spectacular safari lodges in Africa.
Nearly three million years old, the ancient caldera of the once-volcanic Ngorongoro shelters one of the most beautiful wildlife havens on earth, ringed with towering walls and sheltering forests, grasslands, fresh springs and a large soda lake. Nearby Olduvai Gorge - a famous early archaeological site - is situated to the west of the Crater in the eastern Serengeti Plains. In the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, 42 000 Maasai live and herd their livestock in harmony with Africa's wild animals.
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge consists of 3 adjacent, glamorous camps with 30 Maasai-inspired suites perched on stilts on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. Set in classic crescents, each stone and thatch suite has spectacular views of the crater from large glass windows in the bathroom, lounge and bedroom, yet is almost invisible from the crater floor.
North and South Camp have 12 suites each, while intimate Tree Camp has 6 suites. All have an en-suite bathroom and chandelier-lit bath-tub and shower. Each sumptuous suite is discreetly tended by a personal butler, who will bring you tea in bed, stoke your fireplace and draw your bath, scattering the water with rose petals, ready for your enjoyment.
Described as Maasai meets Versailles, each extraordinary camp operates independently with its own central living and dining areas and viewing decks. Early settler-style interiors combine silver, gold and ruby colours under banana-leaf ceilings and grass roofs. Beaded chandeliers hang above large gilt mirrors, and antiques, plump cushions, voluptuous raw silk curtains and leather-backed chairs blend harmoniously with African art elements.
The domed dining room, with its fireplace, crystal, silver and massive wooden platters, makes every meal a special occasion. Delicious Pan-African cuisine may also be enjoyed on the outdoor dining deck.
Exhilarating safari activities: CC Africa-trained expert guides will lead you on exciting game-drives into the Crater and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. You may also enjoy visits to local Maasai manyattas, lavish picnics on the Crater floor, excursions to Olduvai Gorge and Shifting Sands, as well as walks on the Crater rim. |
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| Ngorongoro Serena Lodge |
Luxury / Intermediate |
At the eastern edge of the Serengeti, and nearly three-million-years-old, the ancient caldera of the once volcanic Ngorongoro shelters the most beautiful wildlife haven left on earth. Perched on the edge of the ancient crater rim, the architectural masterpiece of the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is a magnificent return to the noble elegance of the travelling colonials.
It s built of stones and boulders and is literally hidden in the vegetation of the crater's rim, disappearing completely from view from the crater's floor. The interiors are filled with exquisite wooden furniture and African artefacts, and stunning frescoes adorn the walls of many rooms and public areas.
The hotel has 75 rooms and all bedrooms have private terraces with uninterrupted views across the grasslands, forests, lakes and rivers that make up the crater floor.
The Maasai inspired, split-level dining and bar area features a two-tier wall of windows looking down on to the constantly changing vistas of the crater below, a traditional circular fireside meeting area, and a recurrent motif of massive 'prehistoric' cave paintings, stone-studded walls, Maasai spears and blazing jewel-hued wall lamps.
The atmosphere is relaxed and candle-lit whilst the menu choices include traditional Maasai fare, long-time safari favorites and internationally themed menus alike.
Activities: Game drives through the crater where you will see a microcosm of Africa in one day / bush walks / picnic lunches and a variety of cultural events. |
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| Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge |
Intermediate |
Spread out along the uppermost, eastern rim of the Ngorongoro World Heritage Site, the lodge offers breathtaking views of the crater floor far below. A day's safari through this unique conservation area provides you with spectacular and memorable game viewing experiences. Ngorongoro Sopa Logde have earned a well-deserved reputation for the friendliness and care offered to their guests by our management and staff.
The lobby is very spacious, has a high ceiling and a glass dome. Tea and Coffee are freely available to our guests in the coffee bar area.
The lower lobby has large glass doors, which open onto the verandah, with a view of the pool.
All of the 91 double bedrooms are very spacious and each two queen sized beds and a separate dressing area. Each room have wall-to-wall carpeting, central heating, a private lounge with a mini bar, a bedroom with two queen size beds and ample room for a third, an en-suite bathroom with shaver sockets and a hair dryer, and a private solarium which offers stunning views either down into the crater floor below or of the setting sun over the western horizon. The lodge has direct-dial satelite telephone facilities as well as satellite television and wildlife-video-film options. A number of lodge electrical generating systems provide 240volts, 50 cycles 24 hours a day. The water supply comes from nearby springs but guests are advised not to drink from the taps. Instead, complimentary bottled mineral water is provided in the mini bars while further stocks are available for sale in the main bar. Kids are welcome and can provide both special meals at convenient times and baby sitters on request. The lodge has 6 single rooms, all of which have a queen sized beds and glass fronted sliding doors.
The restaurant is in the shape of a rondvale, has a high roof and large glass windows to view the crater. The menus offer good choice and at dinner you will have the opportunity to try a traditional African dish.
Temperatures can drop in the evening and the bar area offers a cosy environment, with real fires and comfortable seating to enjoy a pre-dinner or bedtime drink. The bar offers a selection of drinks, cocktails, wines and liqueur coffee.
The guest shops stock a wide selection of curios, gift items, clothing, film, sweets, postcards, personal requisites and toiletries. A swimming pool is situated on the very edge of the crater itself and the water is bracing, even invigorating to say the least, at any time of year. However, for those who would prefer the warmth of a shower or bath in their suite, the pool is a perfect area to unwind and relax while enjoying the views of the crater floor below or of the sunsets in the evenings. |
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| Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge |
Budget |
The Lodge is elegantly built mainly from natural stone and local wood and timber, harmoniously merging with its natural surroundings, and it is provided with panoramic windows that encompass superb views of the crater's great bowl.
Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge has 75 spacious guestrooms, all of them affording fabulous views over the crater. The rooms are fully equipped with en-suite bathrooms, shower attachments, bathtub and central heating system. All the beds are provided with mosquito nets over the air vents.
A third bed is available on request, as well as limited baby cots. Among the 75 rooms, 61 are twin rooms, 11 are double (with one double bed) and 2 are suites. 10 rooms are intercommunicating, specially designed for families.
The Panoramic Restaurant, in its serene decoration made of rock and wood elements, elegantly featuring the safari atmosphere, perfectly combines the international high standards of hospitality and service with exquisite exotic touches of local lifestyle.
The stunning Rhino Lounge Bar affords from its wide terrace breathtaking views over the volcanic Ngorongoro Crater.
Guests can acquire in the exclusive Boutique memories to take with them a piece of safari home (clothing, films, carvings, etc.) and ideal gifts for their beloved people. In the TV lounge with DSTV one can keep informed of the events that happen in the rest of the world; also, in the TV lounge videos are displayed with informative explanations of the amazing natural spectacle that our privileged guests are directly living!
In the well - stocked library there is complete information about the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, its natural landscape, archaeological sites and tribal groups.
Services: Professional nurse / laundry / babysitting (on request) as well as communication facilities like telephone and radio. There is a currency exchange service, and major credit cards are accepted. |
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| Gibbs Farm |
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Gibbs Farm is a working farm a short distance from Karatu in the Ngorongoro Crater and Highlands. Set right at the edge of the forest reserve just below the rim of the Ngorongoro crater. It is one of the longest established farms in the area and the managers and staff take an enormous pride in the excellent food and service.
The accommodation at Gibbs is simple but comfortable with wood burning stoves in the rooms and en-suite bathrooms with plenty of hot running water.
The 20 farm cottages each have their own verandah with views of farm and forest. The spacious interiors are complete with a bay dining area. The comfortable bathrooms boast generous bathtubs and have both indoor and outdoor showers. There are a number of small sitting rooms and verandas as well as plenty of space to sit around under the shade of some beautiful indigenous trees, so there is always a private spot to sit away from other people.
The farm food is delicious, with vegetables from the gardens, fresh and cooked with care. Lunch includes a wide selection of savoury pies and salads, served buffet style, while dinner is waiter served. Home grown coffee or tea with cakes is served in the mornings and afternoons.
Whilst here you can do anything from walking in the forest reserve below the crater rim, where there is some great birdlife and at least signs of buffalo and elephant, to having a go at milking the farm's cattle. You can take tours of the coffee farm and the extensive vegetable gardens or just sit and take a break from the pace of your safari.
Activities: Waterfall Walk / Birding / Garden Tours / Coffee Fields / Coffee Roasting / Jogging / Wood Carving / Iraqw Cultural Visit / Visit the local Primary school.
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| Plantation Lodge |
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Plantation Lodge rests on the soft, red-brown hills amidst the vastness and silence of East Africa. The individually furnished rooms and suites melting harmoniously into the flowering garden offer comfort and relaxation. Plantation Lodge's cordial service leaves no wish unfulfilled. The lodge's location promises maximum safari enjoyment: a stone's throw from the entrance to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
To stay at Plantation Lodge is to immerse yourself in a world of rest and relaxation. The lodge's 16 rooms lie generously distributed throughout the flowering garden, some with verandas and direct access to the garden. Individuality is a major feature of Plantation Lodge, where each room has its own style.
The Jacaranda suite: also known as the Honeymoon Suite, lies somewhat apart from the other rooms. The views from here are particularly lovely. The windows in the fireplace room and in the bedroom offer spectacular views of the garden. The modern, very tastefully designed bathroom is highly inviting.
Coffee House suites (Kent and Blue Mountain): each of these suites is stylish and comfortable. The fireplace room has access to the shared terrace and to the garden, the airy bedroom with its veranda and two sunbeds, the spacious bathroom.
The Garden House: offers plenty of room in 4 double bedrooms and in the rest of the house. Families and groups of friends can enjoy loads of room here in this two-story house. From the upper fireplace room with its lounge seating the stairs lead down into the heart of the house - the spacious dining room with its impressive table. Not only the house's interior is highly pleasing, the wooden veranda also offers spectacular views of the picturesque hills - it's the best place to sit and sip a sundowner.
Restaurant: They grow their own vegetables, salads, herbs and fruit and this means that the products from the kitchen are healthy, untreated and particularly tasty. In the restaurant we pamper the guests every evening with a fine multicourse meal in a stylish, comfortable atmosphere. A good wine from the cellar rounds off the culinary pleasure.
At lunchtime you can enjoy our dishes al fresco.
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| Ngorongoro Farmhouse |
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The Ngorongoro Farmhouse Lodge is a lovely lodge just outside of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Set in 750 acres of private farmland, it is comfortable and has some lovely views across the farm and across to Oldeani Volcano. The lodge is still a fully functional farm - they grow their own wheat and the organic garden produces a lot of the vegetables used in the food. There are 51 large rooms and the lodge is effectively divided into two parts - each with its own communal bar and lounge area, and set of rooms. (About 26 rooms each side!) This division helps maintain the atmosphere of a small and intimate lodge.
Each lounge and bar area is set in a large farmhouse-style building with a high thatch roof, russet red stone floors, and white-washed walls. To one side of this building is a large swimming pool, and to the other is a wide sun deck from where you can watch the sun set in the evenings.
The bedrooms are scattered through pretty gardens dotted with colourful flower beds. In front of the rooms is a long stone pathway which leads back to the main areas, then the back of the rooms face onto the open fields of farmland. The rooms are neat and spacious; the furniture and soft furnishings are simple yet very effectively put together.
Activities are mainly focused on 4x4 vehicle safaris. If you would like to spend a morning or an afternoon at the lodge, you can head out on a nature walk around the farm. Or indulge in a massage at the 'spa'. |
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