Ngorongoro Highlands

Bougainvillea Safari Lodge is located on the outskirts of the town of Karatu, about halfway between Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater. The lodge offers basic home comforts at a reasonable price. After a day on safari in the Manyara National Park or in the Ngorongoro Crater, fresh local cuisine, a cool garden setting and excellent Tanzanian hospitality await you here. The total of 32 cottage rooms, which are spread out over the property designed by colorful plants, 10 rooms are in five semi-detached houses in the coffee garden. The rest of the rooms are located around the pool area. Each cozy room features king-size or twin beds with mosquito nets, a dressing area, a fireplace, a large bathroom with shower, and a veranda overlooking the lush tropical gardens. Triple rooms are also available and two of the cottages can be used as family suites with connecting rooms. Owner and chef Reggie Bayo is legendary in the region and has been doing what he does best for over 27 years. Indulge guests with family favorites and recipes created by Reggie and his team. The lodge locally sources its fruit, vegetables, dairy, eggs and meat to ensure all ingredients are as fresh as possible.

Located very close to the entrance gate to Ngorongoro Crater, Farm House Valley is built on a 500 hectare plantation with a central main building. The accommodation has been designed to offer a nice touch of comfort and a touch of luxury in an impressive setting. The ideal place to relax, swim in the pool, jog or be pampered after a day of adventure. The 30 rooms have been designed in a chalet style and offer a private terrace or balcony overlooking the gardens and/or the coffee plantation. The main building is in the middle of the lodge and consists of a restaurant, lounge and a large terrace with spectacular views of the extinct Oldeani volcano. The restaurant offers a range of dishes made with local ingredients and products from their own farm. Due to its ideal location, we recommend Farm House Valley to travelers who want to save money when visiting Ngorongoro Crater and can do without staying in the crater view lodges.

Gibb's Farm is nestled in the Ngorongoro Highlands between Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater and is one of the most special and proven accommodations in all of Tanzania. The interesting history of the farm dates back to the early 1900's when a German duke founded the coffee plantation. Later, British couple James Gibb and his wife Margaret bought the farm after World War II and established the current farm in the 1970s. This makes Gibb's Farm the oldest lodge in northern Tanzania. Margaret Gibb was a keen gardener and it is thanks to her that the farm has these beautiful gardens today. The historic organic farm and family coffee plantation extends over 80 hectares on the forested outer slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater. Gibb's Farm has 17 spacious cottage rooms, with one bedroom, two queen or king beds, nicely spaced around the farm. Each features a private patio, living area, en-suite bathroom, garden or valley views and outdoor shower to create a personal, richly appointed space. We recommend a minimum stay of two nights, ideally three with a full day off at the farm to enjoy all the activities on offer in the gardens, farm, adjacent woodland and the nearby village of Tloma. Enjoyable activities include coffee roasting, baking class, bird watching, school desk project, hike to elephant caves, vegetable harvest, garden walks, bike rides, coffee processing, village tours and much more.

Karatu Country Lodge is located directly on the path between Lake Manyara National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and is one of the tried and tested mid-range lodges. The attractive location allows a lot of leeway when planning your trip: The Country Lodge is not only ideal as a stopover from Lake Manyara to the Serengeti, but if you want to save money, it can also be used as a base for a safari day in the Ngorongoro Crater. After leaving the main road in Karatu, after a short while you turn into a green oasis with high hedges left and right. Eleven guest bungalows are laid out in a large square in the Karatu Country Lodge and surround the colorful garden, where a swimming pool is embedded in the heart. A total of 22 identical rooms have a simple interior with white walls, ocher floors, wicker seating, four-poster beds with mosquito nets and a large natural stone bathroom. Each room has a terrace with seating, each facing the garden. On request, the fireplace in your room can be lit in the evening, which will ensure a cozy end to your day. The lodge is under the local management of Reggie and Jacob, who both lovingly look after the well-being of all guests. Daily changing dinner menus featuring local dishes and home-grown fruit and vegetables give the Country Lodge's food an authentic flavor. In the main house there is also a cozy lounge area with seating, a fireplace and the opportunity to play board games. We can fully recommend the Karatu Country Lodge during your trip to Tanzania at any time of the year.

Kitela Lodge is an exclusive lodge nestled in the scenic Ngorongoro Highlands with breathtaking views of the eastern wall of Ngorongoro Crater. The main building serves as an island for the 20 luxuriously appointed cottage rooms, arranged in a row in the lodge's beautiful tropical gardens. The rooms are all close together, but offer a lot of privacy thanks to the trees and the design of the cottages. Main buildings and cottages are built in colonial style and are characterized by characteristic thatched roofs. Your room has a spacious living/sleeping area with a large panoramic window and a private balcony with seating. The bathroom also has a large window that floods the room with lots of light - a free-standing bathtub and a large open shower also give the bathroom a special touch. In the main building, a beautiful terrace at the end of the lobby with open, high ceilings provides a unique panorama. Under the terrace there is a modern pool, which is wonderful for half a day or in the late afternoon to unwind. As in most lodges and camps at Tanganyika Wilderness Camps, the fruit and vegetables served in the restaurant are homegrown. If you are more interested in this, you can get a detailed insight into the lodge's own cultivation during daily walks on the large area. We recommend Kitela Lodge to travelers who want to stay comfortably without staying in the very expensive luxury lodges.

Marera Valley Lodge is located on the outskirts of the town of Karatu, about halfway between Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater, near the village of Rhotia. This elegant lodge is conveniently located off the main road and has stunning views across the valley to the hills beyond. The large main building has numerous indoor and outdoor seating areas overlooking the pool and the beautiful foothills of the Ngorongoro Highlands. Enjoy a drink or lunch al fresco on the spacious veranda overlooking the pool. In the cooler months, relax in the bar and lounge area by the cozy fire and dine in the large dining room. Here you will also find the welcoming reception area and gift shop. The Rosemary Spa is located in a quiet corner of the garden and offers massages and other treatments for your relaxation. All cottage rooms are set in lush tropical gardens and a walking path circles the extensive organic vegetable garden. The highly trained chefs create tasty, healthy dishes, all using local produce from their own garden and from nearby farms and plantations. 28 rooms are spacious and bright with views over the gardens and highlands. Each room features coffee/tea making facilities, mosquito nets, large comfortable beds (family and connecting rooms are available), a fireplace, a sitting area, a desk, ample wardrobe and luggage space, and a private veranda. All ensuite bathrooms are fully stocked with amenities such as shower gel, shampoo and conditioner and plenty of fluffy towels. Whether as a couple, family or with friends, the Marera Valley Lodge is the right accommodation for every traveller.

Neptune Ngorongoro Luxury Lodge is nestled in 50 hectares of pristine bush on the outer rim of Ngorongoro Crater. This makes this lodge the one in the Ngorongoro Highlands with the shortest route to the Ngorongoro Crater and just a few minutes' drive from Ngorongoro Gate. The all inclusive lodge has 20 spacious private cottage suites (130 sqm) with fireplace, a restaurant and a bar. After a full day game drive, the swimming pool or earth & Rain Spa” for relaxation. The individual cottage suites with open fireplaces in the bedroom and living room and large private viewing terraces with sofa and dining area are very comfortable and spacious. Neptune Ngorongoro Lodge is a great place to stay for one or two nights near Ngorongoro Crater in comfortable accommodation.

Ngorongoro Coffee Lodge nestles in the forests of the Ngorongoro Highlands and offers a breathtaking view over a coffee plantation. Located between the villages of Rhotia and Karatu, it is ideally located to visit Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara National Park. A spacious common area houses reception, lounge, bar and dining room. A large veranda overlooks the swimming pool, spa and cottage rooms; a perfect place to enjoy afternoon tea or evening cocktails. 26 cottage rooms, including three two-bedroom family suites, offer spacious accommodations with handcrafted furniture, a private verandah, fireplace, indoor and outdoor shower and slipper tub. Each room has two full-size beds, a sitting area, a desk and chair, and plenty of storage space. The spacious rooms are housed in ten semi-detached houses. Each room has a king-size bed and an additional queen-size bed, all under a mosquito net, making each room suitable for twin or double occupancy. There is a dressing area, a fireplace, a sitting area and a writing desk. Large bathrooms have both slipper-style tubs and showers, plus there's an adjacent outdoor shower. Through the French doors, guests enter their private veranda overlooking the coffee plantation and the majestic Ngorongoro Forest. In addition, three family suites include six adjoining rooms, which are suitable for large families and can accommodate up to six people in each suite. Opened in 2019, the lodge is one of the brand new accommodations in the Ngorongoro Highlands and is particularly suitable for families.

Ngorongoro Farm House is located deep in the Ngorongoro Highlands not far from the Ngorongoro Gate and is therefore well suited to visit the Ngorongoro Crater. This lodge is one of the most trusted accommodations in northern Tanzania and has built a certain notoriety and reputation over the years. The 500 hectare coffee farm is embedded in a beautiful forest area and adorns the entire lodge with many colorful plants, as well as fruit and vegetable gardens. The architectural style is very characteristic with thatched roofs, large porches and spacious interiors. The main building is in the middle of the lodge and consists of a restaurant, lounge and a large terrace with spectacular views of the extinct Oldeani volcano. There is also a swimming pool for refreshment and relaxation. The restaurant offers market style dishes using locally grown produce mostly from their own farms. With around 50 rooms, the Farm House is one of the largest accommodations in this region and offers ground floor chalet style rooms with private patio or balcony, all with views of the gardens and/or coffee plantation. All rooms have either a double bed or two single beds and a bathroom with a shower. The family room consists of two rooms with a connecting door between the two rooms. Ngorongoro Farm House is ideal for families with two or more children and for travellers who want to visit the Ngorongoro Crater and do not want to stay in the high-priced luxury lodges on the rim of the crater.

Ngorongoro Oldeani Mountain Lodge is located in the Ngorongoro Highlands behind the town of Karatu just before the entrance gate to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Opened in 2014, Oldeani Mountain Lodge sets new standards in terms of value for money in a region with the highest density of lodges in Tanzania. The owners describe their lodge as five star accommodation and indeed the lodge is impressive in terms of facilities, comfort and cuisine. The 50 spacious rooms leave nothing to be desired: the private terrace offers unforgettable views of the highlands, the rooms, designed with dark brown wood, have massive beds, comfortable seating, a noble desk and a large bathroom with two showers (one inside and one outside) and two sinks. Like the rooms, the main house is also based on the noble explorer style, with high ceilings supported by wooden elements, hunting trophies on the walls and cozy lighting. In the large public area there is a lot of attention to detail, the decorations convey the feeling of traveling through Africa in the time of David Livingstone and the bar was dubbed "Explorers' Bar". Nothing is left to chance in the kitchen either, which is noticeable in the elaborately prepared and presented dinner, where you are spoiled by the chefs trained abroad, from the starter to the dessert. The 16 hectare site is built on a hillside that allows for 360 degree views of the rolling hills of the Ngorongoro Highlands. The highlight of the outdoor area is the terrace with infinity pool and a sunken seating area with fireplace. From here you have the best view of Mount Oldeani, whose mighty contours are still visible over an aperitif at dusk.

Plantation Lodge is located near the town of Karatu in the Ngorongoro Highlands on ten hectares of a former coffee farm. The special thing about Plantation Lodge are the rooms and suites, which have been furnished with great attention to detail. All guest rooms differ in layout, furnishings, design and size, which makes each room unique. Although the location of the idyllic garden gives a secluded impression, it only takes a few minutes to reach the entrance gate to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and you can easily integrate the Plantation Lodge into your itinerary on the way from Lake Manyara National Park to the Ngorongoro Crater or the Serengeti. The lodge was created by a German couple in 1997 and over the years it has grown steadily and has become what the owners say it is today, "a modern lodge with its original charm". Plantation lodge is also notorious for its good cuisine. Every day, the well-trained staff conjures up local and international dishes with home-grown ingredients. The lodge also has a special attraction for wine lovers: As one of very few lodges in Tanzania, a wine cellar with a large selection of top international wines awaits you here.

The Manor at Ngorongoro is situated on a hill north of the town of Karatu in the Ngorongoro Highlands. Noble white pillars on the side of the road point the way up, past coffee plants of the famous 600 hectare Shangri-La coffee farm to the imposing property of The Manor. The style of each building has been designed in elegant Cape Dutch architecture with its white facades and round gabled roofs. According to the operators of The Manor, "every detail has been tailored to the needs of the guests". Among other things, each of the eleven cottages has been positioned in such a way as to offer a maximum panorama over the seemingly endless coffee empire Shangri-Las. Ten cottages contain two suites, which are very spacious and have a cozy sitting area with a fireplace. The bathrooms are bright and large with a freestanding bath and beautiful views of the Ngorongoro Highlands. In addition, there is a family cottage which has been set up as a large suite with two floors and three bedrooms, ideal for families or a group of friends. In addition to massage offers and guided hikes through the coffee plantations, you can also rent bicycles and explore the Ngorongoro highlands on two wheels. Another highlight are guided horseback riding trips through the highlands with a nice picnic lunch along the way. We recommend spending at least two or more nights in The Manor, as this is the only way to enjoy the high relaxation factor that the lodge offers. A free day at the lodge is ideal to interrupt the safari.