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Stay Right On The Edge Of The Ngorongoro Crater

Tanzania’s prehistoric Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Eighth Wonder of the World, has yawned heavenward for millennia. Deep within its immense walls is a breath-taking blue-green landscape dotted with plains, lakes and forests; an eerie, otherworldly “land that time forgot” thick with massive bull elephants, rhinos, wildebeests and the highest concentration of lions in Africa.

Nestled high above the plains into the Crater’s jagged rim, cloaked in river stone and indigenous vines, Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge is barely visible to the naked eye. Framed by arched stone passages and timbered decks, its torch-lit walls are adorned with stylized cave paintings. At the stone heart of the lodge burns a glowing fire, which is kept constantly alight. Rooms are looped around the Crater rim. Each has its own rock-enclosed balcony, and all enjoy completely uninterrupted views of the volcanic amphitheatre far below. Our Ngorongoro hotel lodge is a place that feels as ancient as the Crater itself, yet no modern comfort has been spared in an effort to bring you the best safari adventure in Africa and one of the most unique travel experiences in the world. 

Explore the Cradle of Mankind at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge. 

About Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge

Accommodation

ELEGANT NGORONGORO LODGE ACCOMMODATION

The 74 guest rooms and one suite at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge blend the almost indescribable beauty and magnitude of the Ngorongoro Crater with unparalleled standards for comfort and service. Clinging to the Crater rim beneath river stone and a cloak of native vines, our accommodation is so seamlessly entwined with the landscape, guests can’t help but feel as one with the natural surroundings. 

Interiors feature brass lamps, embossed leather headboards, wildwood mirrors, Maasai carvings and stylised cave paintings. The guest experience is enhanced with modern comforts like complimentary wireless Internet and 24-hour room service. 

With a private stone balcony opening onto the blue-green vastness of the Crater floor below, it’s like you’re living alone in the “cradle of mankind.”  

·        elegant interior spaces infused with a locally inspired décor and private stone balconies overlooking the Crater.

·        KIMBA SUITE:The spacious bedroom is luxuriously appointed with a king bed with walk-in mosquito net, sumptuous furnishings, a dressing area and natural stone ensuite bathroom. The elegantly

·        Standard Room:Standard Rooms at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge feature

Dining

Elegant Dining With Ngorongoro Crater View

The Main Restaurant at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge is beautifully designed in the traditional style and décor of Tanzania to create an enchanting dining experience. Savour a delightful range of local and international cuisines crafted from the finest and freshest meats, produce and ingredients.

Featuring charming stone-built architecture, a glowing fireplace and walls adorned with prehistoric cave paintings and flickering torchlight, the elegant yet relaxed dining space is ideal for any taste and occasion. Floor-to-ceiling windows and double doors leading out on to an expansive terrace complement each meal with panoramic views of the Ngorongoro Crater.

Breakfast and lunch are served buffet-style and feature a wide range of international choices. In typical safari style, we offer a full English breakfast as well as European options while our lunch menus include meat, poultry, fish and vegetarian options. Our table d’hôte dinner menus feature a salad buffet, soup, entrée, pudding, cheese and biscuits and tea or coffee. Vegetarian options are always available. The majority of our meat and dairy products, as well as our fruits and vegetables, are sourced from local communities.

Kindly note that our restaurant caters to any special dietary requirements our guests may have.

Breakfast: 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Lunch: 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Dinner: 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Experiences

At Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge, our stunning setting on the rim of the ancient Ngorongoro Crater provides a gateway to unforgettable adventures and excursions. Enjoy a wide range of activities, from game drives on the Crater plains to guided nature walks, bush dining experiences, visits to Maasai villages and cattle markets, and much, much more. 

CRATER GAME DRIVES

Descend to the floor of the Crater for game viewing drives. Often described as the “Eighth Wonder Of The World,” the Ngorongoro Crater is a spectacular natural sanctuary for over 25,000 animals, including the black rhino. It is also a conservation area inhabited by the Maasai tribe.

Prices:

  • Half day crater tour: $100 per person
  • Full day crater tour: $180 per person

OLDUVAI GORGE

Take a day trip to Olduvai Gorge. Also known as the “Cradle of Mankind,” it is one of the most important and controversial Palaeolithic finds in recent history. 

CRATER BREAKFAST

One of the highlights of the Crater visit, the bush breakfast is an experience not to be missed. Typically, guests are awakened by a very early morning cup of tea; they then set off down the steeply winding road that leads to the Crater floor. After a game drive through primeval forests and acacia groves, the guests arrive by the selected spot where a spectacular cooked breakfast is served. After breakfast, the game drive continues around the 120 km of roads that circle the lakes, forests and plains of this unique conservation area.

*Minimum pax: 8

Cost: $60 per person

CRATER LUNCH

Because entrance to the Crater is strictly limited – and also because there is so much to see – many guests prefer to take lunch on the Crater floor. This can be provided as a picnic, which can be enjoyed in one of the forest clearings, or as a full cooked lunch, which is typically cooked and served in the acacia groves. Before and after lunch, the guests are then free to enjoy extensive game drives around the Crater floor.

*Minimum pax: 8

Cost: $90 per person

SUNDOWNERS ON THE CRATER RIM

An essential part of traditional safari life, the concept of having drinks whilst watching the sun go down dates back to the time of the great safaris of the 1920’s, all of which featured the serving of elegant ‘bush’ cocktails against the unforgettable backdrop of the African sunset.

Timed to commence as the sun starts its descent, which on the Equator is usually around 6 pm, the Ngorongoro sundowner begins with a gentle drive to a scenic spot on the rim of the Crater, where chairs, lamps, campfire and bush bar with cocktail snacks will already have been set up. Musical entertainment can also be provided.

*Minimum pax: 6

Costs:

  • Sundowner Crater View (within the lodge): $35 per person
  • Sundowner at Seneto Crater View: $55 per person

GUIDED NATURE WALKS AROUND THE CRATER RIM

Enjoy an easy 90-minute wildlife walk around the lodge and Crater rim with our resident naturalist. On this purely educational tour, you will see an array of bird species, wildlife and plants and flowers while enjoying spectacular views of the Crater floor below. Morning and evening walks are offered.

Price: $30 per person

Wildlife and Cultural Talks and Film Presentations

Cultural talks are offered evenings at the bar area at 9:00 p.m. Our resident naturalist will discuss the Maasai culture, their activities, their lifestyle and their co-existence with wildlife within the Ngorongoro conservation area. You will also learn about the Ngorongoro ecosystem and biodiversity.

Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge Rates

2024 Rates

Full Board Rates In US$

FromToSingleDoubleTripleSuite
01.01.202431.01.202455391812371301
01.02.202428.02.202453789112011263
01.03.202431.03.2024336503685900
01.04.202431.05.2024201376511810
01.06.202430.06.202444174410171135
01.07.202431.10.202453789112011263
01.11.202421.12.2024336503685900
22.12.202431.12.202453789112011263

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