&Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge
&Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is a luxury boutique safari lodge located on the western rim of the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater.
&Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is unashamedly an opulent property designed for travellers seeking 5 star accommodation and service at the Ngorongoro Crater. There is nowhere else that can compete with it’s comfort levels and sophisticated service, either on the Crater Rim or beyond that in the nearby highlands. However, that doesn’t mean it is totally perfect and visitors should be aware that whilst it is very much top end for Tanzania, it is still a step away from international 5 star standards. The location on the crater rim, overlooking the Lerai Forest and Lake Magadi on the crater floor, is truly stunning, and the design of the lodge is quite quirky. It is not a ‘new build’ and the style is definitely not modern or contemporary. It is also an expensive property to visit, but if that is not your prime concern, it is the most glamorous place to stay at the Ngorongoro Crater!
Rooms
&Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is split into three sections, North (12 suites), South (12 suites) and Tree (6 suites), each of which has its own lounge, dining room, kitchen, bar and terrace. There is also a safari shop and wine store on the property. You have your own personal room steward who will look after all of your requirements.
All of the suites are spacious and well-appointed rooms and are built onto wooden platforms with splendid views over the crater through their floor to ceiling windows or small verandah (please note that although Tree Camp is the most exclusive of the 3 sections, it is the lowest down on the rim and some of the rooms have limited views). They comprise of a large bedroom with a double bed, dressing table, and fireplace leading into a bathroom which contains a Victorian ball and claw bath facing a full length picture window view over the crater, a shower and double vanity. Leading off from the bathroom is a separate toilet. One of the suites is designed for families as it is made up of two interconnected suites.
Facilities
Wi-Fi – Yes
Power for Charging – Yes
Swimming Pool – No
Habitat & Wildlife
The Ngorongoro Highlands sit on the western edge of the Great Rift Valley as it curves south-westwards from the desolate Lake Natron past Lake Manyara to the remote Lake Eyasi. These highlands are the remnants of an ancient chain of volcanoes, most of which are now entirely dormant. The only active volcano here now is Oldoinyo L’Engai, to the north of the Ngorongoro Crater and at the southern end of Lake Natron. The upper highlands are home to Maasai pastoralists who live a traditional lifestyle, co-existing with the resident game.
The Ngorongoro Crater lies within the 8,000 sq. km Ngorongoro Conservation Area and is one of the natural scenic wonders of the world. The magnificent crater is a ‘caldera’ or collapsed crater which is 16-19 km in diameter with an unbroken rim. The altitude of the crater rim is around 2,250 metres, with the crater floor some 650 metres below.
The crater contains a large animal population throughout the year, including lion, leopard, cheetah (sporadic), elephant, black rhino, buffalo, hippo, hyaena, eland, zebra, giraffe, gazelle, ostrich, golden jackal, serval, African wild cat and wildebeest (wildebeest calving occurs around January). The birdlife is prolific too, with flocks of flamingos Lake Magadi.
The Crater floor has a number of habitats – the southern side includes a number of ‘crater lakes’ and an extensive acacia woodland known as Lerai Forest, whereas to the northern side the habitat is one of open grassland. Thick montane forests cover the steep sides and rim.
Perhaps because the Ngorongoro Crater is so special, it receives a very high number of visitors and the crater floor can be subject to overcrowding particularly in the busier tourist months from July to September and at Christmas/New Year. No off-road driving is allowed and the crater is only accessible during daylight hours. There are a number of tourist lodges along the crater rim and in the surrounding highlands.
Activities
The main purpose of a stay at &Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is to explore the crater itself, which is usually undertaken on a shared basis in the lodge’s own enclosed four wheel drive vehicles. Half day or full day trips are usually offered (it takes 45 minutes from the lodge to reach the crater floor). If you arrive at the lodge with your own private guide and vehicle, then you will undertake game drives on a private basis with your private guide, and you would then have total flexibility on timings. It is also possible to arrange local walks or visits to villages on the crater rim and in the surrounding highlands (extra charges may be payable locally).
Seasons
&Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is open all year round, though it is best to visit the Ngorongoro Highlands between December and March, or from June to October.
&Beyond Crater Lodge is suitable for families who are looking for a 5 star experience. It is obviously easiest if kids are old enough to have their own room, but if not they have one family suite (two interconnected suites) which can sleep up to two adults and three children on request (usually two). Childminders are available at an additional cost.
&Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge Green Team work to reintroduce pockets of indigenous forest and other highland vegetation close to the lodge. Over 60,000 trees have been planted over the last 20 years.
&Beyond provide conservation lessons to educate children and adults living close to the wild areas on their natural environment and how best to preserve it. Students and teachers are taught how to plant trees and of the importance to protect their forests.
In 2019 &Beyond joined the Lion Recovery Fund and several of Africa’s other safari operators to form the Lionscape Coalition to raise funds for and awareness of lion conservation.
Their lodges undergo strict annually auditing to monitor their environmental impact and enforce strategies to reduce their impact. They also measure monthly consumptions of water, electric, fuel, firewood and waste to ensure their usages are as they should be environmentally and are continually working on ways to lessen their impact.
