Entamanu Ngorongoro
Entamanu Ngorongoro is perched on top of a ridge on the north-west side of the Ngorongoro Crater with views into the crater.
Entamanu is an exclusive camp which offers a warm welcome, good food and service and an all round high quality experience. The cottages are spacious and very comfortable, however the best thing about Entamanu is its location. Firstly, it is the only boutique camp which is located on the crater rim which actually has views of the crater. Secondly, being located just 30 minutes’ drive from the main entrance to the crater, it is possible to be one of the first into the crater which can really make a difference to your experience as the crater gets busy very quickly in the mornings. Thirdly, it is possible to undertake walks and visit a local Maasai manyatta which offers an insight to local life in the highlands. The one drawback of the location is the exposure to wind, but the cottages and main areas have been built to offer as much shelter from the elements as possible, while still being sustainable. Overall, Entamanu is ideal if you are looking for a small, exclusive, personal, high quality camp which gives you the best possible Ngorongoro Crater experience.
Rooms
Entamanu Ngorongoro main camp accommodates up to 18 guests in seven pioneer-style cottages built on wooden decks. Two of the cottages are suitable for families with two bedrooms internally linked and sharing one bathroom. All rooms have private decks with views over the Ngorongoro Crater, en suite plumbed facilities (double vanity, flush toilet and shower) and gas stoves to keep you warm at night.
Next to the main camp, with views of the crater and Ol Moti, is Entamanu Private. This exclusive use camp has four rooms (including two family units) and comes with its own team of staff and a private guide and vehicle. When not booked exclusively, the camp may be used as an extension of the main camp when required, with the two camps being split between the two central mess areas.
Central Areas
Both sections of the camp have their own central areas. At Entamanu main camp, the central area is constructed of timber and houses cosy lounge areas with open fireplace, a bar and dining areas, with an outdoor deck also offering views out across the crater. The central area at Entamanu Private again comprises and lounge and dining area and deck, but on a smaller scale.
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 itself 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
Activities focus on game drives within the Ngorongoro Crater (with each set of guests having a private guide and vehicle) whilst walking and authentic cultural experiences are available in the surrounding highlands. A two night stay would be normal, with most of your full day spent in the crater, which means an early start, and one of your afternoons available for a local walk. A longer stay would allow more than one excursion into the crater or more in depth exploration of the local highlands on foot. There is also an option to have a lunch ‘cookout’ on the Crater Rim, a short distance from camp at a private picnic site with views over the Crater (extra costs apply).
Seasons
Entamanu is open all year round, though it is best to visit the Ngorongoro Highlands between December and March, or from June to October.
Entamanu main camp accepts children from eight years, while Entamanu Private accepts children from five years (walking is only permitted for children over 12 years) and both camps are very suitable for families with their fantastic family suites. The ethos of Nomad Tanzania with their friendly staff and quality guides will always ensure families are extremely well catered for.
Nomad Tanzania, owners of Entamanu Ngorongoro, have made it their mission to “harness the power of Nomad to create life-enhancing opportunities”. They do this by focussing on three core areas:
Lifelong learning & growth – through supporting local talent and providing funding for business support and apprenticeship, using their business to create career opportunities and supporting local schools and wildlife education, Nomad recognises the importance of education and opportunity. Their meal-a-day programme feeds over 700 children across seven schools, while their student safari programme runs across many of their camps, allowing the next generation to foster an appreciation wildlife and wilderness.
Health & well-being – Nomad opens their camps for periods for medical outreach to allow doctors, dentists and other professionals to have access to a base, cars and planes to treat communities in the remote areas they operate.
Conservation & environment – in addition to keeping their own footprint as light as possible, Nomad Tanzania supports local projects and environmental partners in the areas they operate. This includes donating to de-snaring efforts and supplying bednights, vehicles and logistics where possible.
In the Ngorongoro area, Nomad supports KopeLion, an initiative that works with local Maasai to foster human-lion coexistence in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Through the use of local ‘lion guardians’ conflicts between pastoralists and lions are being mitigated. Guests at Entamanu can arrange to meet KopeLion conservationists and a Maasai elder in camp to learn more about their work. The Trust also supports the Tanzania Children Fund which runs the Rift Valley Children’s Village, a centre providing a home as well as education and health care to orphaned and marginalised children in northern Tanzania.
Nomad Tanzania is a member of Pack For A Purpose and guests may use the space in their luggage to bring in donations of items in need relevant to the location they are visiting.
