Ngorongoro Crater Lodge - Tanzania
Earth's Wild Miracle
"Around us the mist cover was lifting, a slowly moving mosaic of silver light and cloud shadow, offset against brilliant tinges of green. It could have been dawn on the day of Genesis ...From our vantage point 2,000 feet above the crater floor, scenes of unrivalled beauty were unfolding: a giant soda lake like a dropped jewel, rimmed with pink flamingos, ancient Fever tree forests, fresh water and verdant grasslands."
- Jane Conyngham
Nearly three million years ago Ngorongoro towered alongside Mount Kilimanjaro as one of the highest peaks in Africa. Forged during the tumultuous birth of the Rift Valley, its volcanic top erupted at the time that ancient man first walked the plains.
Today, Ngorongoro's caldera shelters the most beautiful wildlife haven left on earth. Some of Africa's last black rhino are protected within its rim, black-maned lions stalk the grasslands, flamingoes crowd the soda lakes and giant-tusked elephants wander the forests. Towering euphorbias cling to the crater walls and on the floor, Fever tree and Fig tree forests give shade to an awe-inspiring array of creatures. It is here, perched on the edge of this ancient crater rim, that Conservation Corporation Africa is creating a visionary concept in lodge design. The new Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, inspired by ancient African architecture, will form three intimate villages - a fusion of earth and glass integrated into the dramatic rim of the crater.
The villages of ten private cottages command dazzling views of the crater floor 500 metres below, introducing a new level of sophistication to Tanzania in accommodation and service standard.
Surrounding the lodge, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area spans 8,300 square kilometres, stretching from the Rift Valley rim in the east to the Serengeti plains in the west.
The Maasai and their cattle co-exist with the wildlife in this area, and visitors are able to appreciate this ancient interplay between wildlife and man.
Interpretive game drives through the emerald plains and forests of the crater floor engender guests with a respect for the people and wildlife of this world wonder.
Guests are also encouraged to explore their own roots at the nearby Olduvai Gorge - cradle of mankind - where ancient man roamed some four million years ago.
Location
Rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, Ngorongoro Conservation Area northern Tanzania. Transfers are available from Arusha Airport.
Accommodation
30 twin-bedded rooms with en-suite bathrooms.
Facilities
Central dining area, lounge, library, craft and curio shop.
Activities
Game viewing drives into the crater and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, bush walks around the lodge, excursions to Olduvai Gorge.
Characteristic Species
Elephant, black rhino, tree hyrax, lion.
Local Culture
Maasai.
