‘It is impossible to give a fair description of the size and beauty of the Crater, for there is nothing with which one can compare it. It is one of the Wonders of the world’ ~~ Professor Bernhard Grzimek - Author of “The Serengeti shall not die “
Perched on the edge of the world’s largest intact crater with panoramic views over one of the most famous wildlife arenas on planet earth is the spectacular Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge. Camouflaged in river-stone, cloaked in indigenous creepers and sheltered by ancient, lichen-draped trees, the Lodge has been designed to blend seamlessly into its surroundings whilst affording optimum panoramas of the cloud-shadowed crater, a microcosm of Africa that lies some 600 meters below.
A long low viewing-hide, invisible from the crater floor, the volcanic-grey buildings of this unique Lodge are linked by cave-arched corridors and rope-lashed liana-strung walkways hugging the contours of the jagged caldera rim. The design motif, which takes its inspiration from the prehistoric discoveries made at nearby Olduvai Gorge, features boulder-clad walls emblazoned with striking ochre-and-charcoal cave-paintings, flaring jewel-glass braziers and a massive primeval fire that burns at the circular stone heart of the Lodge. As for the views, from lilac-streaked sunrise, to indigo star-studded night, the immeasurably ancient Ngorongoro Crater delivers a theatre of vistas, most unchanged since the dawn of time.
Location
The Ngorongoro Crater lies 180 km from Arusha along a largely murram (dirt) road which passes the entrance to Lake Manyara National Park before leading up onto the Mbulu Plateau, through the farming country of Keratu and Oldeani and into the highland forest at the crater’s rim (an approximately 4 hour drive, depending on weather conditions). The Crater is also 140 km from the busy airstrip at the Seronera headquarters of the Serengeti National Park whilst the Serena Safari Lodge has its own airstrip and is a 40 minute flight from Arusha airport.
Accommodation
The lodge offers: 75 air-conditioned rooms: 54 twin bedrooms, 5 double-bedded rooms, 15 triple-bedded rooms and one suite. Services include: An imaginative range of Crater breakfasts, barbecue lunches, atmospheric sundowners and vibrant cultural entertainments. Action-packed forays into the wildlife-teeming world of the crater. A vibrant selection of traditional music, culture and dance. The ‘Serena Active’ selection of high-action adventure activities. Beauty treatments, massage and hairdressing. Extensively stocked Africana Gift Shop. Internet connectivity and a wide range of board games plus a full library of books on Africa. Full housekeeping services (laundry, valet, babysitting, children’s menus and dining, and shoeshine). Plus hairdryers and telephones in all rooms. Full medical back-up and emergency evacuation facilities. Express check in and out and 24-hour Forex facilities.
Dining and bars
The Maasai-inspired, split-level dining and bar area features a two-tier wall of windows looking down on to the constantly changing vistas of the crater below, a traditional circular fireside meeting area, and a recurrent motif of massive ‘prehistoric’ cave paintings, stone-studded walls, Maasai spears and blazing jewel-hued wall lamps.
The atmosphere is relaxed and candle-lit whilst the menu choices include traditional Maasai fare, long-time safari favourites and internationally themed menus alike.
Conference and event facilities
State-of-the-art presentation facilities that include: A full selection of projection TV, screen, video, video conferencing and audiovisual equipment.
Full Conference organisation service inclusive of: badges, registration desks, delegate packs, delegate services, specialist delegate gifts, secretarial back up and communication links, tailor-made itineraries, private safaris and individually planned and themed menus.
A full range of imaginative incentive packages and fully tailored accommodation packages is also available.
Ngorongoro Nuptials Options Include:
- Traditional Maasai wedding ceremony on the floor of the Crater.
- Crater-floor champagne reception with Maasai song and dance.
- Candle-lit honeymoon dinner overlooking the Crater.
- Luxurious honeymoon Suite supplied with tropical fruit and chilled champagne.
- Themed musical and cultural entertainment for your guests.
- Photography and videoing of your special day.
- Special accommodation packages for the entire wedding party.
Special Occasions
Services include: ’Crater Brunch’ or ‘Crater Barbecue Lunch’ in the crater-venue of your choice. Individually-themed menus, tailored to your requirements. Entertaining under canvas – with campfires, hurricane lamps and safari cuisine. Champagne ‘sundowners’ overlooking the Crater. Cocktail reception, al fresco on the Lodge’s private rock-built terrace. Live music, song, dance and vivid cultural entertainment.
Child-friendly
All Serena lodges are child-friendly and offer: family rooms, additional beds, cots, children’s mealtimes and menus, babysitting services, educational materials, wildlife presentations, guided nature walks.
What to see and do
The Ngorongoro Crater
Often referred to as ‘the eighth wonder of the world’ the Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s best-known wildlife arenas. A World Heritage Site, it is also one of the largest volcanic craters in the world (almost 20 km wide, 610-760m deep and covering a total area of 264 sq km).
An utterly unique biosphere, the Crater harbours grasslands, swamps, forests, saltpans, a fresh water lake and a glorious variety of birdlife, all enclosed within its towering walls. Due to its high concentration of wildlife, close-range viewing opportunities and striking scenery it is also Tanzania’s most visited destination. Quite apart from the ‘big five’ (lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo), all of whom can often be spotted in a morning, the Crater also hosts up to 25,000 large mammals.
As a result of these extraordinarily large numbers of herbivores, the crater also numbers one of the densest predator populations in Africa, most of which are lion and spotted hyena.
Finally, the crater supports a large elephant population, most of which are bulls due to the relative paucity of food for the breeding herds, whilst certain animals such as giraffe, topi and impala, are notable by their absence.
Activities
- Morning wildlife walks around the lodge with our resident naturalist.
- A full safari breakfast, cooked in the cool of an acacia grove on the Crater’s floor.
- An open-air ‘Crater Barbecue Lunch’ by a hippo-filled pool on the Crater’s floor.
- An action-packed selection of adventure hikes around the Ngorongoro Crater and the volcanoes of the nearby Crater Highlands.
- Authentic displays of Maasai dance, song, performance and music.
- A day trip to Olduvai Gorge, the ‘cradle of mankind’, and site of one of the most important and controversial Palaeolithic finds in recent history.
- A visit to neighbouring ‘Empakaai ‘, a 300m deep crater dominated by a flamingo-frosted soda lake.
- Visits to a selection of authentic Maasai villages, all of which belong to the national Cultural Tourism Programme and allow unique visits to Maasai homesteads, traditional cattle markets and women’s handicraft groups.
- Atmospheric ‘Sundowners’, staged high on the caldera rim as the sinking sun sets the Crater ablaze.
- Nightly wildlife and cultural talks, videos and film shows
- Spectacular game drives around the Crater floor.
- Gentle nature trails around the hotel in the company of our resident naturalist.
- Relaxing ‘après active’ massages.