Reviews of Entamanu Ngorongoro

"Everything about our stay at Entamanu Ngorongoro was fabulous. It was just such a wonderful experience. My wife and I have stayed at many lodges/camps in Kenya and Tanzania (and I have stayed at many in South Africa and Mozambique) and this is one of the best.

The location definitely sets the tone for the whole experience. The camp is located on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater at the end of a long, rough road. As a result, it has an isolated feeling to it. The views over the rim of the crater, with the mountains on the far side of the crater, are spectacular, especially at sunrise. Our tent was sited such that you felt that you were in your private wilderness, with only views over the crater. This feeling of being in your own wilderness was reinforced one morning when a giraffe walked in front of our tent, not more than 20 to 30 meters away from us. How awesome!

The tent itself was spacious, tastefully furnished, and very comfortable. A portable gas heater and hot water bottles placed between the sheets (amazingly, they were still warm in the morning) were very welcome as it became quite chilly at night due to the 7,500 feet elevation of the crater. Even though the Expert Africa web site indicated that the crater rim would be cold at night, we were surprised by how cold we felt, especially because it already was winter when we left home.

The lounge and dining areas also were comfortably furnished - we especially liked the local art displayed throughout - with fireplaces in each room. The lounge/living room was very inviting with comfortable couches, the art on the walls, and the warmth emanating from the fireplace.

The tables in the dining area were comfortably spaced, reflecting the challenges created by Covid. The food was excellent at all of our meals - a selection of very interesting, healthy salads at lunch and a choice of excellent entrees at dinner. I was especially pleased that the chef prepared tasty options - including bread products - to accommodate my need for a gluten-free diet.

Staff throughout the camp - the wait staff at dinner, the people assigned to clean our tent, and the security guards - all went out of their way to make us feel welcome. The manager set the tone by greeting us every morning as we set off on our activity and greeting us when we returned, He also joined us for a few minutes every night as we sat in the lounge with a pre-dinner drink.

Finally, the activities offered in addition to the game drives were excellent. We went on a 12 kilometer round trip walk to the crater rim - accompanied by a Maasai guide and an armed park ranger - which provided an opportunity for exercise and to see the local flora and the view over the crater. An added bonus during the walk was a chance encounter with three Maasai men who were returning a large group of cattle to their village and four giraffes who walked within 60 to 70 meters of us. We also took a 6 kilometer walk one-way (we drove back in a safari vehicle) to a local Maasai village where relatives of the camp's Maasai guide lived. We greatly enjoyed learning about the Maasai culture and their traditions. Their welcoming dance was fun to watch.

The Maasia guide - Kiseka - was especially helpful during both of our walks with him. He brought a walking stick for my wife, who was unaccustomed to walking on uneven terrain, pointed out very interesting facts about many of the plants that we saw, explained aspects of the Maasai culture, and described how he had become a guide. We greatly enjoyed talking with him." See all these reviews: 9n in Tanzania; 1n in Kenya

"Entamanu was a beautiful camp set on the ridge of the crater! The staff were amazing! They were incredibly kind, attentive, and accommodating. The rooms were incredible. They were appointed with king beds, a sitting area, heated room, a separate bathroom with vanity, hot running water at both shower and vanity, proper toilet, and closet area to store your baggage.

The food was amazing! We were incredibly impressed by how delicious every single meal we had at Entamanu was. Just spectacular!

From the entrance gate of the crater to the camp it was an hour and 15 minute drive on bumpy dusty roads, so be prepared. We would do it again and it's totally worth it! Also, the only drawback we could see with the whole camp was the soft-sided tent. It's very windy on the ridge of the crater so the tent is pretty noisy at night because it's flapping quite a bit in the wind.

That being said, the staff let us know that this season they are replacing all of the tents with hard-sided walls so that will fix the problem of having trouble sleeping due to the noise. Honestly, if you just wear ear plugs (which the camp provides) it wasn't bad at all. There were a few guests complaining about it, but we didn't find it to be as big of an issue as they made it seem.

WiFi was available, but only at the communal tent." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania

"Stunning views over the crater, giraffes wandering through the camp, friendly and helpful staff, nice food, convivial pre-dinner drinks in one of two drawing rooms, both with cosy log fires, and a nice setting, with a pleasant self-guided birding walk possible around the camp. The decor in the main tent is restrained and has a slightly French feel. Dining is at separate tables, and the food is good.

The lodge is reached via an unmade road, taking about half an hour. Although some have complained about this, this is part of the safari experience, and we saw ostriches mating, and zebra and giraffe on the journey. The access road comes out right by the descent road into the crater, meaning we were the first vehicle down on the crater floor (a 15 minute descent on a paved road, rather different from our 2 hour descent on a bumpy track when we last visited in the 80s!). The ascending road for your return is about an hour away from the access road to the lodge, so about 90 minutes to get back after the safari.

The canvas tent rooms were well-equipped, lovely bed, a heater and hot water bottles at night to keep you warm, attractively designed. The room had a nice Verandah overlooking the crater, but this wasn’t that important - for the reason given below. Be aware there are no shower caps and there is no hair dryer. Morning coffee is brought to your room for your early wake up call.

And so, the caveat - we stayed two nights here. The first night was very windy, and the tent flapped, banged and crashed like a ship in a terrible Atlantic storm, all day and all night, seriously disrupting our sleep (it was the main talking point in our shared vehicle the next morning). This is not just a minor inconvenience, nor is it a romantic selling-point. It was quite miserable being in the room, and far too cold and windy to sit outside. However, the second night was much calmer, and we slept well. The wind does, nonetheless, howl around the camp and makes it unappealing to sit, or even stand, outside to look over the crater." See all these reviews: 11n in Tanzania

"Staff, food, dining, guides, sightings all amazing.

Cold, windy, noisy tents at night.

45-60 minute bumpy drive to and from crater - not good for people with joint issues." See all these reviews: 10n in Tanzania

"Entamanu was a nice camp on the crater rim that was quite far from the entrance to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (about 1.5 hours from the gate, if I remember correctly). Similar to other Nomad camps, there are individual tents and a main tent area where you can relax, have a drink, and is also where meals are served. As with other Nomad camps, the staff, service, and food were top-notch. When we were there, our group was the only one at camp so we had it all to ourselves.

Because this is a permanent camp, showers were normal showers (not bucket) though regulating the water temperature was a bit of a challenge with them. The tents were spacious and comfortable and you can charge electronics from inside your own tent instead of the main area like at the Nomad Serengeti Safari Camp. It gets really windy at camp, especially at night, so it does get loud. Luckily, the camp provides some very effective earplugs that helped us sleep through the night. Hot water bottles were provided each night in case you get cold.

During our time there, we did a boma walk to a local Maasai village where we learned a lot about the Maasai and their culture. After the walk, the staff took us to an area to enjoy a beautiful sunset with drinks before dinner. We had a very sweet and kind guide during our time at Entamanu and Kuro named Rowland. He was very knowledgeable about all the wildlife in the two areas and had many jokes. Personality-wise, it was quite the contrast to our guide at the Serengeti Safari Camp where Mussa, our guide there, was more of a cowboy compared to Rowland who was more a stickler for rules :)

Standard Nomad wake-up calls are provided here which include some morning drinks at the time of your choosing. For the game drive, the descent road into the crater is close to camp, however, it was closed for construction when we were there. The ascent road was instead used for descents during the morning hours but that road was far from camp (~1 hour away). We definitely saw a lot more safari vehicles around when compared to the Serengeti but given the enclosed nature of the crater, I suppose that was to be expected.

This camp has a small gift shop where profits get donated to Nomad's projects. Prices are a bit higher than outside camp so if you're sensitive to that, I'd recommend making a stop in Arusha if possible at some point on your trip where you can get similar souvenirs for much cheaper (unless it's Nomad-branded gear you're after).

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Entamanu and it was a well-run camp." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania; 5n in Rwanda

"I last visited Ngorongoro 46 years ago and it was wonderful to see the environment, flora and fauna still in superb condition. The only thing is the popularity today of the area making for a crowded experience. However, my wife for whom this was a first visit didn't think the number of vehicles too obtrusive when we were down in the crater. We found the driver/guides very responsible in their behaviour.

Superb situation of the camp with the views over the crater and easy access to the entry gate (we were first in each morning at 0615 and really enjoyed the quiet early mornings in the crater before the 'hordes' arrived!). Only problem was the windy location with the tent constantly flapping that made relaxation and sleeping problematic. Otherwise, the tent itself was excellent. Nomad staff were really good (as noted earlier).

We had two days tremendous game viewing with Sammy our knowledgeable and astute guide, and we also appreciated our discussions around his views as a Maasai. Some great sightings of a lion pride and a rhino, and also a hyena kill." See all these reviews: 14n in Tanzania

"We loved Entamanu.
We loved the location as we are so closed to the road to get in the park, it was the best place.
The service was amazing and all the staff were great.
I particularly liked the family tent which was very special.
The only issue is that we didn't sleep. The reason is the wind which makes the tent flaps move and even the beds were shaking.
Even though we loved loved the camp and the food, we would probably not come back for this reason." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania; 7n in Zanzibar

"Great Location - Close to the decent road. We were the first down into the Crater each day. Quite important as it can get crowded down there.

Mohammed the Manager was great, very welcoming, knowledgeable and helpful and nothing was too much trouble, a class act. We had met him before 5 years earlier when he was our Guide in Katavi, and he remembered us.

We were lucky enough to spend our last night in one of new, permanent wooden rooms. They are “contemporary safari”, fully insulated, with log burners, great views and great lighting and very quiet. ( No flapping tent noise)" See all these reviews: 9n in Tanzania

"Staff were very kind and helpful." See all these reviews: 15n in Tanzania

"Great camp, lovely and helpful staff, excellent food. Positioned back from the crater rim it has lovely views, great accommodation. The only drawback is a bumpy and long trip back from the crater at the end of the day." See all these reviews: 10n in Tanzania; 2n in Kenya