Reviews of safaris to Ngorongoro Crater
296 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Ngorongoro Crater.
"Best vacation ever."
The best part of the stay was our safari. Our safari guide, Banana, was wonderful. We saw so many animals and events with him. He was also informative and informational without overloading too much, and was very sensitive to our individual needs.
Would definitely recommend him as a safari guide for our friends and family. He definitely made me want to recommend Asilia to others who plan on traveling to Tanzania. Overall, had a wonderful time with this tour company in Tanzania." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 9 on a Tanzania safari
"My Sep 2017 trip"
Later, when one of our party dropped out, and we had to substitute another, the change was handled quite smoothly.
Asilia, the operator has a great reputation in Arusha, and it is obvious why. The vehicles are great - our guide, Harry was professional, and very experienced. He didnt break any rules chasing sightings, or harassing the animals." Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 9 on a Tanzania safari
"A dream trip to Africa"
My husband and I do like to be active, so in retrospect 9 days of game drives was too much for us. Our backs were hurting us from inactivity. I, unfortunately, had not realized, that, of course, we wouldn't be doing much walking within our camps, due to the proximity of wildlife. We did do one walking safari, which was great. We had a second opportunity for a walking safari, but this was at Oliver's Camp where the tsetse flies were brutal, so we declined that opportunity.
As well, the drive down to the crater each day in Ngorogoro was not fun. Extremely bumpy and unbelievable dust. I guess in retrospect I should have asked more questions before we chose our camps. I am a "water girl" - we live on a lake and I am used to humidity, but not at all accustomed to extreme dry and dusty conditions. I just felt terrible the whole time I was at the crater.
Also, some days it was a little much to do a game drive upon arriving after a couple of flights. Travel days - in Africa, even though the flights were short, were tedious days as there was always a lot of waiting around. For instance, we would leave the camp at 8:30, perhaps an hour drive to the airport, then the flight wouldn't leave until 11am, etc." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 9 on a Tanzania safari
"First safari"
Everything extremely well organized, no surprises, great locations, fantastic game drives, smooth transportation between the camps..
Everything was exactly as James had explained us it would be. James helped us pick locations and activities that we loved, hard to come up with anything other than glowing compliments
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
no... we loved your service. Will definitely use it again for our next safari!" Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 6 on a Tanzania safari
"Trip of a lifetime"
When there was a very minor hiccup with a hotel booking (not the fault of Expert Africa but a mistake Africa side) Richard called our guide and spoke to us to ensure everything was OK. Top service.
I can't recommend him highly enough." Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 14 on a Kenya safari
"My Jul 2017 trip"
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Nope! It was great!" Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 8 on a Tanzania safari
"My Jul 2017 trip"
"My Jun 2017 trip"
Tarangire, Ngorongoro and Serengeti was an excellent combo with diverse landscapes and different scenery. Zanzibar is a very nice resort location and Stonetown was an interesting surprise with the slave museum well worth at least an hour.
Tarangire was originally our "backup option" but turned out to be our favorite of the trips as we love elephants and the local staff and walking guides offered a fantastic experience, not only in the jeeps but also on foot walking which is well worth promoting as not all parks do guided walks." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 7 on a Tanzania safari
"An Unforgettable Journey !"
Thanks to the way Expert Africa helped us to choose among the various possible destinations, we could benefit from an itinerary that led us to variable parts of Tansania and we enjoyed entirely different landscapes and surroundings. Each of the camps and lodges we stayed at had their own charm and asset. Obviously James Denny was able to empathize our wishes and preferences so well that we really got what we wanted.
There is only one small critical item we would like to mention:
What we did not know beforehand (and what we could have been told when planning) was the distance from Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha, which is a car drive of about three hours, not really very much longer than the flight together with the time for waiting and transfer to and from the airport. In addition to this we flew to Kilimanjaro Airport instead of Arusha AIrport, which would have been much nearer to the hotel, although the plane did actually got to Arusha Airport." Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 21 on a Tanzania safari
"My Mar 2017 trip"
The game drives, including the vehicle, were wonderful.
Stanford was a great guide--knowledgeable and well-suited for our family.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
I was amazed by how easy and efficient everything was, especially since we were traveling through multiple time zones while planning the trip and often did not have access to the internet." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 6 on a Tanzania safari
Where to stay in Ngorongoro Crater
Our suggestions for safari camps in Ngorongoro Crater
Plantation Lodge
A relaxed base between Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara, Plantation Lodge has lush grounds and offers good value and high standards.
Gibbs Farm
Located not far from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Gibb's Farm has comfy rooms, homegrown food and strong community links
Lemala Ngorongoro
Lemala Ngorongoro is a small, comfortable tented camp on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater with lovely walking in the vicinity.
Entamanu Ngorongoro
Opened in 2016, Entamanu Ngorongoro is a small camp high on the Crater rim with views towards the crater and the plains of the Serengeti.
Crater Lodge
The ultra-luxurious Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is perched in a spectacular location on the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater.
The Highlands
The Highlands is a unique camp near Olmoti Crater, north of Ngorongoro, offering drives, walks and cultural visits from a beautiful remote setting.
Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge
Situated on the eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, with outstanding views, the Sopa Lodge is a somewhat dated, international-style hotel.
Rhino Lodge
Rhino Lodge is a simple, good-value lodge with a great location near the crater rim, in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Farmhouse Lodge
Ngorongoro Farmhouse Lodge is set on a 750-acres working farm. Close to the NCA gate, it makes a great base for exploring the Crater.
Rhotia Valley Ttd. Lodge
Rhotia Valley is a simple lodge with a strong commitment to the local community, including a children's home, which guests may visit.
Ngorongoro Serena
The large, hotel-like Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge sits on the western rim of Ngorongoro Crater and has stunning views of the caldera.
Bougainvillea Lodge
Bougainvillea Safari Lodge provides an economical base from which to visit Lake Manyara or the Ngorongoro Crater.
The Manor
The Manor is a smart, family-friendly Cape-Dutch-style lodge, offering high-quality service and food in very comfortable surroundings.
Neptune Ngorongoro
Neptune Ngorongoro Luxury Lodge is a smart hilltop lodge with log-style cottages set close to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Wildlife Lodge
Stay at the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge while on road safari in Northern Tanzania's spectacular Ngorongoro Crater area.
Crater's Edge
Craters Edge is an intimate luxury property on the north-eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater.
Sanctuary Ngorongoro Crater Camp
A small tented camp, located on the eastern side of the Ngorongoro Crater rim, with a five minute drive to crater descent gate.
Lion's Paw
Located on the eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, this camp has stunning panoramic views down onto the crater floor. A five minute drive to the nearest descent gate allows for early access into the crater, maximising on avoiding the large crowds
Ngorongoro Fly-Camp
Explore the remote northern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater on a two-day hike and spend the night in this small fly-camp.
Country Lodge
Country Lodge is conveniently located on the edge of Karatu and provides a comfortable base for exploring Ngorongoro Crater or Lake Manyara.
