Best Hotels & Lodges

Built on the site of the former Rhino Lodge, the oldest lodge in the crater, Laba Ngorongoro enjoys an exceptional location. Just a few steps from the “Rim,” the edge of the crater, it is also the closest lodge to the park entrance. It also offers breathtaking views of the lush surrounding forest and the Oldeani and Makarot mountains. From what was once the Rhino Lodge, the former curator’s house has been preserved as a tribute. It was once the home of Henry Albert Fosbrooke (1905–1996), the region’s first ecologist, whose tireless efforts led to the creation of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. He was its first conservator. This highly symbolic residence will house the lodge’s reception, bar-lounge, and boutique.

Up in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, near the Elerai River and within reach of the great crater, this is the smaller, smarter sister to the Serengeti camp. Just ten tents look out over the acacia, and the whole operation runs small and personal: chef-cooked dinners, coffee on tap and service that learns your name by day two. The headline draw, of course, is the Ngorongoro Crater itself, a collapsed volcano packed with wildlife and a morning's drive away. A smart little base for the crater, and a soft place to land after.