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Most romantic destination # 08: Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Tree Camp
[Location: Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, East Africa]
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Three million years ago, Ngorongoro, one of the highest peaks in Africa, towered alongside Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania. Our earliest ancestors witnessed the restless volcano's collapse, forming what is today the world's largest intact caldera (likened to a giant soup bowl with a flat base and steep sides.) Today, Ngorongoro remains a place of drama and beauty - the most remarkable wildlife haven on our planet. High on the south-western rim stands Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, commanding views of this natural wonder that often moves onlookers to reverential awe.
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"Earth's Wild Miracle"
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Crater is a World Heritage Site
Condé Nast accolade
Small Luxury Hotels of the World member
Lodge resembles Maasai village
3 discreet camps with magical suites
Home of up to 30 000 animals
"Big five"
Multitudes of zebra and wildebeest
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Africa's largest black-maned lions
Game drives into Crater
Walks on Crater rim
Trips to Olduvai Gorge
Maasai cultural village visit
Trips to "Shifting Sands", Lake Eyasi
Trip to extinct volcano of Empakaaik
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The Ngorongoro Crater is an African Eden, teeming with 30 000 wild animals, including black rhino, elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, cheetah, hyena, zebra, wildebeest, warthog, hippo, Thomson's gazelle, eland and reedbuck. The gigantic depression is a 12-mile (19km) wide volcanic crater, ringed with towering walls and sheltering forests, grasslands, fresh springs and a large lake. The lodge lies within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), which covers more than 8 000km². In the conservation area, 42 000 Maasai live and farm in harmony with wild and dangerous animals. The area also has a special place in the heart of African conservationists: On the rim of the crater stands a simple memorial. It commemorates Michael Grzimek, who died here in 1959 while filming the epic African documentary, "Serengeti Shall Not Die". The inscription reads simply: "he gave all he possessed for the wild animals of Africa, including his life."
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The intimate Ngorongoro Crater Lodge's Tree Camp has six suites. All have an en suite bathroom and chandelier-lit bath-tub and shower. Inspired decor and eclectic design make these romantic camps ideal for celebrating a special occasion. Each sumptuous suite is discreetly tended by a personal butler, who will bring you tea in bed, stoke your fireplace and draw your bath, scattering the water with rose petals, ready for your enjoyment. Askaris (Maasai warrior security guards) accompany you to and from your room at night. The sumptuous colonial-style interiors combine silver, gold and ruby colours under banana-leaf ceilings and grass roofs. Crystal chandeliers hang above large gilt mirrors reflecting carved Zanzibar wall panelling decorated with goldleaf. Huge bowls filled with long-stemmed red roses complement the Persian carpets and velvet bedspreads. Antiques, plump cushions, voluptuous raw silk curtains and tall, leather-backed chairs complete the picture. This opulent design blends with African art elements in unexpected harmony.
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The exclusive Tree camp operates independently. There is a central living area and viewing deck overlooking the awesome crater. Ancient African nights are evoked by the large fire bowls that flank the entrance to each of the living and dining areas. There is a communal curio shop and gallery. African artefacts and clothing are on sale at the gallery/Maasai Market.
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Pan-African cuisine is served in the outdoor dining area or dining room, where evening log fires flicker between silver screens. The domed dining room, with its welcoming fireplace, crystal, silver and massive wooden platters, treat ever meal as a special occasion. Truly food for the soul, this melange of traditional African recipes is enhanced by Africa's famous spices - saffron, vanilla, cumin and nutmeg.
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Experience thrilling daily game drives in closed Land Rovers with pop up roofs into the crater (half day and full day). Driving within the Serengeti is an otional extra, but a photographer's dream. Game and bird viewing opportunities in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area are exceptional. You may request the sole use of a Land Rover for game viewing, but this is at your own expense. Guided walking safaris follow a dramatic route, skirting the rim of the crater and are an optional extra. Guests are invited to visit a Maasai cultural village, situated in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. In the village, guests are free to walk around, browse through the local handicrafts or watch Maasai dancing. You can visit beautiful lakes Ndutu and Eyasi, and the impressive Empakaai Crater. You can also enjoy deliciously cool sundowners with exceptional views, as well as private bush breakfasts and lunches. All of these activities are optional extras. Excursions to the volcanic ash dune of "Shifting Sands" near Olduvai are a highlight. It is also possible to explore the roots of mankind on our half- or full-day excursions to the famous archeological site of Olduvai Gorge. Nearby Laetoli has revealed fossil footprints of animals and ancestral humans who walked the earth 3.6 million years ago. Olduvai Gorge, a 45-minute game drive away, has produced the finest quality and greatest abundance of paleo-anthropological information concerning the behaviour and physical structure of our earliest ancestors. Other activities at the lodge include croquet and boulle (French game similar to bowls), board games and a stunning collection of wildlife books, magazines and videos.
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LUnlike most African safari destinations, which experience high temperatures, Ngorongoro Crater Lodge enjoys a mild climate. Summertime is from about October to March. Winter is from about April to September. Rainfall: The wet season is from November to May with "short rains" from November to December and "long rains" from March to May. The dry season is from June to October, with chilly nights. Rainfall is about 700mm on the crater floor and over 1 500mm on the rim. Temperature: There are misty, wet mornings and evenings most of the year. Early mornings and evenings can be cold (± 10°C/50°F). Days are warm, but not as warm as at the other Tanzanian camps. The minimum temperature is 8°C/42°F while the maximum temperature is 30°C/86°F. Average daily temperature is ± 22°C/72°F. The coldest month is July. Altitude: Although lying just 3° south of the equator, Ngorongoro's climate is tempered by altitude, with the rim lying at 2 200m above sea level, and the crater floor some 500m below.
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Best time to travel:
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The lodge is open throughout the year and all-year-round game viewing is excellent. "Long rains" fall in March, April and May. From June to December, the migrating animals pass through the area, and through the surrounding area in January. Thousands of wildebeest calve in February and March.
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The Ngorongoro Crater is the permanent home of up to 30 000 larger animals, almost half of them being zebra, and wildebeest. Animals resident within this vast intact ecosystem include lion, elephant, black rhino, warthog, hippo, buffalo and many plains herbivores such as wildebeest, Thomson's gazelle, zebra, eland and reedbuck. For those who wish to see the fierce cats of Africa, the crater is a dream come true: an abundance of predators are drawn by the vast herds of antelope. The golden jackal is frequently seen during the day, while the black-backed jackal and bat-eared fox are most active after dark. The profusion of grass on the Crater floor feeds the multitudes of grazing herbivores. Grant's gazelle, Thomson's gazelle and wildebeest favour short grass; common zebra favour medium length; while buffalo feast on the rank grass near marshes and on the crater slopes. The leafy herbs among the grasses are sought out by the black rhino. A diverse array of wildlife resides in the forests bordering the lodge. Many creatures are confined to the highland forests, but most mammals are rare sights. Bushpig and bushbuck seldom stray from the shadows, while buffalo and elephant are most active after dark. Buffalo, zebra and serval may be encountered within the lodge surrounds. A small but growing population of black rhino live on the Crater floor, being the most viable concentration of this highly endangered species in Tanzania. Wonderful sightings of black rhino bulls, or mothers and their calves, are commonplace and provide excellent photographic opportunities against the backdrop of the Crater rim. Four powerful lion prides and five cohesive clans of spotted hyena  are the super-predators in this ecosystem, often coming to blows over prey. The resident elephant population includes many old and magnificent bulls, sporting huge ivory tusks of record sizes. Breeding herds of females and young keep to the dense forested slopes and are rarely seen.
About 400 bird species occur in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Interestingly, over 100 species of birds not found in the Serengeti have been spotted in the Crater area. Birds of the Crater highlands include Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Golden-winged Sunbird, Streaky Seed-eater, Olive Thrush, Baglafecht Weaver and White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher. Some birds of the Crater floor are Rufous-naped Lark, Rufous-tailed Weaver, Northern Wheatear, Capped Wheatear, Superb Starling and Northern Anteater Chat. In the forests that edge the lodge, look out for birds such as Schalow's Turaco, Tacazze Sunbird, Augur Buzzard and Montane White-eye.
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Click here to download the Africa Safaris 2005 Catalogue
Luxury Safari Lodges and Camps in Africa by country:
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