Craters Edge Ngorongoro Review: Worth the Stay?

We flew from a fantastic week in the Seychelles to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) via Doha on Qatar Airways.

Instead of doing a fly-in safari straight from JRO to Lake Manyara Airport to reach the Ngorongoro Crater, we chose to start with a drive-in safari for this first leg.

And I’m so glad we did.

That drive gave us a small but meaningful glimpse into everyday Tanzanian life: school kids in uniforms walking home, Maasai herding cattle across open countryside, and busy roadside markets buzzing with color and movement.

It was great to feel the pulse of the little towns before going into full safari mode.

This was a great decision. I explain why in my fly vs. drive safari guide.

Savio, our private Pristine Trails guide for this portion of the trip, met us right on time at the airport with a well-maintained pop-up safari vehicle.

On the way, we stopped at the Cultural Heritage Center in Arusha for a quick bathroom break… which somehow turned into an unplanned tanzanite earring purchase.

I wear them all the time now and still love them!

If you have a few extra hours, these are interesting Arusha stops we enjoyed exploring.

After Arusha, lunch was at Gibb’s Farm, and we absolutely loved it. So much food! Fresh and vibrant, with vegetables pulled straight from their gardens, a delicious soup, and excellent coffee.

Even the bathrooms felt like a spa retreat with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking lush greenery.

From there, we continued up toward the Ngorongoro Crater.

On the way, Savio stopped at one of the scenic viewpoints overlooking the crater.

Luckily, the weather cooperated when we arrived, so we had clear views down into the crater itself.

Seeing the vast crater floor spread out below was pretty incredible and gave us our first real sense of just how massive this place is.

Craters Edge is nestled on a gently sloping hillside within a grove of flat-topped acacias on the north-eastern side of the crater.

The positioning is ideal. Being just minutes from the Lemala Gate meant we could maximize every second inside the crater.

Raj, who runs front of house, was warm and welcoming.

He introduced us to Amina, our room attendant, who led us to Room 1.

That first evening, we grabbed sundowners and watched what can only be described as a fireball sunset. The sun dropped beside the crater in layers of orange, red, and gold.

The only other place I’ve seen a sunset that intensely red was on the little French Polynesian island of Moorea.

Craters Edge has just 17 stand-alone tented suites perched on stilts along a gently sloping hillside overlooking the Ngorongoro Crater.

The design immediately stood out. Natural materials, warm tones, stone pathways, rugged canvas exteriors, and leather accents blend beautifully into the surrounding landscape.

It feels very safari chic without trying too hard.

The tents are spaced out nicely, which gives the lodge an intimate and private feel.

We stayed in Tent 1, the tent closest to the main lodge area.

Normally, I gravitate toward rooms farther away, but this one was actually super convenient and still felt peaceful.

Bedroom

Inside, the layout felt spacious and very comfortable. The canopied king-size bed with crisp white linens faces directly toward the crater, which is one of the best features of the room.

And unlike some lodges that advertise crater views loosely, you can actually see the crater from here.

One thing I really appreciated was how practical the setup was for travelers with camera gear.

There were plenty of outlets for charging batteries, phones, and all the electronics that tend to pile up on safari.

Near the seating area, there was a tea and coffee station with a small bar setup, complete with a jar of very addictive shortbread cookies.

Perfect for a quick coffee break between drives.

One of the cooler design features was the see-through fireplace connecting the bedroom to a small sitting area with two comfortable leather chairs.

It creates a cozy little lounge space without making the room feel closed off.

And then there’s the bathtub.

I’m usually not a bath person, but the giant free-standing clawfoot tub with ornate gold feet sitting right in the main room was pretty impressive.

After a long, bumpy day of game drives, it suddenly seemed like a very good idea.

Bathroom

The bathroom was spacious and well designed with double sinks, a generous walk-in shower with excellent water pressure, and a separate toilet area.

The lodge uses high-quality South African Healing Earth bath products, which was a nice touch.

They even had a Dyson hair dryer, which I had never used before and loved. A surprisingly nice detail.

Deck

The private wooden deck spans the entire width of the suite, which I loved. It gives you plenty of space to spread out and enjoy the view.

There’s comfortable outdoor seating where you can sip coffee in the morning or unwind between game drives while looking out over the crater.

Between the crater views, thoughtful layout, and practical safari touches, the rooms at Craters Edge strike a really nice balance between comfort and classic tented safari atmosphere.

Bar & Lounges

The main gathering space is the bar and lounge area, which has two separate seating areas that are perfect for relaxing before dinner or swapping wildlife stories with other travelers.

The first lounge feels especially cozy with a fireplace and inviting leather chairs arranged around it.

After a cool evening on the crater rim, it’s a great place to warm up with a cocktail.

The second lounge area has more of a library feel, with additional leather chairs, books, and beautiful African artwork decorating the space.

Both lounges feel relaxed and comfortable rather than overly formal, making them easy places to settle in with a drink after a long day of game drives.

Firepit

The main lodge area also has a large wooden veranda with two fire pits.

It’s another great place to gather after a safari drive and enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail.

When we visited in May it was a little too cool to sit outside, but I can easily see this being the ideal spot to relax on a warmer evening while watching the light change over the crater.

Breakfast

Meals at Craters Edge follow the typical safari rhythm: early breakfasts before game drives, picnic lunches if you’re spending the day inside the crater, and multi-course dinners back at the lodge.

Breakfast can start as early as 6:00 am so guests can get into the crater right away, while dinner is typically served around 7:00 pm after everyone returns from their afternoon game drives.

The hot breakfast menu included eggs any style (poached, fried, scrambled, or boiled), omelets with mushrooms, peppers, cheese, and chopped chili, or a full breakfast with fried eggs, bacon, sausage, baked beans, tomatoes, and mushrooms.

If you’re in the mood for something sweet, there are also French toast sticks. A bread basket and fresh fruit were also served alongside breakfast.

I went savory both mornings and did poached eggs one morning and scrambled the next.

Simple, satisfying, and exactly what you want before several hours bouncing around the crater looking for wildlife.

Kelvin, our waiter, was very friendly and kind and made the daily meals feel especially welcoming.

Picnic Lunch in the Crater

If you spend the full day inside Ngorongoro Crater, the lodge packs a picnic lunch to enjoy at one of the designated picnic areas.

Our lunch included rice, vegetables, chicken, juice, and a bottle of local Tanzanian dry white wine called Dodoma.

Wait… they make wine in Tanzania? Apparently, they do.

Eating lunch in the middle of the crater (with wine glasses!) surrounded by wildlife is a pretty incredible setting.

The Lerai Forest picnic site even has clean bathrooms with toilet paper and soap, which honestly surprised me given the remote location.

Dinner

The indoor dining room is also a really beautiful space.

One of the most striking design features is a massive acacia tree growing right through the middle of the dining room floor. It brings the outdoors inside in a really natural way.

It actually reminded me of when we dined at Pujol in Mexico City, which also has a tree incorporated into the restaurant design.

But this acacia tree is on a completely different scale. It’s huge and makes the whole space feel very connected to the surrounding landscape.

On our first night, we started with a beetroot and pumpkin salad followed by roasted tomato soup with onion and fresh herbs.

For the main course, I ordered stuffed aubergine with sautéed vegetables and arrabbiata sauce. Dessert was a delicious malva pudding drizzled with a strawberry reduction.

I love malva pudding!

The last time I had it was at Chefs Warehouse in the Cape Winelands in South Africa, so it was fun to see it appear again here.

The second night began with a light summer salad of pears, cucumbers, and strawberries. The cauliflower soup topped with sautéed leeks and fresh herbs was excellent!

I clearly developed a soft spot for the soups here. They were consistently flavorful and comforting after a long day of game drives.

For the main course, I had the seared beef fillet served with mashed potatoes, carrot purée, and sautéed green beans.

Dessert that evening was a mango bavarian served with berry coulis and mint granita.

Drinks

Before dinner, most guests gather in the lounge or bar area for sundowners.

One drink we quickly became fans of was the Dawa, a classic East African cocktail made with Konyagi (Tanzania’s iconic spirit), honey, lemon, and soda.

It’s refreshing and perfect while watching the sunset over the crater.

The wine list also included options like Millstream Pinotage, a South African red that paired nicely with dinner.

We love South African Pinotage and actually did a fantastic DIY wine tour through South Africa wine country that focused on this interesting varietal.

Another discovery was Stoney Tangawizi, a Tanzanian ginger soda that is much spicier than typical ginger beer. I’m officially hooked.

Our Safari Guide

Our safari guide, Savio, was always punctual, professional, and a great driver, which is especially important when navigating the crater’s sometimes muddy roads.

He was definitely on the quieter side, but when wildlife appeared he shared great insights, like how to estimate the age of a lion based on the pattern and fullness of its mane.

Savio also helped us identify many of the birds we spotted throughout the day, including unique species like the black-shouldered kite.

His calm, steady approach made the entire safari feel smooth and relaxed.

Early Start = Lions!

We were up early with Savio and rolling out by 6:30 am to descend into the crater for our Ngorongoro Crater safari drive.

Only pop-up safari vehicles are allowed inside the crater.

If you’re not familiar with the different safari vehicle setups, check out my Tanzania safari vehicle guide.

Being located just minutes from the Lemala Gate really paid off. We didn’t want to waste a minute of wildlife time, and the short drive meant we were among the first vehicles heading down into the crater that morning.

Within the first hour we spotted two male lions, and there were only three other vehicles nearby.

One of the cheeky lions promptly walked over and marked his territory on the mounted spare tire of a nearby jeep before casually strolling down the dirt track. Pretty funny.

As the clouds began to lift, sunlight spilled across the crater floor and the two lions continued their slow walk across the landscape.

It felt straight out of a National Geographic documentary.

And this was just the beginning.

More Wildlife Sightings

Throughout the day we saw an incredible range of animals including zebras, wildebeest, elephants, gazelles, ostriches, crowned cranes, and three lionesses lounging in the grass.

A light drizzle rolled through at one point, which kept the dust down and made the entire crater feel especially lush and green.

Yellow wildflowers dotted the landscape and added bursts of color to the plains.

One of the more exciting sightings was a serval, a sleek spotted wildcat that’s notoriously difficult to see.

It moved gracefully through the grass before disappearing again almost as quickly as it appeared.

Interestingly, we ended up spotting another serval later in the trip.

After flying from Lake Manyara to Seronera and transferring to Dunia Camp (amazing safari led by all women!), we saw a second one on the drive from the airstrip to camp.

Two serval sightings in one safari felt pretty lucky given how elusive these cats are.

We also spotted a black rhino far in the distance.

Even with our Canon telephoto lens it was still quite far away, but seeing one of Africa’s most endangered animals in the wild was still a special moment.

The Birdlife Surprise

I’ll admit I’m not usually a big bird person.

But the Ngorongoro Crater might have changed that.

We saw an incredible variety of birds including flamingos, ostriches, blacksmith lapwings, Speke’s weavers, grey crowned cranes, kori bustards, and a black-shouldered kite.

One bird that really stopped me in my tracks was the superb starling.

With its bright orange chest and flashes of iridescent turquoise, it looked almost too colorful to be real.

Meanwhile, the marabou stork proved that nature has a sense of humor.

It truly has a face only a mother could love. Quite possibly the ugliest bird I’ve ever seen.

The Warthog Moment 

One of the funniest moments of the day involved a warthog with a serious itch.

He rubbed his backside, belly, and basically every reachable body part against a rock with absolute commitment.

I caught the whole thing on video, and it definitely deserves the perfect soundtrack because it was hilarious.

Guided Nature Walks

In addition to safari drives, the lodge offers guided walks led by expert naturalists.

It’s a nice way to experience the environment from a different perspective outside the safari vehicle. Finally stretch those legs!

This is something we could have potentially done on our first afternoon after arriving.

However, since we stopped at Gibb’s Farm on the way to the lodge, adding the walk would have made the day feel a little rushed.

If you arrive earlier in the day, it could be a great activity to include before dinner.

Our stay at Craters Edge cost $1,550 per night for the two of us in May.

The rate included full-board accommodation, all house drinks (except Champagne), laundry service, transfers to and from Manyara Airstrip, and scheduled game drives inside the Ngorongoro Crater.

Rates will vary depending on the season and availability, so it’s best to contact the property directly for the most up-to-date pricing.

We visited in late May during green season, which typically runs from March through May and is known for the long rains. Because of that, rates during this period are usually lower than during peak safari months.

We intentionally planned our trip for the end of May, hoping the heavier rains would be tapering off while still benefiting from the lower prices.

For us, it worked out perfectly.

Yes, we experienced a little drizzle during our crater drive, but the landscape was incredibly lush and green with beautiful yellow wildflowers scattered across the plains.

The clouds also created dramatic skies that made the scenery even more striking.

Between the scenery, the wildlife, and the reduced crowds that come with green season, we felt like it was a fantastic time to visit.

There are several excellent lodges on the Ngorongoro Crater rim, so choosing where to stay really comes down to what matters most to you.

For us, a few key factors made Craters Edge the right choice.

✔️ Location! Near the Lemala Gate

The biggest factor was location.

Craters Edge sits on the northeastern side of the crater, just minutes from the Lemala Gate.

That proximity meant we could descend into the crater quickly in the morning and maximize our wildlife viewing time.

Some other lodges on the rim require significantly longer drives just to reach the gate, which can easily add an extra hour or more to your safari day.

✔️  Beautiful Design & Crater Views

We also loved the lodge’s design.

The natural materials, canvas tents, leather accents, and warm tones blend beautifully with the surrounding acacia grove.

The property feels stylish without being over the top.

And of course, the crater views from the lodge are pretty spectacular!

✔️  It Fit Perfectly Into Our Safari Itinerary

Finally, Craters Edge fit perfectly into our overall 7-night Tanzania safari itinerary.

We started our safari here before continuing on to the Serengeti.

If you’re trying to decide whether to include both destinations, I share a full Serengeti vs. Ngorongoro Crater comparison in another post.

After our crater stay, we flew on a small bush plane from Lake Manyara to Seronera and continued on to Dunia Camp.

The flight itself felt like a mini aerial safari, with sweeping views of the savannah below.

If you’re considering a fly-in safari, don’t miss my review of our bush plane experience.

We later wrapped up our safari with a grand finale at Namiri Plains, one of the best places in the Serengeti for big cats.

✔️   Stay 2 nights 

If you can, plan to stay at least two nights, especially when you’re staying at a beautiful property like Craters Edge.

That way you can enjoy the lodge, settle in, and still have a full day to explore the Ngorongoro Crater without feeling rushed.

Many itineraries only spend a few hours in Ngorongoro. The crater ecosystem is incredibly diverse, and having the entire day allowed us to see everything from lions and elephants to a serval and even a distant black rhino.

✔️ Book a lodge close to the crater gate

Ngorongoro Crater has a limited number of access roads, and the earlier you get down to the crater floor, the better your wildlife viewing will be.

Staying near the Lemala Gate saved us a lot of driving time and helped us maximize our safari hours.

✔️   Plan your visit toward the end of green season

We visited at the end of May, which worked out beautifully.

Yes, there was a little drizzle, but the crater was incredibly lush and green with yellow wildflowers everywhere. The dramatic skies also made for fantastic photos, and there were fewer vehicles than during peak season.

Another big perk is that many luxury lodges offer lower rates during green season, making it a great time to experience properties that might otherwise be out of reach.

✔️   Pack layers

Safari mornings start early and temperatures can be surprisingly cool.

Bringing a lightweight jacket, scarf, or buff makes those early drives much more comfortable.

If you’re unsure what to wear on safari, I put together a guide that shows practical outfit ideas that work well in the field while still looking put together.

I also share my full safari packing list, covering the items that proved most useful throughout our trip.

✔️   Try the soups

This might sound like a random tip, but trust me on this one. The soups were consistently some of the best dishes on the menu.

✔️   Bring a real camera with a zoom lens

Wildlife sightings can sometimes be far away, especially with animals like rhinos.

My husband brought a Canon telephoto zoom lens, which made a huge difference for capturing things like birds and distant rhinos.

There are several excellent lodges on the Ngorongoro Crater rim, and we spent a fair amount of time researching before deciding where to stay.

Two properties in particular stood out during our planning process.

The Highlands Lodge

One lodge we seriously considered was The Highlands Lodge, another beautiful property from Asilia.

The Highlands is known for its unique design with eight dome suites that almost look like those little winter igloos you sometimes see in cities.

The idea is similar. You can still enjoy the outdoor views and atmosphere while staying warm and comfortable inside.

Since we were already staying at two Asilia properties in the Serengeti, Dunia Camp and Namiri Plains, choosing The Highlands would have allowed us to tap into additional multi-property savings.

Ultimately, the main reason we didn’t choose it was location.

The Highlands sits farther from the crater access road, which would have added roughly an hour of driving before even reaching the crater floor.

For us, maximizing wildlife time inside the crater was more important than the extra savings.

Lemala Osonjoi Lodge

Another lodge we considered was Lemala Osonjoi Lodge, which hadn’t opened yet during our visit but is now welcoming guests.

Lemala is another highly respected safari brand, similar to Asilia, known for excellent guides, well-designed camps, and strong service.

Lemala Osonjoi is conveniently located close to the Lemala Gate, which means guests can descend into the crater quickly and often reach the crater floor within about 10–15 minutes.

The lodge features 20 suites and has a more modern design style compared to Craters Edge, which I would describe as safari chic with modern touches.

The main lodge area includes a comfortable lounge and bar, an outdoor viewing deck with a firepit, and access to an indoor heated swimming pool, which is pretty cool.

The showers at Lemala Osonjoi even offer beautiful views, although they don’t have the same direct crater views that many of the rooms at Craters Edge enjoy. Still, it looks like a stunning property.

In the future, we’d love to also try Lemala Osonjoi and potentially pair it with other Lemala properties like Mpingo Ridge in Tarangire and Nanyukie in the Serengeti.

Ngorongoro Crater is one of those places that almost doesn’t feel real until you’re actually there.

You descend down the crater wall early in the morning, the mist starts to lift, and suddenly the entire floor opens up below you with animals scattered across the landscape in every direction.

Craters Edge ended up being a fantastic base for that experience. The location near the Lemala Gate made a real difference, allowing us to get down into the crater quickly and maximize our wildlife time.

After a long day bouncing around on safari, it was also pretty special to come back to a beautiful stylish tent with crater views, a warm shower, and a cozy lounge where everyone gathered to swap animal sightings over a drink.

If being close to the crater floor is a priority for you and you want a lodge that balances great location, comfort, and thoughtful design, it’s definitely worth considering.

If you’re still in the safari planning phase, I share more tips on how to plan a Ngorongoro safari in my full Ngorongoro Crater Safari Guide!

REACH OUT, FOLLOW, OR SHARE THIS POST WITH A FRIEND!

Questions about our stay at Craters Edge Ngorongoro?

Let me know in the comments below!