Ngorongoro Serena Lodge

Perched on the jagged rim of the crater, wreathed in morning mist, camouflaged in river-stone and cloaked in indigenous creepers, the Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge is a triumph of ecological and architectural fusion. Sensitively constructed so as to take nothing from its environment whilst affording endless vistas over the heat-shimmering reaches of the crater below, the clustered boulder-built buildings of the Lodge hug the crater rim, linked by rope-lashed timber walkways that skirt the buttressed roots of ancient, liana-hung trees.

The interior, radiating out from the primeval log fire glowing at the heart of the Lodge, blends the concentrated hush of a game-viewing hide with the ochre, rust and charcoal images of a prehistoric cavern. Lit by flaming wall-lanterns, clad in gigantic volcanic boulders and decorated by the iron spears, bright-beaded robes and intricately carved artifacts of the Masai, the Lodge is a unique blend of world-class luxury, timeless volcanic splendor and ethnic style.

As for the views, from lilac-streaked sunrise, to indigo star-studded night, the immeasurably ancient Ngorongoro Crater delivers a theater of vistas, most unchanged since the dawn of time.

• Morning wildlife walks around the lodge with our resident naturalist
• A full safari breakfast, cooked in the cool of an acacia grove on the Crater’s floor
• An open-air ‘Crater Barbecue Lunch’ by a hippo-filled pool on the Crater’s floor .
• An action-packed selection of adventure hikes around the Ngorongoro Crater and the volcanoes of the nearby Crater Highlands.
• Authentic displays of Maasai dance, song, performance and music .
• A day trip to Olduvai Gorge, the ‘cradle of mankind’, and site of one of the most important and controversial Palaeolithic finds in recent history.
• A visit to neighbouring ‘Empakaai ‘, a 300m deep crater dominated by a flamingo-frosted soda lake.
• Visits to a selection of authentic Maasai villages, all of which belong to the national Cultural Tourism Programme and allow unique visits to Maasai homesteads, traditional cattle markets and women’s handicraft groups
• Atmospheric ‘Sundowners’, staged high on the caldera rim as the sinking sun sets the Crater ablaze.
• Nightly wildlife and cultural talks, videos and film shows

Prices on enquiry.