Ngorongoro Crater,Lodge,Luxury,Africa,Safari,Tanzania,View

Perched on the edge of this unique natural phenomenon and commanding ‘the best view in Africa’, the Crater Lodge is utterly superb in every detail from the banana leaf roof to the Persian carpets.

Three million years ago, Ngorongoro, one of the highest peaks in Africa, towered alongside Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania. In a cataclysmic event, our earliest ancestors witnessed the volcano transforming itself into the world’s largest caldera. Today, Ngorongoro remains a place of drama and beauty - the most remarkable wildlife haven on our planet - a World Heritage Site and home to 30,000 animals.

High on the south-western rim stands the Crater Lodge, commanding views of this natural wonder that leave one awe-struck. Consisting of three adjacent camps - North, South and the Tree Camp - the lodge resembles a magical Maasai village. Each stone and thatch suite has fantastic views and the sumptuous, romantic designs combine silver, gold and ruby colours, under a banana-leaf ceiling and grass roof. Crystal chandeliers hang above large gilt mirrors, reflecting carved Zanzibar wall-panelling, decorated with liberal use of gold leaf. Huge bowls filled with long-stemmed, red roses compliment the Persian carpets and velvet bedspreads. Antiques, plump cushions, voluptuous raw silk curtains and tall, leather-backed chairs blend with the African art in unexpected harmony.

Also unexpected is the level of discreet care tended by your personal butler, who will bring tea, stoke your fireplace and draw your bath (scattering rose petals) and the magnificent pan-African cuisine, served outdoors or in - the domed dining room, with its welcoming fireplace, crystal, silver and massive wooden platters makes an occasion of every meal. One is accompanied everywhere by Askaris - Crater Lodge truly is ‘Versailles meets Maasai’ on the edge of the lost world.

Fantastic game drives take you into the crater where the ‘Big 5’, including Africa’s largest black-maned lions and multitudes of zebra and wildebeest, are drawn by the lush grass on the Crater floor. Spectacular walks will take you onto the rim of the crater and reveal the majesty of this setting. There are many day-trips to keep you amused - The Olduvai Gorge, a Maasai village visit, the ‘Shifting Sands’ at Lake Eyasi and the extinct volcano of Empakaai. You can also enjoy cool sundowners, bush breakfasts and lunches, all served to you in the bush with exceptional views, or a quiet game of croquet on one of the most magnificent lawns in the world.