Tanzania
Ngorongoro
Rim lodges above the crater, and the operators who time the descent.
Before you go
Best months. June to October. The crater is still drivable in the short rains, with mud.
What to choose first. Choose the lodge if you want the rim at dawn. Choose the operator if the descent and the hours on the crater floor are the point.
Ngorongoro · Hotel
Crater Rim Lodge
A lodge on the rim with the crater in the morning before anyone drives down. Rooms are warm, the mist is part of the stay, and the descent is arranged with a guide.
Ngorongoro · Hotel
Karatu Approach Hotel
A larger hotel in Karatu for the night before the crater. You drive up in the morning. You do not pay rim prices to sleep in the mist.