Oldeani Mountain Lodge: luxury in the heart of Ngorongoro

Explore craters, lakes and gorges from this five-star mountain lodge in Ngorongoro. Built in neo-colonial style, the stone farmhouse has a grand entrance hallway and dining room, a spa and even a movie theatre. We’ve planted thousands of acacia trees on our 40-acre grounds, which are now home to over 143 species of birds and our resident guinea fowl, so you’re surrounded by nature. Relax in our rim-flow infinity pool or gather around the firepit for evening cocktails and Swahili lessons with our Maasai staff.

You’ll be able to see Oldeani Mountain and the world-famous Ngorongoro crater from your room, which has a wall of sliding doors so you can admire views stretching all the way to Lake Eyasi and Lake Manyara. Most guests arrive in the late afternoon, in time to see the sunset over the peak of Oldeani while sipping sundowners. Although there’s a traditional African feel to the design, we have modern, eco-friendly features such as solar power and our own water boreholes, so we don’t compete with local communities for resources.

We’re part of the largest chain of lodges run by a Tanzanian family and our personalised service really sets us apart from other hotels. Before you arrive, we’ll talk to your driver and arrange an express check-in, staff will know your names and there’s a welcome ceremony with Maasai singing. You’ll be shown around the lodge by the manager and have your own dedicated member of staff to arrange all of your activities. When you dine at our Crater Restaurant, you’ll have your own waiter for your entire stay.

Guests really bond with our staff and love the one-on-one connection. We have a policy of recruiting locally, so between 60 and 70 percent of our staff live within walking distance of the lodge and have been trained here – it really feels like a family. Our plan is to ensure that the community benefits from the lodge, through employment and projects like building schools, sanitary facilities and medical clinics. If a local wants a venue for their wedding photos, for instance, we’ll host it here; we want the community to feel proud of the lodge and have a sense of ownership.

Our strategic location means you can spend days exploring all the surrounding national parks. Visit the Hadzabe bushmen near Lake Eyasi, enjoy game drives on the crater floor, which is home to over 30,000 animals, go bird spotting at Lake Manyara and discover historic Olduvai Gorge. You can also take a nature walk with our birdwatching expert on site or take a trip to Oldeani coffee farm to roast your own cup of coffee. We even have our own Maasai boma on site, where you can enjoy African food and entertainment.