Crater Forest Tented Camp

Beautiful location and view Only negative was that it is hard to get to - 10 km off the main highway on a very poorly maintained road

Crater Forest Tented camp was a perfect stopover for those wanting to get into Ngorongoro early. We were self driving South Africans travelling in a hired landcruiser. The tented accommodation was spotlessly clean, spacious and very comfortable. Crater Forest is situated in rural farmlands with fabulous view over the forest and farmlands. Elephant were spotted in the forest from our tent when we arrived. Food was delicious and lunch packs provided very good. We spent 2 nights at the camp as we wanted to do Crater one day and Oldupai (a MUST!) the next day on our way into Serengeti. Camp is secure with night patrols and an escort for walking to the lounge and dining area provided. Lovely HOT showers once the pipes from the 'donkey' boiler have heated up - just give it time and enjoy the showers. We prefer tented camps for the safari experience and the lodges available in Ngorongoro itself are anyway unaffordable for many. A few reviews complain about the 9km road to the camp. (African Massage road) It does require 4x4 in places and I can imagine more difficult in the wet season, but is is NO worse than the southern Ngorongoro crater rim road passed Sopa Lodge OR Ngorongoro - Serengeti road which is 70km of slippery corrugations that even shook the nuts off our cruisers front axle / leaf spring Ubolts. It is all part off the Tanzanian safari experience. Africa is not for sissies! We would definitely stay there again.

Except for the road, which could actually ruin the stay before it even starts. But on getting there, it was perfect. The food was good, and Gerald was very welcoming and made it very easy there. We were booked for two nights, but since the following day we were going to Ngorongoro, we were not ready to do that road again. Gerald arranged for us to spend the night at their sister camp not too far away.

This lodge claims to be inside the conservation area, and on the GPS shows it right around the crater..... this is incredibly inaccurate. It is actually about 10km from the outside of the park entrance, & the road there is in rough shape. There was no wi-fi, and it didn't seem that there was an actual manager on the premises. We left a day early as the distance from the crater itself & the accommodations were less than expected. We were the only guests there 7 according to their guest log, no one had been there in 10 days. ...I could see why. There were no activities on the premises except for an extremely overpriced coffee plantation tour that we were not interested in after just coming from Gibbs Farm. The only redeeming factor was that the food was great... but like I said, we left a day early because the location was not what was expected.....

THE PLACE WAS IN SHAMBLES AND BEING TORN DOWN. I HAVE PICTURES TO PROVE IT. WE WERE TURNED AWAY AND DENIED ACCESS UPON OUR ARRIVAL DESPITE THE FACT WE PRE PAID OVER $400 FOR THIS DUMP. THEY SAID THEY HAD NO RECORD OF OUR BOOKING OR PAYMENT, THOUGH MY CREDIT CARD WAS DEBITED TWO DAYS BEFORE. THIS PLACE IS NOT LOCATED IN THE NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA, THOUGH IT SAYS IT IS, ON EXPEDIA'S WEBSITE. IT IS ACTUALLY MORE THAN A TWO HOUR DRIVE FROM THE CRATER, AND IS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE ON A VERY ROUGH 4 WHEEL DRIVE ROAD. NO REGULAR VEHICLE COULD MAKE IT HERE. DO NOT PAY EXPEDIA--THEY REFUSE TO REFUND OUR MONEY!!! THIS WAS THE WORST EXPERIENCE WITH A BOOKING EVER IN MY LIFE.