GUIDE ON NGORONGORO SERENA LODGE IN TANZANIA

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Ngorongoro Serena Lodge is a superbly camouflaged safari haven set high on the largest caldera in the world and cushioned in the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, Tanzania. It offers AfricanMecca guests a convenient base from which to explore the varied, self-contained biosphere of what is arguably the most densely populated wildlife conservancy in the world.



The Ngorongoro Serena Lodge safari experience combines an unforgettable setting, massive, boulder-built walls and ponderously dramatic accommodation, with unbeatable year-round game-viewing opportunities in a veritable paradise for photographers, adventurers and enthusiastic bird-watchers alike. 30,000 mammals and 500 bird species inhabit the short grass plains, lakes, marshes and forests of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, which combines wildlife conservation with the needs of human communities in ecologically sustainable balance.

Ngorongoro Serena Lodge is a leader in its drive to create sustainable employment in East Africa aided by superior training and staff retention. It hosts various eco-programs, locally sourcing food, materials, services, furnishings, staff and entertainment. This cooperative model makes it possible for guests on safari in Tanzania to share cultural activities including unforgettable, authentic Maasai weddings for honeymoon safari couples in Africa. The lodge stands 7,500 feet above sea level making for cool mornings when warm clothing are appropriate and evenings when hot-water bottles are gladly welcomed, all which make it very special for Tanzania holidays in Africa.

Accommodation At Ngorongoro Serena Lodge

75 guest rooms favored by families on safari and large groups are solidly built into the crater wall in two-story terraces linked by long stone corridors and covered boardwalks. The lodge has a surreal atmosphere, incorporating wood-carvings and imprints of wild animal rock paintings with colorful molded columns and decorative features of hammered copper and brass. Each room has its own private, stone-walled balcony with impressive views across the crater floor.

From higher levels, more can be seen of the crater floor with its central lake shining silver-grey in the early dawn. Lower rooms are suitable for guests who require accessible travel in Africa especially for the elderly guests, giving more chance of observing smaller herbivores and avi-fauna on ground level of the accommodation. Dik diks, the smallest antelopes, for example may be spotted foraging in the noon-time shade while a guinea fowl cocks a wary eye for marauding Tawny eagle.



Optionally available, the exclusive Kimba Suite is luxuriously furnished with king-sized bed, full mosquito netting and en-suite bathroom. Its adjoining lounge boasts its own mini-bar, digital TV and a selection of fruit and wine to welcome you on your Tanzania safari vacation with AfricanMecca. All rooms are provided with telephone and mineral water. Bathrobes, slippers and toiletries are standard.

From reception, 24-hour room service is available together with 24-hour medical guidance, WiFi, safe storage, laundry, valet and shoe-shining options. Primarily, the main activity is wildlife viewing safaris into the crater with cultural activities and entertainment sometimes available at the lodge on a regular basis. AfricanMecca Safaris also provides special planning services for combining a wedding or honeymoon with your Tanzania trip.

Safari At Ngorongoro Serena Lodge

The most satisfying activity on your tour to Ngorongoro Crater is game driving in custom designed closed 4x4 safari vehicles with pop-up hatches to allow you to stand with a camera, camcorder or binoculars for unobstructed viewing. Every seat is a comfortable window seat. The vehicles are equipped with cold box, drinks and snacks. Knowledgeable and experienced AfricanMecca guides are also optionally in touch by radio to share information on sightings and tracks to ensure the best game-spotting options.



To protect the fragile eco-system of the crater, wildlife viewing tours are limited to 6 hours a day and are usually taken in the early morning to allow you to reach areas such as the Lerai Forest when wildlife are most active. Here, there are huge old male tusker elephants carrying incredible masses of ivory. Endangered black rhino are often seen, as are vervet monkeys, baboons, and the elusive leopard.

The fantastic diversity of landscape presents a plethora of different species in a single trip. Lake Magadi supports thousands of pink flamingo and avian oddities including spoonbills and ibis. On the grasslands, thousands of hooved animals provide rich pickings for several prides of lions and clans of jackals or hyenas. Beautiful golden cats, serval and cheetahs can often be seen with bizarre secretary birds and kori bustards, jewel-like rollers, sunbirds, weavers and the indispensable ostrich.



Year-round marshes are home to hippo, buffalo and waterbuck. Excursions can be arranged from Ngorongoro Serena Lodge to the Olduvai Gorge on the way to Serengeti, original home of the upright man, or a cultural experience to the Maasai villages just outside the crater, who also sometimes put on evening displays of music and dancing at the lodge. On an African safari, you may lose yourself in the morning of creation and find yourself reborn.

Dining At Ngorongoro Serena Lodge

An impressive divided level dining room, where a comforting blaze is kept constantly alight in a central fireplace, adjoins a lounge bar with picture windows giving way to terrace with stunning panoramic views. Meals are ample, varied and well-presented. Breakfast and lunch are served buffet-style in the dining area, as is a table d’hôte dinner. Lunch can also be taken in the crater since the 6-hour game-viewing trips include expert provision for “bush dining” on your tour of Ngorongoro Crater.

These trips begin very early in the morning to catch the majority of the wildlife which is on the move at daybreak. The crater breakfast at Ngorongoro Serena Lodge is a specialty and promises to be a memorable highlight of your tour to Africa. After a wake-up beverage and an amazing full English breakfast, you will head to an awe-inspiring drive down the steep crater side through lush rain-forest vegetation to the crater floor.



Optionally, cooked and served safari-style breakfast at a pre-selected site with wonderful game-spotting potential is available on request. It is possible to drive with your AfricanMecca guide around the central lake in one outing, visiting all the varied microclimates with their specialized flora and fauna. A picnic lunch can be eaten in a cool, woodland glade, or a cooked bush lunch under the dappled shade of a flat-topped acacia tree.

Sundowners, the traditional end of day climax of any African safari, can be enjoyed beside a campfire at a pre-selected site on the rim of the crater, supplied with well-stocked bush bar, comfortable safari chairs, romantic lanterns and natural symphony of the sounds of African wilderness. As the sun sets in colorful splendor, golden light sweeps across the plains, chased by shadows from the cloud-fringed crater rim.

Related Pages

1. Ngorongoro Crater Safari Park Guide	2. Best Time & Weather To Visit Ngorongoro Crater
3. Ngorongoro Crater Map	4. Safari Lodges, Camps & Hotels In Ngorongoro Crater