GUIDE ON KITELA LODGE NEAR NGORONGORO CRATER - HIGHLANDS

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Kitela Lodge sits on a gentle hillside above an expansive coffee farm, among neatly maintained lawns, flower beds and an impressive vegetable garden. It is on the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, where local tribes are encouraged to follow their traditional lifestyles, whilst protecting the local flora and fauna which attract tourists on vacation in Africa who provide the income which supports the conservation effort.

In the distance rise forested hills enclosing a beautiful waterfall backed by the Eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, wildlife haven par excellence and one of the most popular Tanzanian destinations for AfricanMecca Safaris guests. It is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site because, as the largest collapsed volcano in Africa, it is surrounded by an unbroken caldera rim which encloses a safe and stable environment with year-round water and grazing, where up to 30,000 mammals gather at any one time, including many rare and threatened species.



Amazing landscapes of lakes, craters, and forested escarpments make delightful Kitela Lodge safari and tour destinations accessible. Historic Olduvai Gorge, considered the birthplace of mankind, also lies within striking distance. This Tanganyika Wilderness accommodation is only 8 kilometers from Karatu town, a progressive rural center which can be reached by road from Arusha.

Kitela Lodge is surrounded by small, native farms, brick makers, and villages which provide a fascinating cultural experience as your visits are welcomed with enthusiasm. The coffee farm and gardens also afford relaxing tours, and there is a spa for a pampering restorative after a dusty and grueling day of travel in Africa.

Accommodation At Kitela Lodge

Built in the style of an old colonial farm, with a main building surrounded by charmingly rustic thatched cottages comprising 20 suites of impressively spacious rooms, Kitela Lodge provides attractive accommodation for deluxe seeking guests on a safari holiday in Tanzania with AfricanMecca. The grounds and rooms are well-designed, most attractive, and relaxing. En-suite bathrooms have showers with solar hot water. Large, airy bedrooms feature comfortable beds in various configurations.

There are four interconnected suites comprising of five with king sized beds, three triple rooms with 3 bed, and twelve twin beds, all under shared mosquito nets. There are wide, wall-set fireplaces for chilly evenings. All suites have telephones. The decor features stone-clad walls, lounge chairs, ample electric wall lights, table lamps, French windows/doors and vases of fresh flowers.



Each suite has a stilted verandah with cushioned basket work chairs and settees and spectacular views of blue-misted hills, the waterfall and distant crater rim. In the foreground, banana fronds and beds of vibrant, red and orange canna lilies remind you that you are on tour in Tanzania.

There is a heated swimming pool, a soccer zone and free Internet is available as well as a free laundry service if you stay more than 2 days. The lodge is open all year and is wheelchair friendly. Children are welcome. The African Spa features local herbs and traditional treatments to sustain the soul as well as to relax the physique and tranquil your mind.

Safari At Kitela Lodge

Activities available at Kitela Lodge include guided treks in the surrounding highlands, Maasai culture walks to villages, farm, brick works, coffee plantation and gardens. But your AfricanMecca trip to Ngorongoro Crater is the ultimate experience. This is definitely not to be missed on any game-viewing safari to Tanzania (Read more on best times to visit Ngorongoro Crater). A comfortable, customized people carrier with four wheel drive and featured pop-up roof gives panoramic vision of the rich diversity of habitat and wildlife you will meet in vast numbers on any single visit.



The Ngorongoro Crater is home to most species of animals found in East Africa. Here, you can see unbelievable numbers in one day. On the grasslands, tens of thousands of ungulates, zebras, gazelles, African Cape buffalo and bearded wildebeest provide rich pickings for the inbred black-maned lions which thrive here in large numbers, followed by other predators and scavengers, cheetahs, jackals, hyenas and macabre vultures. The wonderful Lerai fever tree forest is home to arboreal black and white Colobus monkeys.

Here, you may also see some of the rare black rhino who live protected lives within the crater, or the ancient male elephants, heads bowed by the weight of great ivory tusks. In the swamps around the picnic area at Ngoitokitok Spring, you will see deceptively amusing hippopotamus drowsing indulgently in mud and luscious beds of green weed.



Hundreds of delightful bird species can also provide striking photographic souvenirs of your tour of Africa, from giant, flightless ostriches running flat-footed across the plains, to tiny feathered jewels, sunbirds, lovebirds, and clever weaver birds hanging from thorn trees in their pendant basket nests. There will be no shortage of wonder to stretch your imagination map on your African safari (View map of Ngorongoro Crater).

Dining At Kitela Lodge

Buffet meals are served in the main building. Food ingredients come mainly from local sources. Coffee, fruit, and fresh vegetables can be seen growing before they are harvested and prepared. Breakfast can be eaten at the lodge, or you could simply sip a delicious cup of aromatic Tanzanian coffee before you receive your hand packed lunch box and set out at dawn on the obligatory tour of Ngorongoro Crater. The early morning drive adds bonus time to the six hours allotted to each vehicle to remain inside the crater in order to avoid undue strain on the fragile ecology.



As you cross the forested highlands to reach the Crater Gate, you will have ample opportunity to further discuss your expectations with your AfricanMecca guide, who will check later on by two-way radio with other guides to collate information on up-to-date tracks and sightings, He will also be able to point out any nocturnal animals returning to their lairs. You may pass pastoral Maasai taking their cattle to graze on the crater rim.

On the return journey, you may spot other animals, such as giraffe and topi, which do not have food sources within the crater. Lunch is eaten at a picnic site set up in the crater, or for guests remaining at the lodge, from a buffet in the dining room, or around the pool. Enjoy sundowners before a simple, help yourself, buffet dinner, after which you can relax by the fire in the cozy bar lounge.

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