Quick facts
Destination
Ngorongoro Crater
Country
Tanzania
Category
Luxury Tented Camp
Price tier
Luxury
Starting from
$450 per night
Star rating
4 / 5
Number of rooms
9
Nearest airport
Lake Manyara Airstrip — Approx. 2-hour drive from Lake Manyara Airstrip, on the eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater
Best for
Photographers and early-rising travellers wanting the fastest, least-crowded access to the Ngorongoro Crater floor
Child policy
Family-friendly; please confirm room configurations directly with the camp
Last reviewed
June 2026
Lemala Ngorongoro Tented Camp
Lemala Ngorongoro Tented Camp is intimately set in a delightful ancient acacia forest on the quieter eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, next to the rarely used Lemala access route. While the camp does not have crater views from the tents, its forest setting brings regular night-time visits from elephant and buffalo, and the camp ambience is among the warmest in the region.
Tents and Camp Advantage
The camp’s 9 spacious canvas tents have wooden floors, indoor en-suite bathrooms with a dressing area, flush toilet and large safari shower, and two queen beds with winter-weight duvets and hot water bottles, warmed in the evenings by a gas heater. The Lemala access road gives guests roughly an hour’s head start over those using the busier Seneto road on the western rim – game drives can start as early as 6:15am, reaching the crater floor within 10–15 minutes, ahead of the crowds and in the best light.
Activities
Escorted walks into the forest and along the crater rim are available with an armed ranger and Maasai guide. Maasai guards escort guests to and from their tents after dark and patrol the camp overnight.
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Plan My Trip WhatsApp UsLocation & getting there
Nearest airport
Lake Manyara Airstrip
Transfer time
Approx. 2-hour drive from Lake Manyara Airstrip, on the eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater
Facilities & amenities
Rooms & accommodation
Forest Tent
Spacious canvas tent with wooden floor, two queen beds, winter-weight duvets, hot water bottles, gas heater and en-suite bathroom with safari shower.
Activities offered
Best time to visit
■ Good season ■ Low / wet season
SafariBando's view
Lemala Ngorongoro Tented Camp’s position on the quiet eastern Lemala access road is its standout advantage – guests typically get an hour’s head start onto the crater floor compared with camps using the busier western Seneto road, translating directly into better wildlife sightings and light for photography. The ancient acacia forest setting brings genuine night-time wildlife encounters (elephant and buffalo through camp), and the warmth of the camp ambience is consistently noted, even though the tents themselves do not have direct crater views.— The SafariBando team
