Surrounded by the natural beauty of a rural location, Crater Forest Tented Camp offers an unforgettable escape. Enjoy English breakfast, explore game and wildlife viewing opportunities or simply relax in the garden. The on-site restaurant serves up delicious meals and guests praise their stay for its relaxing retreat.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area - 57 min drive - 34.0 km
Karatu Playground - 89 min drive - 49.4 km
Getting around
Lake Manyara (LKY) - 112 min drive
Restaurants
Jambo Cafe - 12 min drive
Osterbay Bar - 19 min drive
About this property
Crater Forest Tented Camp
When visiting Ngorongoro, Crater Forest Tented Camp is a great choice to consider. You can relax with a drink at the bar/lounge, and the restaurant is the perfect spot to grab a bite to eat.
Languages
English
At a glance
Hotel size
15 cabins
Arriving/Leaving
Check-in start time: noon; check-in end time: 6:00 PM
Minimum check-in age – 18
Check-out time is 10:00 AM
Special check-in instructions
The front desk is open daily from 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Front desk staffed during limited hours
Required at check-in
Cash deposit required for incidental charges
Government-issued photo ID may be required
Minimum check-in age is 18
Children
One child (3 years old and younger) stays free when occupying the parent or guardian's room using existing bedding
Babysitting*
Pets
Pets not allowed
Parking
Free on-site self-parking
Other information
Designated smoking areas
Property amenities
Food and drink
Free English breakfast each morning 6 AM–10 AM
Restaurant
Bar/lounge
Travelling with children
Children stay for free (see details)
Babysitting (surcharge)
What to do
Wildlife viewing
Safari nearby
Services
Front desk (limited hours)
Concierge services
Laundry facilities
Luggage storage
Facilities
Safe-deposit box at front desk
Garden
Room amenities
Sleep well
Free cot/infant bed
Rollaway/extra bed (surcharge)
Freshen up
Private bathroom
Shower only
Free toiletries
Towels
Stay connected
Desk
Food and drink
Free bottled water
More
Daily housekeeping
In-room safe
Fees & policies
Children & extra beds
Babysitting is available for an extra charge
Rollaway beds are available for an additional charge
Guests must contact this property in advance to reserve cots/infant beds and rollaway/extra beds
Policies
This property accepts cash.
Also known as
Crater Forest Tented Camp Safari Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Crater Forest Tented Camp Safari
Crater Forest Tented Camp Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Does Crater Forest Tented Camp offer free cancellation for a full refund?
Yes, Crater Forest Tented Camp does have fully refundable room rates available to book on our site. If you’ve booked a fully refundable room rate, this can be cancelled up to a few days before check-in, depending on the property's cancellation policy. Just make sure that you check this property's cancellation policy for the exact terms and conditions.
Are pets allowed at Crater Forest Tented Camp?
Sorry, pets aren't allowed.
Is parking offered on site at Crater Forest Tented Camp?
Yes, there's free self parking.
What are the check-in and check-out times at Crater Forest Tented Camp?
Check-in start time: noon; check-in end time: 6:00 PM. Check-out time is 10:00 AM.
What is there to do at Crater Forest Tented Camp and nearby?
On-site recreation at Crater Forest Tented Camp includes game viewing. Crater Forest Tented Camp also has a garden.
Are there restaurants at or near Crater Forest Tented Camp?
Yes, there's an on-site restaurant that offers international cuisine.
What's the area around Crater Forest Tented Camp like?
Crater Forest Tented Camp is located a short 1-minute walk from Ngorongoro Crater.
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Crater Forest Tented Camp Reviews
Reviews
6.6
Good
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travellers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.More informationOpens in a new window
8.0/10
Cleanliness
7.4/10
Staff & service
10/10
Amenities
7.4/10
Property conditions & facilities
10/10
Eco-friendliness
Reviews
10/10 Exceptional
11 October 2022
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
Pamela
Pamela, 1-night trip
4/10 Fair
11 September 2023
Jihn
Jihn, 2-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
30 June 2021
Well located, safe, comfy + worth the bumpy drive!
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.
JC
JC, 2-night trip
8/10 Very good
4 January 2020
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.
sharifa
sharifa, 2-night trip
4/10 Fair
29 April 2018
The only thing worth it : the food
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.....
Natalie
2/10 Poor
2 February 2018
THESE GUYS ARE A FRAUD!!!! DO NOT BOOK HERE!!!
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.
ELIZABETH
ELIZABETH, 2-night trip
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.
8/10 Very good
23 April 2017
Sehr gute Unterkunft mit allerdings sehr schlechte
Sehr guter Service und sehr gutes Essen. Hilfsbereites Personal und saubere schön eingerichtete Zeltunterkünfte. Für Ngrongoro gutes Preisleistungsverhältnis.