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Lemala Ngorongoro
Lemala Ngorongoro
Lemala Ngorongoro
Lemala Ngorongoro
Lemala Ngorongoro

Reviews of Lemala Ngorongoro

Wildlife sightings and reviews

36 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Lemala Ngorongoro and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa

Wildlife sightings by our travellers
Starting in Feb-2019, 11 of our travellers have recorded their wildlife sightings at Lemala Ngorongoro.
Lion

100% success

Leopard

20% success

Wild dog

0% success

Elephant

100% success

Hippo

100% success

Wildebeest

100% success

Zebra

100% success

Buffalo

91% success

Spotted Hyena

90% success

Black Rhino

82% success

Eland

75% success

Striped Hyena

13% success

Aardvark

0% success

Pangolin

0% success

Showing 1-10 of 36
Duration
Arrival date
Kris
Arizona

"Lemala Ngorongoro review"

2 nights Arrived 22 Oct 2023
"My driver MJ was very friendly and knowledgeable about the area.

The crater was beautiful and we saw a lot of animals. I also took a nature walk and saw a Maasai village.

The only thing that was somewhat challenging was no outlets in the tents so had to charge anything in the main lodge." See all these reviews: 5n in Tanzania; 5n in Rwanda
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Good
J2
VA

"Lemala Ngorongoro review"

4 nights Arrived 23 Jul 2023
"Lemala is in an ideal location only 15 minutes from the crater floor. This allows you to start your safari a couple of hours before the masses arrive. The people at Lemala are very friendly and the food delicious.

Only complaint would be the room temperatures. I saw my breath in the morning and after you take a shower you'll be freezing.

There is a heater in the room, but it's only turned on for two hours each night." See all these reviews: 9n in Tanzania
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Rooms:
Good
Activities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Black Rhino

2 sightings

Buffalo

3 sightings

Elephant

5 sightings

Hippo

1 sighting

Lion

3 sightings

Spotted Hyena

1 sighting

Wildebeest

4 sightings

Zebra

4 sightings

Mr & Mrs S
Peyia,

"Lemala Ngorongoro review"

2 nights Arrived 12 Jul 2023
"A real bush experience but with the elements of luxury. Secluded location, but able to get you into the Crater before the “hoards if jeeps”. Staff very attentive, yes it was cold, but soon sorted with heater, blankets and hot water bottles! Victor remained our guide and again provided 1st class service - excellent to have kept the same guide through 2 camps.
The talking shower is a unique experience but it works!" See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania; 5n in Zanzibar
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Black Rhino

1 sighting

Buffalo

10 sightings

Eland

10 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Leopard

1 sighting

Lion

10 sightings

Spotted Hyena

1 sighting

Wildebeest

10 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Mr&Mrs I
Suffolk

"Lemala Ngorongoro review"

2 nights Arrived 15 Feb 2023
"Tents were very dark and looked a little tired, not sufficient room for two suitcases and little space to hang or store clothes which meant living out of our cases.

The beds were very comfortable.

The staff were very friendly, welcoming and service was excellent." See all these reviews: 16n in Tanzania
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Rooms:
Good
Food:
Good
Service:
Excellent
Facilities:
Good
Sightings Report

Black Rhino

1 sighting

Elephant

Multiple sightings

Hippo

1 sighting

Lion

Multiple sightings

Wildebeest

Multiple sightings

Zebra

Multiple sightings

Mike & Janette
UK

"Lemala Ngorongoro review"

2 nights Arrived 24 Aug 2022
"Great location, just 15 minutes to get to the floor. Our guide made sure that we were first in the crater to avoid the crowds.

They need to regulate the safari companies to keep the cowboys out, they are damaging the site and harming the wildlife with very aggressive driving and ignoring the rules for the crater.

It is cold at the camp! We were told but it was colder than we expected.

Loved the hot water bottles and the talking shower." See all these reviews: 15n in Tanzania
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Good
Sightings Report

Black Rhino

Multiple sightings

Buffalo

Multiple sightings

Eland

Multiple sightings

Elephant

Multiple sightings

Hippo

Multiple sightings

Lion

Multiple sightings

Spotted Hyena

Multiple sightings

Wildebeest

Multiple sightings

Zebra

Multiple sightings

Mr & Mrs A.
Oregon

"Lemala Ngorongoro review"

1 night Arrived 3 Oct 2021
"Somewhat short stay so hard to give much feedback.

Our tent was comfortable, the bucket shower was warm, and the rustic but nice accommodation made us feel like we were truly on safari in Africa, especially when our host mentioned elephants occasionally walk through the camp at night seeking the water intended for the bucket showers!

Hosts were great and the food was good. Very friendly staff. Would recommend for location (right next to the entrance to the Crater) and accommodations, however, we stayed at some other fantastic tent camps later in the trip that made us feel that we couldn't give the same rating as those other sites." See all these reviews: 11n in Tanzania
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Good
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Good
Sightings Report

Buffalo

10 sightings

Eland

1 sighting

Elephant

10 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Lion

Multiple sightings

Spotted Hyena

Multiple sightings

Wildebeest

10 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Mrs M & Mr D
Germany

"Lemala Ngorongoro review"

1 night Arrived 4 May 2021
"We choose this camp primarily for its location, right on top of the crater rim with one of the closest access to the Ngorongoro crater.

In this respect the camp did clearly meet all our expectations. Welcome by a local Massai was further very warm and friendly, and our tent felt spacious and comfortable.

Management yet definitely needs improvement. We were in particular very unhappy with the cleanliness of the facilities (dirty tablecloth on each and every table for breakfast and dinner despite being the only guests since a couple of days) as well as the poor quality of food." See all these reviews: 12n in Tanzania
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Average
Activities:
Average
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Poor
Facilities:
Poor
Mandolin
Surrey

"Different to the other Lemala properties"

2 nights Arrived 15 Nov 2020
"I'm really torn writing this review. Although all of them are positioned in the midst of beautiful scenery and surrounded by wildlife, this Lemala property somehow felt closer to nature. We loved the location of the camp because it was so atmospheric; almost primeval. The downside of that is that it was cold and damp, in fact even with the fire on nothing really felt dry here. I don't think there's anything that can be done to address that except to completely rebuild and that would be a shame because it would lose its wonderfully dark and brooding ambiance. We enjoyed being in a more authentic tent as a contrast to the other, more luxurious Lemala properties and in spite of the damp our tent was cosy and the bed was wonderfully comfortable. The atmosphere was reminiscent of one of those old safari movies of the early 20th century. The downside was that we didn't have all the "mod cons" like a fridge or tea and coffee making facilities but really, that's such a small price to pay for staying in this delightfully quirky camp.
The food was good but perhaps not up to the quality of the other lodges we stayed in. This is no doubt due to the fact that in such a setting the chef doesn't have access to the same cooking facilities.The scores for rooms and food reflect the lack of "mod cons" but if there was a score for atmosphere it would be way beyond excellent." See all these reviews: 11n in Tanzania; 8n in Zanzibar
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Good
Sightings Report

Buffalo

10 sightings

Elephant

5 sightings

Hippo

8 sightings

Lion

3 sightings

Spotted Hyena

3 sightings

Wildebeest

10 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Dr C
Newmarket

"Eden"

1 night Arrived 4 Feb 2020
"Stunning; canopies of acacia, flowering bushes, shades of green surround and envelope this camp.

When I think of Lemala I think luxury, and the Ngorongoro site lives up to Lemala’s standards. The rooms have a rustic elegance to them and the gas heaters certainly help dispel the damp and cold as you snuggle for a comfortable sleep. We lost power in the morning but Lemala was ready with elegant candelabras and soft LEDs at breakfast.

As always the staff was attentive, helpful and kind. The food was expertly prepared and the presentation quite remarkable for a tented camp." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Black Rhino

1 sighting

Buffalo

9 sightings

Eland

1 sighting

Elephant

2 sightings

Hippo

3 sightings

Lion

3 sightings

Spotted Hyena

8 sightings

Wildebeest

9 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Mr D.
Cambridge

"Lemala Ngorongoro review"

2 nights Arrived 7 Sep 2019
"A great and novel experience. The staff made us so welcome and nothing was too much trouble. A bonus was my birthday celebration which was a lovely touch.

The proximity to the crater makes this location hard to beat." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania; 1n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Good
Showing 1-10 of 36
87%
36 reviews of Lemala Ngorongoro by travellers since August 2007
Overall rating by our travellers
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Other lodges in Ngorongoro Crater

Alternative places to stay in this same area.


Plantation Lodge

Plantation Lodge

A relaxed base between Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara, Plantation Lodge has lush grounds and offers good value and high standards.


94% (45 reviews)
Gibb's Farm

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Located not far from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Gibb's Farm has comfy rooms, homegrown food and strong community links


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Ngorongoro Crater Lodge

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The Highlands

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The Highlands is a unique camp near Olmoti Crater, north of Ngorongoro, offering drives, walks and cultural visits from a beautiful remote setting.


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Entamanu Ngorongoro

Entamanu Ngorongoro

Opened in 2016, Entamanu Ngorongoro is a small camp high on the Crater rim with views towards the crater and the plains of the Serengeti.


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Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge

Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge

Situated on the eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, with outstanding views, the Sopa Lodge is a somewhat dated, international-style hotel.


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Rhino Lodge

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Rhino Lodge is a simple, good-value lodge with a great location near the crater rim, in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.


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Ngorongoro Farmhouse Lodge

Farmhouse Lodge

Ngorongoro Farmhouse Lodge is set on a 750-acres working farm. Close to the NCA gate, it makes a great base for exploring the Crater.


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Rhotia Valley Tented Lodge

Rhotia Valley Ttd. Lodge

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Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge

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Neptune Ngorongoro Lodge

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Kirurumu Ngorongoro

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Ngorongoro Fly-Camp

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Country Lodge

Country Lodge

Country Lodge is conveniently located on the edge of Karatu and provides a comfortable base for exploring Ngorongoro Crater or Lake Manyara.


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