Plantation Lodge

This is an excellent accommodation option if the properties on the crater rim are full or if you do not mind staying just outside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. We find the lodge's design exceptionally stylish and always take photos to borrow ideas for our own homes. The German owners are very attentive and the lodge's elegant colonial style feels welcoming.

Plantation Lodge sits on a working coffee and farming estate just outside Karatu, less than an hour from the Ngorongoro Crater. The individually furnished rooms and suites blend harmoniously with the flowering garden, offering comfort and relaxation. Wherever you look, you will see — and even feel — the personal atmosphere of this owner-managed lodge, with furnishings chosen with great attention to detail.

With only 16 rooms, the lodge has the cozy, intimate feel of a well-run country house. The elegant rooms are beautifully designed, with large beds, en-suite bathrooms and wood-burning stoves in each sitting area. Outside, there are beautiful gardens overlooking the adjacent farmland and a swimming pool. The food and service are high quality, and the owners, Renate and Udo Marahens, who have farmed in the area for many years, are actively involved in the lodge's daily management.

At nearly 2,100 meters above sea level, this is one of the most pleasant climates, with warm days and cool mornings and evenings. Most guests use this property as a base for exploring the Ngorongoro Crater, a must-see, as around 25,000 animals live in this extraordinarily diverse caldera, 19 kilometers across. During the rainy season, a lake forms at its center, attracting flocks of thousands of brilliant pink flamingos.