A Day on Safari at A&K Sanctuary’s Ngorongoro Crater Camp

The author received a media rate for their stay at Ngorongoro Crater Camp. All opinions are the author’s own, and Abercrombie & Kent had no input in any part of this review.

Going on safari was something I’d always said I’d do one day, but never actually got around to planning.

That was until I was playing around with Google Flights, as I often do, and found a cheap round-trip from the U.K. to Zanzibar, Tanzania, in Air France premium economy.

Zanzibar was indeed high on my list of places to visit, so I snapped up the fare. As I researched more, I realized that Tanzania has it all: the beaches of Zanzibar, the hikes of Kilimanjaro, and some of the best safari locations in Africa. I mentioned the idea to my friend Sarah, who lives in Sydney, who almost immediately said she’d “meet me in the middle” to join me on the adventure.

And that’s how my first safari experience came to be.

Booking a Safari With Abercrombie & Kent

I’m usually a very independent traveler when it comes to booking trips, even to the most remote places. For this more adventurous trip, however, I left the organization and planning in the hands of luxury travel agent Abercrombie & Kent.

Before deciding to go with an agent, I tried planning it myself. But with no knowledge of the vast safari lands of Tanzania, I thought it better to leave it up to an expert. I narrowed my list of desired accommodations and finally settled on A&K Sanctuary’s Ngorongoro Crater Camp. A&K Sanctuary is a portfolio of safari lodges and camps in Africa, along with riverboats on the Nile and Amazon.

I connected via email with Jafari from A&K Sanctuary, who arranged everything, including transfers, internal flights, accommodations, and our daily safari itineraries. You can ask for an itemized breakdown of the cost of each element of the trip to help you build out your package. I’d had a go at sorting internal flights myself, but it was quite confusing trying to figure out which airport would be the best. It was quite nice to relinquish some control and let Jafari figure it all out for me.

The total for a 2-night package in October 2024 would have come to $2,615 per person, though I stayed on a discounted media rate and added an extra night. That price included transfers from our hotel in Arusha to the airport, return flights from Lake Manyara to Arusha, transfers to and from Ngorongoro Crater Camp, 2 nights in luxury tented accommodation, all food and drinks, and 2 full days on safari.

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Getting to Ngorongoro Crater Camp

We decided to stay in Arusha — the closest big city to Ngorongoro Crater — for a couple of nights to acclimatize to our new African surroundings. The city is actually located perfectly between the crater and Mount Kilimanjaro, which makes it a perfect base for a full Tanzanian adventure. We managed to squeeze in an epic hike up Kilimanjaro, but that’s a story for another day.

The transfer Jafari had arranged for us from our hotel in Arusha arrived promptly at 7 a.m. Feeling rather tired, I soon realized this is actually considered fairly late in the safari world.

Some 20 minutes later we were passing through the first set of security at Arusha Airport (ARK). It’s quite commonplace in some African and Asian countries to have an additional set of security scanners either at the entrance doors or before passing through to the check-in area.

Air Excel — a new airline for me — flew us over to Lake Manyara (LKY). We waited a short while in the small departures area for the check-in to open.

Hot Tip:

When taking small propeller planes in Africa, stick to the weight restrictions where possible. Every bag is weighed and accounted for at check-in, where you’ll often be charged for exceeding the limit.

We showed our flimsy paper boarding passes and cleared a second set of security before arriving in the bright and airy departures area.

I was shocked to see the CIP Lounge in such a tiny airport. Unfortunately for us, it was still under construction.

Shortly before 9 a.m., our flight was called, and we were escorted outside to the aircraft, passing by the old terminal building.

The last time I flew a plane this small was when I flew the world’s shortest commercial flight from Westray (WRY) to Papa Westray (PPW), in Scotland.

With just 3 passengers, boarding was a very relaxed affair. We had plenty of time for a couple of photos.

We had to crouch our way through the tiny cabin to take our seats.

Thanks to the open seating, we managed to secure ourselves a spot in the front row. It was so cool watching Denise do her thing in the cockpit.

Sarah was a little nervous during the flight. As you can tell by the grin on my face, I was in my element.

After a mere 22 minutes in the air, we touched down at Lake Manyara Airport.

We were reunited with our luggage in a matter of minutes and headed straight outside to find our ride to camp.

Our guide, Othman, was waiting for us with a huge smile on his face. Before setting off, he talked us through our journey to camp and our plan for the next few days.

En route to camp, we stopped at 3 different checkpoints, where Othman had to sign official documents. The first, after around 30 minutes of driving, was registering with the tourism and diplomatic police.

The second, 20 minutes later, was the entrance to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area — a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This was a slightly longer process and included Othman paying our entrance fee, which we had built into our package.

We drove up a bumpy, winding road to the rim of the crater. Looking down into the vast landscape for the first time took my breath away.

The third and final checkpoint was the Lemala Gate. Ngorongoro Crater Camp is inside the actual Ngorongoro National Park, so we had to register every time we drove back inside.

We spent the final 10 to 15 minutes of the journey taking in the stunning surroundings.

A little over 5 hours after leaving our hotel in Arusha, we arrived at Ngorongoro Crater Camp.

Check-in was a very relaxed affair that was followed swiftly by a lunch that we had also included in our package.

Other than breakfast, meals at camp were set menus that changed each day. Here’s the menu from our lunch on the first day:

Up first was a really tasty dish of whipped feta with blistered cherry tomatoes.

For the main course, we were served a selection of sharing pots. There was beef kofta, barley salad, creamed spinach, a katchumbari salad, and a white bean purée.

To finish, we tucked into a strawberry Swiss roll. I’m usually not into dessert if it’s not chocolate, but it hit the spot regardless.

Inside Ngorongoro Crater Camp

The camp is made up of just 10 tents, with a maximum capacity of around 20 guests in total. The small number of rooms, plus the fact that guests spend almost all day out on safari, means there’s not much need for extravagant facilities at camp.

That said, it was a pleasure to come back to the cozy surroundings after a day’s adventure. A tented lounge and bar area was the safari camp equivalent of what you’d expect from a bougie hotel lobby.

There was a well-stocked bar for an evening tipple — also included in our package.

We seldom used this space other than at the very end of the evening after dinner, when the temperature dropped.

That’s because we preferred to sit outside by the campfire. More on this later.

A second tent, which we’ll take a peek inside later, was the camp’s dining room.

Luxury Tent Accommodation

I was so excited for my first-ever luxury camping experience.

Our home for 3 nights was this large tent with an outside deck.

The inside was split into 2 areas: 2 single beds at the front and the bathroom at the back, separated by a curtain-style partition.

Getting out of bed at 6 a.m. was even more difficult thanks to this being one of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in. It was the first time I’d ever used an electric blanket, and it won’t be the last.

An array of amenities, such as fluffy slippers and a sumptuous bathrobe, gave more of a sense of being at a 5-star hotel than in a tent in the middle of Tanzania.

Next to each of our beds was a lamp and a refillable glass bottle that could be replenished as often as we needed it. We never once asked for this, but we always found them full when returning to the room, no matter what time of day or night.

An extension cable with no less than 3 universal outlets and 6 USB-A ports was also next to each of our beds. Running out of battery wasn’t an issue here.

Another important feature of the tent was this heater. It might have been Africa, but the temperature plummeted when the sun went down.

There was also a small table and chair next to the 2 luggage racks.

The tent came equipped with 3 items I’d never come across before in luxury accommodation.

We didn’t use the walkie-talkie, and, thankfully, we didn’t find ourselves in a position to need to use the air horn either. I never asked what they were for, but I can imagine they’d be useful should you find a predator at your tent in the middle of the night.

We did use the flashlight, as we were asked to use this to signal for a member of the security team to escort us to and from our tent in the hours of darkness.

Bathroom

At the back of the tent, the bathroom was surprisingly spacious.

When we checked in, we were told there’d be enough hot water on a morning for every guest to have a shower. We particularly enjoyed this perk on chilly mornings.

With a packed itinerary and not much time in the tent other than to sleep, we didn’t bother unpacking into the ample storage and just lived out of our suitcases.

Our tent bathroom had everything I’d expect from a 5-star hotel bathroom. It had premium soap and body lotion by African spa brand Healing Earth, as well as other useful bathroom amenities such as cotton buds, more water, and even a scented diffuser.

Shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel — also by Healing Earth — could also be found in the shower.

A Day on Safari

Heading out on safari for the first time felt kind of surreal. Seeing the wildest of African animals was something I’d only ever associated with nature documentaries or zoos.

So this, my first day ever on safari, which was also my birthday, is a day that I will never forget.

An Early Start With the Best Possible Alarm Clock

Before heading to bed early the night before the first day on safari, I asked where I’d be able to get coffee when I woke up. My brain doesn’t work until I’ve had coffee, so I quickly notice when there’s no coffee-making facilities in a hotel room.

“We’ll bring it to your room at your preferred time,” I was told.

I laughed, thinking it was a quick-witted joke. When I was asked again what time I’d prefer, I realized I’d arrived at a new elite level of customer service.

I’ve stayed in some really, really, nice 5-star hotels before and received the most incredible customer service. However, having freshly brewed coffee brought to me on a morning instead of an alarm clock was a first.

It’s such a simple gesture, but it took the feeling of luxury to the next level.

Slowly waking up on the porch and chatting with Sarah as we sipped our delicious Tanzanian coffee while watching daybreak is without doubt a core memory of mine. Sometimes it’s the most simple of things that have the biggest impact.

Breakfast

Before going to bed in the evening, a member of the team asked what our preferred time for breakfast was. The common theme was early, usually around 6:30 a.m., so we could be ready to seize the day out on safari.

Breakfast was served in the dining tent.

In addition to a small buffet area, guests were offered a selection of à la carte dishes.

While the granola, sweet treats, and other classic breakfast dishes of the buffet were tempting, I tried to stick true to my morning protein routine with an egg-white omelet. The chicken sausages were a cheeky bonus.

Spotting the Big 5

Everyone harps on about the Big 5. I didn’t know this before this trip, but that includes the lion, rhinoceros, buffalo, elephant, and leopard.

Some would say you need to see them all to have the complete safari experience. We accepted the challenge.

The movie-style scenes driving down into the crater gave me goosebumps.

It wasn’t long before we spotted (or should I say striped) our first animal of the day. The majestic zebra would be the animal we saw most while in the crater.

They are truly magnificent creatures.

As we drove around the crater, Othman shared his extensive knowledge of the animals and plants we’d come across on our safari. It was just like having our very own David Attenborough.

We spent so much time in the jeep that it became like our second home away from the camp. It’s a good thing the seats were comfy and had a very decent recline. It was also stocked with water, soda, beer, and even sparkling wine.

As the morning went on, with not a single member of the Big 5 spotted, we wondered how easy this was going to be. Soon enough, we managed to catch a glimpse of these buffalo hiding out in the shrubs.

Not to be confused with the hundreds, maybe even thousands, of wildebeest.

We saw plenty of other species, too, like this hyena fresh from catching its lunch.

The watering hole was a great place to see a ton of different animals. It was also where we spotted our first elephant. That’s 2 out of 5!

Othman said it wouldn’t be as easy to spot a lion or rhino, and that for the leopard, we’d probably have to wait until the following day’s safari at Lake Manyara.

Thanks to the guides being connected by radio, we were informed of a small pride of lions. We headed straight in their direction and were thrilled to see our first wild lions.

As for the rhino and leopard, we saw a rhino far in the distance in the crater but couldn’t get close enough to get a decent shot. Unlike on other safaris, it’s forbidden to veer off the tracks in Ngorongoro Crater, as it’s a conservation area. While it means you might not get as close as you’d like to the animals, it protects their natural habitat.

We finished the day with a pit stop to stretch our legs at a lake where this tree was the showstopper.

If you’ve been keeping count, you’ll know that we now were a Big 5 short: the leopard. This elusive creature is the hardest of the Big 5 to spot in this area of Tanzania. We did, however, manage to catch sight (from a distance) of the spotted cats the following day while exploring Lake Manyara. The only picture I have is super blurry, so I’ll leave this one to your imagination.

Picnic Bush Lunch

Lunch was included in our package each day while out on safari.

There were designated picnic spots in scenic locations within the crater. I was shocked at just how great the food was. Each day, we could choose from hot and cold dishes, including salads and meats. We didn’t go hungry, that’s for sure.

I passed on bubbles or I’d have fallen asleep. Sarah, on the other hand, absolutely loved her lunchtime tipple.

Evening at Camp

Sitting around the campfire with other guests and chatting about our adventures that day was definitely a highlight of the experience for me.

Before the rest of the guests arrived for dinner, we had the fire to ourselves with drinks and snacks to accompany.

Breakfast and lunch were excellent, but dinner took things to the next level.

Here’s an example of a dinner menu at Ngorongoro Crater Camp:

The same copper pot dining we previously enjoyed for lunch was also the setup for dinner.

It was an excellent amount of food to share between the 2 of us. I don’t eat red meat, but Sarah said the beef casserole was fantastic. I love a healthy portion of veg for a balanced meal, so I was impressed with the variety. The vegetable tagine was a particular favorite.

After dinner, the team brought out a birthday cake and performed a traditional Tanzanian birthday song and dance. It was quite the spectacle, and a heartwarming end to the perfect birthday on safari.

After dinner and 1, or maybe 2, nightcaps, it was time to hit the hay to do it all again the next day.

I’ve only ever had turndown services in 5-star hotels (and even then, not all of them offer it), so getting back after dinner to find our tent all cozy and ready for bed was a lovely gesture.

Final Thoughts

I couldn’t have wished for a better experience for my first time on safari. And I couldn’t have done it without the expertise of Abercrombie & Kent.

The team at Ngorongoro Crater Camp were some of the loveliest, hardworking, and knowledgeable people I have ever met. You’ll be in very capable hands if you decide to stay here, too. If you get the chance, make sure to request Othman as your guide — he was a huge part of why this trip was so incredible.

We could have easily spent at least another day exploring the vast area around the crater, but we had to move on to our next destination.

If I could change 1 thing, it would be that we spent a day in the Serengeti rather than Lake Manyara. We heard from many safari-goers we met that it’s the spot with the best chance of seeing the Big 5.

I cannot wait to head back to Africa in 2025. Let’s see how Abercrombie & Kent can wow me in Mozambique.