Ngorongoro Tortilis Camp

Ngorongoro Tortilis Camp sits at the head of a quiet valley in the Ngorongoro Highlands, tucked under an acacia forest canopy on the slope of Mount Makarot at the Landana campsite. The setting is unusual for the region: dappled light, deep green vegetation and cool highland air, roughly 13 kilometres from the Ngorongoro crater rim and 21 kilometres from the crater descent gate, which keeps guests clear of the cold mist that settles on the rim for much of the year. Arusha is about 205 kilometres away, some four hours by road. The camp is built from thick canvas to a design the owners fabricate themselves in Arusha, and the tents feel closer to a lodge room than a bush tent, with king or double beds, en-suite flushing toilets and hot showers, mosquito nets, adjustable flaps over mesh windows, a writing desk, bedside and bathroom sockets, Wi-Fi and a radio call to reach staff. Solar batteries light the tents and pathways through the night. Meals are served in the mess tent, with packed bush lunches, private dinners under the camp's namesake tortilis acacia and a broad range of dietary options, while a small watering hole bar handles sundowners. There is no air conditioning, which the altitude makes unnecessary. Beyond crater game drives, the camp runs guided hikes up Mount Makarot, a peak above 3,100 metres with views toward the Serengeti, and arranges visits with the neighbouring Maasai community.