At around 2,700 metres on the forested slopes of the Olmoti volcano, guests at The Highlands Camp find themselves higher than anyone else in Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Eight canvas-and-glass domes borrow the circular shape of a Maasai boma, yet the result is unmistakably contemporary. Each looks out across highland forest towards the Gol Mountains and the neighbouring craters.
Step inside, though, and the geometry softens into something warm
From the outside the domes read as almost futuristic. Step inside, though, and the geometry softens into something warm, all wood-burning stoves, plush bedding and large curved windows. Design is not to everyone’s taste. This one happens to be a considered, well-executed take on what a Ngorongoro camp can be, a genuine departure from the thatch-and-stone lodges that line the crater rim.
Nights at this altitude are cold and crisp, and the forest carries birdsong and the distant bells of Maasai cattle. Returning from the field to a lit stove and a heavy duvet becomes one of the day’s real pleasures. The camp lies roughly 45 minutes to an hour from the Ngorongoro Crater entrance, further from the rim than most lodges, which is precisely why it can offer walking and hiking that vehicle-bound camps cannot.
Guided walks on ancient Maasai cattle trails lead directly from camp
Full-day drives descend to the crater floor, where buffalo, zebra, hartebeest, lion, elephant and hyena are regularly seen alongside the black rhino. Beyond the crater, though, the real appeal is on foot. Guided walks on ancient Maasai cattle trails lead directly from camp, hikes reach into Olmoti and Empakaai, and days unfold among the Maasai communities who have grazed these highlands for generations.
One guided walk leaves directly from camp, following a Maasai cattle path through mountain forest, dropping roughly twenty minutes into Olmoti before climbing back up in around forty-five. The Empakaai hike is a fuller undertaking, beginning with a drive to the crater rim and then a descent with a conservation area ranger to the soda lake on the floor below, where flamingos gather in their thousands along the shoreline. Few Ngorongoro lodges can reach either of these on foot, which is the real reason to stay this far from the rim.
The eight domes are configured to suit different travellers. Three are standard suites, three carry mezzanine levels for a second sleeping or sitting space, one connects as a family suite, and one is a honeymoon suite with its own outdoor hot tub. Each has an en-suite bathroom with hot running water and a wood-burning stove for the highland chill. Curved bay windows frame the forest and sky, and mornings often begin with mist rising off the slopes before the sun clears it.
Three are standard suites, three carry mezzanine levels for a second sleeping or sitting space
At the heart of the camp stand three communal domes, set at different heights and joined by wooden walkways. Between them they hold a lounge, a bar, a library and a dining room gathered around an indoor fire. The cooking leans towards the hearty and honest, built on locally sourced ingredients, the sort of food that suits a day of walking and a cold night. A good share of the staff comes from the surrounding Maasai communities, and dinner is often accompanied by their singing.
The Highlands Camp suits travellers who want more than the standard crater drive, rewarding those who like to walk, who are curious about the Maasai world at their doorstep, and who respond to bold, modern design over classic safari décor. Older children and teenagers who can manage cool nights and longer walks tend to do best here, where the days are active and the nights genuinely cold.
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accommodation
Eight canvas-and-glass geodesic domes: three standard suites, three with mezzanine levels, one interconnected family suite, and one honeymoon suite with a private outdoor hot tub. Each has an en-suite bathroom with hot running water, a wood-burning stove and curved floor-to-ceiling bay windows framing the forest.
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activities
Full-day game drives to the Ngorongoro Crater floor, guided walks on Maasai cattle trails from camp, hikes into Olmoti and Empakaai craters (the latter with a conservation area ranger), and visits with local Maasai communities. Walking and crater hiking, difficult to arrange from most rim lodges, are the camp's real distinction.
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conservation
Staff are drawn from local Maasai communities, and guests contribute through a conservation charge. Community and wildlife projects run under the camp's giving programme, alongside support for area schools.
Get in touch and let’s start the conversation. An initial consultation helps us understand what you’re looking for, whether that’s specific experiences, luxury touches, or marking a special occasion, and from there we’ll guide you through what’s possible so you can decide if we’re the right fit.
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Ngorongoro Crater
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Ngorongoro Crater
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Ngorongoro Crater
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Ngorongoro Crater
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Ngorongoro Crater
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Ngorongoro Crater
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Ngorongoro Crater
You fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport on your international flight, then reach the highlands by road on the northern circuit or by a light aircraft hop to the Lake Manyara airstrip and a drive up to the crater rim. The camp lies high on the slopes of the Olmoti volcano, roughly forty-five minutes to an hour from the crater entrance, further out than most rim lodges. We build the flights and transfers in so the day joins up cleanly.
Seats are shared and the exact departure is fixed the day before, once the airline sets its routing, so the final timings firm up close to the day. If you would rather fly to your own schedule, we can arrange a private charter, typically a Cessna Caravan or Pilatus PC-12, timed to your arrival into Kilimanjaro. Luggage is soft bags only, with a weight limit of around 15 to 20kg depending on the airline, which we confirm with you before you pack.
The risk here is low. At around 2,700 metres The Highlands is the highest camp in the Conservation Area and above roughly 1,800 metres the cold nights leave little for mosquitoes, so current UK guidance from TravelHealthPro treats the high ground as effectively free of malaria. The crater floor you drop into each day sits close to that line, and almost every Tanzania trip also takes in lower parks that do carry a risk, so we plan for malaria across the journey as a whole rather than the rim alone.
Health advice can change from year to year, so we always ask you to confirm the current position with a travel clinic or your doctor before you travel, and to take the usual care against bites after dark.
This is the highest camp in the Conservation Area at around 2,700 metres, so the nights are cold and crisp, even with a wood-burning stove in each dome.
Pack warm layers for early drives and hikes: a fleece or down jacket, a warm hat and light gloves, and a windproof layer. The high-altitude sun is bright by day, so bring sunglasses and sunscreen.
Visit in the dry season from June to October, when thinning grass and shrinking water draw the crater's lion, elephant, buffalo and black rhino into clear view, reached on full-day drives down to the floor. July and August are most reliable but busiest; the shoulder months are quieter. Late January and February add the calving on the plains nearby, and the nights are cold all year.
What sets The Highlands apart is what happens away from the crater. Because the camp sits well back from the rim, it can offer walking and hiking that vehicle-bound lodges cannot: guided walks on old Maasai cattle trails straight from camp, and hikes into the Olmoti and Empakaai craters. If walking in the highlands appeals as much as the crater itself, this is the camp for it.
Yes. One of the eight domes is an interconnected family suite, and the walking, crater hikes and Maasai visits give children more to do than drives alone.
It is high, cold country, so tell us the children's ages and we will confirm the suite and whether the altitude and hiking suit them.
The northern highlands have reasonable coverage compared with Tanzania's remote parks. Expect wifi in the main areas of camp, which can be slow, and some mobile signal on the rim, though it drops away down on the crater floor.
It suits messages and email more than calls or streaming. Tell us if you need to stay reliably reachable and we will confirm the current setup before you travel.
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our approach
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Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape something that is considered, personal, and expertly delivered.
