OVERVIEW:
YZ recommends The Retreat at Ngorongoro for travellers seeking a comfortable property close to both the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara National Park. You can visit Lake Eyasi from here too!
ACCESS & LOCATION:
The Retreat is situated in the Tloma area, approximately 140 kilometres south-west of Arusha. Travellers transferring by road from Arusha Airport can expect a journey of about 2 hours 15 minutes. Alternatively, flights from Arusha to Lake Manyara’s airstrip are available.
ACCOMMODATION & FACILITIES AT THE RETREAT AT NGORONGORO:
All of The Retreat’s 28 cottages are positioned within the property’s beautiful gardens. Each offers 100 square metres of floor space, sufficient for a bedroom, an en-suite bathroom, a dressing area, and a private deck with wonderful forest views! The interior décor throughout is chic contemporary, very tastefully styled. Twenty-one rooms are twins, each with one king- and one queen-size bed to sleep a maximum of three adults or two adults plus two children aged under 12 years. Four rooms interconnect to provide accommodation for a small group, for example. Finally, the family suite consists of two double bedrooms and a shared living space! Features common to all rooms include a writing desk and chair, plenty of storage space, wildlife artwork, and a cosy fireplace. Sofa beds are available on request.
The Retreat’s communal facilities are found in the property’s central lodge, a large and rather majestic building. Guests can relax in the pleasantly decorated Nest Bar and Lounge, enjoying its bird theme and convivial atmosphere. The property’s Kipepeo Restaurant provides a delicious continental breakfast every morning, with elegant tables and chairs set up both inside and on an upper-ground-floor terrace. Guests have access to a gift shop too, as well as to a gym and a spa. Keen keep-fitters will love the 1,200-metres jogging trail around the grounds! The lodge’s gardens are also home to a swimming pool and a lovely lake. You can even take a stroll in the orchard and vegetable patch, or watch a cultural performance in the amphitheatre. Staff are on hand throughout your visit, to make sure you feel at home.
ACTIVITIES AT THE RETREAT AT NGORONGORO:
- Things to do at The Retreat comprise lodge activities and excursions farther afield.
- From the lodge, you can head out on a guided walk to Ngorongoro Forest and marvel at scenery including spectacular waterfalls.
- You can walk around the local village too, or cycle there if you prefer.
- The birdlife around The Retreat is pretty impressive – it’s well worth putting aside some time to look out for the feathery friends of the area.
- Excursions are available to the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater, where you can go on game drives and spot lion, rhino, leopard, elephant, and buffalo – the famous Big Five! – in addition to numerous other predators and herbivores.
- Lake Manyara National Park can be visited too – highlights here include vast flocks of flamingos and tree-climbing lions!
- The Retreat also offers trips to Lake Eyasi, which is situated just south of the Serengeti.
*This property is unfenced and located in a wildlife area, so large and potentially dangerous animals do pass through. If you opt to stay here, always be alert when walking around the camp and request for a member of staff to escort you if you have any concerns. Any guest is escorted after dark as a matter of course.
For more information, just get in touch with an expert at YZ.