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Located at the highest point on Ngorongoro Crater’s entire rim and offering unsurpassed views of the crater, lies the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge.
Greeted upon our arrival, once again, with refreshing cool towels and mouthwatering drinks, we received our keys and followed our porters to check out our new accommodations.
The entire resort is themed around traditional circular African houses with conical roofs and our rooms, grouped in sets of four, were no exception.
Walking into our temporary residence, we checked out the entry hall complete with armoire and minibar. The circular room, was very interesting with its brick side tables, headboards, foot boards and vanity. African print bedding graced the berth but no artwork adorned the elliptical walls. Instead, the curtains were drawn, exposing a wall of windows looking out onto the crater and the rain-forests at the rim. Indeed, who needs artwork when you can admire this!
Difficult as it was to tear myself away, we set out to enjoy the beautiful sunset from the luxurious westward facing lounge and pool area before heading to the dramatic dining room with its soaring ceilings.
The service, once again, was incredible and the food a remarkable exhibition of the chef’s amazing talent.
On our second evening, we enjoyed an interesting talk given by a local ranger of the history and diversity of the crater, complete with an interesting slideshow. Our absolute favorite thing about the lodge, however, was the hot water bottles that were placed in our beds each night to help combat the chill! We didn’t have the mosquito netting here at the crater as the temperatures were too chilly, but the hot water bottles were a nice touch!
We loved leaving our windows open to the chilled mountain air, even though we were subject to the sounds of Africa. In fact, being able to hear the outside environment, led to some amazing sightings.
On our first evening, in the waning light, we noticed Cape Buffalo foraging in the brush. A little later, a mountain reedbuck was grazing near our windows. So enthralled by this close-up encounter, I could have passed on dinner and watched this active display. No wonder there was no television and wifi available in our rooms! Also, in the middle of our first night, we were awakened by grunting and discovered zebras scratching their hind quarters on the lodge. The following evening, we were roused by the sound of a heavy movement through the brush. Two large elephant were walking near the top of the rim. It is a wonder that we actually got any sleep!
The encounters weren’t restricted to our rooms, however. One evening, one of the members of our group took us outside to see a large owl resting on the rear patio. Monkeys continued to wander the premises and many guests had to hang on to their belongings to keep the sneaky primates from helping themselves. The most exhilarating (and alarming) encounter, however, was when we were exiting the rear of the lodge and headed back to our rooms. A guard greeted us and informed us that he would be escorting us. The flashing of light and excited voices near the pool caught our attention. A Cape Buffalo was standing near the pool, mere yards from our location!
Though we had visited and departed the crater a few hours before, we hadn’t really left it behind.
Definitely one of the most interesting places we have ever stayed!
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Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge