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#4 of 18 campgrounds in Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Location
4.8
Rooms
4.9
Value
4.9
Cleanliness
5.0
Service
4.9
Sleep Quality
4.9
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
The Highlands redefines the Ngorongoro experience. Set on the edge of the mountain forest hugging the Olmoti volcano to the north of Ngorongoro Crater, The Highlands strikes a perfect balance between a true wilderness experience and a high-style, contemporary escape. Experience the highlands of the wild Ngorongoro Conservation Area surrounding camp, home to leopard, buffalo and elephant. Follow ancient Maasai trails to the summit of the Olmoti crater and visit local communities to catch a glimpse into the traditional Maasai way of life that has defined this corner of East Africa for centuries. The famous Ngorongoro Crater is easily accessible from camp, while the setting ensures maximum privacy, a rich adventure and a range of activities not possible elsewhere in Ngorongoro.
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The Highlands, Asilia Africa, is heralded by many for its distinctive, luxurious 'glamping' accommodations. Reviewers are enchanted by the unique tents complete with log burners and private dinners, and the service is often described as warm and attentive, adding a personalized touch to the visit.
Although the journey there may be challenging, guests feel the location's proximity to wildlife and scenic beauty justifies the effort. The well-appointed rooms with wood stoves and breathtaking views, alongside an atmosphere praised for its inviting nature, make The Highlands a truly exceptional retreat.
Location
Secluded
Atmosphere
Inviting
Rooms
Unique
Value
Exceptional
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Luxurious
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It's a rough ride getting up to the lodge on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater but it's DEFITELY worth it! 5 star luxury with excellent staff and services. From the moment you arrive, the staff are there to welcome you big smiles and songs, genuine hospitality! The dome shaped lodge and rooms blends right into the surroundings. Huge rooms with terrace that give sweeping views of nature! The rooms are very well appointed, fireplace keeps you warm at night, along with the heated water bottles they put into your bed before you go to sleep! Incredible!! Bathrooms are large with all the amenities you could want. Every meal was 5 star! Loved all the little things the staff do to make us feel at home. Jackson, our dedicated and genuinely friendly care taker, was always there with any thing we needed. Staying all night chatting with us, sharing his culture and life stories, I made a friend for life! The game drives everyday were magical. They say there's no guarantees that you'll see animals but we saw EVERYTHING, everyday we went out. Be sure to bring appropriate clothing, the weather can and will change every 5 minutes. At the lodge before we left for the drive, it was winter like, 20 minutes later in the crater it was sunny and warm with lite rain every now and then. You're at high elevations so be sure you dress for it.
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Asilia Africa, Owner at The Highlands, Asilia Africa
Responded Sep 27, 2023
Hello, Thank you for the lovely comments of your stay with us. It is wonderful to know your stay at our camp, as well as your safari adventure was everything you anticipated it to be. It was an absolute pleasure hosting your stay with us, we appreciate being part of your East Africa journey. We hope we will have the pleasure of hosting you again on your next safari! Warmest regards from Tanzania, The Highlands Camp Team
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Our 3 night stay at Asilia Highlights was truly amazing and beyond expectations.
Impeccable Service The service at this camp was upbeat and very focused on the guest. Pascal was exceptional and our conversations about the area and family were memorable. He made sure that we were made to feel special with a special lunch in the Crater and a romantic birthday celebration that ended with joyous song and dance. Our server, Rafael, was so accommodating and we enjoyed seeing him learning the business and assuring that we were taken care of. Denny, our room attendant, was always around to make sure the fireplace was attended to and our clothes were delivered on time.
Food and Drink Wow! The food at the camp was delicious. The food prepared by Chef Thomas was very tasty and presentation were outstanding. They were excellent at accommodating dietary needs and very flexible on the dining times.
Experience We went on 2 hikes while at the crater which included Olmoti Crater and Empakaai Crater, plus a visit to the Masai village. Barack, our cultural guide, was so knowledgeable about the area and provided a coffee/tea snack break while down in the Olmoti Crater – where we saw an amazing collection of flamingos. Our guide, Lenga, was amazing. His driving and knowledge of the crater area and where to find the animals was unbeatable. He was so patient and happy to search for the black rhino(found him!) and we saw a hyena/wildebeest kill which was Nat Geo quality!
Location Although the camp is a drive to anything, it is worth it! You get a real sense of what Africa is about – especially the Massai tribe as we passed many of their communities on our way to the hikes and the Crater. Yes – it’s a bumpy road – but I believe that is part of the experience.
Room The rooms are beautiful. All of the amenities are there and they are very private. Our view overlooked the Massai village and the expanse of the area, which was beautiful. It was chilly at night - so make sure you take advantage of the fireplace (with the assistance of the room attendent!)
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:be prepared for 45+ min drives to places - and the roads are quite bumpy. It was chilly at night...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Asilia Africa, Owner at The Highlands, Asilia Africa
Responded Sep 22, 2023
Hello, We greatly appreciate the lovely review and heartfelt commendation of our wonderful staff; this truly made their day! We are delighted that our camp added luxurious comfort to an incredible safari experience. It was a pleasure being part of the memories you have created, and we look forward hosting you next stay with us again soon. Warmest regards from Tanzania, The Highlands Camp Team
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The rooms are really beautiful and very spacious. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. Emanuel, Piri and Raphael did everything to make us feel welcome and comfortable from the start. On the last evening, they baked us a special cake and revealed their joy of life with musical entertainment. We can highly recommend The Highlands. The accommodation in the form of a ball tent is really a highlight. As the lodge is at 2700m, it can get very cold at times. The staff then heats up all the rooms and lovingly puts a warm hot water bottle in the bed. It was always cozy and warm when we came back from dinner. The entire staff is very nice. The food is served in different bowls on a board. Simply recommended. Thank you to the entire team for this unforgettable experience. By the way, the Ngorongoro Crater is really worth a trip.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Gut zu wissen ist, dass die Unterkunft ziemlich hoch liegt (so 2'700m). Die Luft ist daher etwas...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A beautiful highland camp on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater. The staff are all super friendly, welcoming and can't do enough for you. The room was really unique, with a log burner and lovely views (a waterbuck came right up to our balcony). Wake up calls come with fresh tea, coffee and treats. Special shout out to Pascal, the camp manager, who was just great when I wasn't feeling too well (dehydration), couldn't do enough for me to ensure I felt better soon! He even arranged private dining in the reception tent right next to the fire. The camp is a little out of the way, but that's what makes it special, you're very secluded and right next to all the Maasai bomas, which you can visit. Just remember to take some warm clothes, it's very chilly up there!
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Date of stay: June 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Asilia Africa, Owner at The Highlands, Asilia Africa
Responded Sep 5, 2024
Hello, What an amazing review! We are incredibly delighted that we were able to make your stay at The Highlands magical and most importantly, memorable. Our team is passionate about what they do, so for them to receive such amazing feedback from guests makes all the effort worthwhile. We are happy to hear that our wonderful team at The Highlands did not disappoint and that the team added to your incredible experience. We loved hosting you and we cannot wait for the next visit!! Warmest regards from Ngorongoro, The Highlands Camp Team
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Set high in the Highlands within the Ngorgoro this camp is a group of geodesic domes on a busy hillside with distant views. Your ‘tent’ is a very well constructed semi solid structure with a log burning stove for heat and solar power for everything else (except for the hair dryer) on a solid floor deck. The communal areas (bar, lounge and dining room) are three further larger domes all of which are linked by dirt paths. Best not walk out alone at night (and probably during the day too) as encounters with the local fauna are not impossible. The staff appear to genuinely want to help and serve the good quality food and drink that is provided. A welcoming base for a game drive or two and an interesting place to visit in its own right. Recommend.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: November 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Asilia Africa, Owner at The Highlands, Asilia Africa
Responded Jan 8, 2025
Hello, Thank you for sharing your Highlands experience and for this wonderful review and recommendation. To know that you had a one of a kind experience is the best compliment! We pride ourselves on our genuine hospitality and service and we are happy to hear that our wonderful team did not disappoint. This area is of course a very special part of Ngorongoro, we hope to welcome you back for another incredible stay, until then, hold on to the memories! Warmest regards from Africa, The Highlands Camp Team
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Greeted with warm washcloths, fresh-squeezed juice and song (!) these tired, dusty travelers could not have been more delighted or grateful to arrive at The Highlands. Richard John and his fantastic staff including Chef Thomas and Sous Jackson, made us feel cared for and welcomed. The Highlands is the ideal location for experiencing the wonders of Ngorogoro Crater and the animal bounty on the crater’s floor 3,000 feet below. Sparkle and polish were the norm in the elegantly appointed public rooms and unbelievable guest suites. Meals were delicious but honestly it’s the service that impresses. We had a goal to see the animals early in the morning. So a French press of coffee was delivered at 5:30am. A bountiful breakfast ready at 6 and what proved a perfect lunch was bagged for take away at 6:30. I just can’t recommend the The Highlands experience enough. It will be a highlight or our 12 day trip through Eastern Africa. AND there were lions, hippos, rhino, zebra , Cape Buffalo, warthogs and elephants and more waiting for us on the crater floor! Just like a dream.
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Stay at least two nights to enjoy views from your room, balcony, the bar and restaurant. Just too...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Asilia Africa, Owner at The Highlands, Asilia Africa
Responded Sep 20, 2023
Hello, We are thrilled that your stay with us as well the overall safari adventure was thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you for the lovely comments of your stay with us. We appreciate the kind words of Richard John, Thomas, Sous Jackson and the rest of the team; it certainly made their day! We are so delighted your game drives delivered some remarkable sightings and experiences. We do hope the beautiful memories will afford the opportunity of hosting your next stay with us again soon! Warm regards from Africa, The Highlands Camp Team
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It saddens me to leave this review because we were having a great experience at this camp until we realized that one of their staff members stole from us.
We were picked up by our safari guide from Lake Manyara airport and headed directly to do the Olmoti Crater hike. Upon arrival, our safari guide went to arrange for a ranger to hike with us while we got out of the car to stretch our legs. There was no one around so we walked 10m (~32ft) from the car to take some photos. A few minutes later, a group of hikers who were also staying at Asilia got back and our safari guide started briefing us about the hike, with our backs turned to the car. I had a hunch, so I turned around and saw a Maasai man rummaging through our car. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, thinking he probably knew our safari guide and was just getting soda from the back cooler. I kept watching him and he also kept glancing back at me while seemingly zipping and unzipping his own backpack. When he was finished, our safari guide introduced him as Shenoy and he would be our walking guide along with the ranger. Our safari guide would stay behind to watch car. We went on the beautiful hike and when we returned, our safari guide actually informed us that Shenoy works for Asilia and he would be riding back to the camp with us. He rode in the back seat along with all our bags.
It wasn’t until we checked into our tent that I noticed my backpack had all of the zippers partially opened. It seemed as though my backpack was rummaged through in a rush.
It really is unfortunate because our safari guide was extraordinarily talented. His passion for wildlife and photography was inspiring. I don’t believe he was involved, but you never know. This incident seemed too much like a routine. We also overheard a guest one night say that their nightly rate was over $2000 USD. I can assure you that this camp is not worth that amount and for what we got and how we were treated, there’s something seriously wrong here with this company. After this experience, we will not be staying with Asilia anywhere in the world again.
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Asilia Africa, Owner at The Highlands, Asilia Africa
Responded Jul 10, 2023
Dear Maida, Thank you very much for sharing your feedback, we’re very sorry to hear of the experience you describe above and are grateful you have brought it to our attention. As you can see from previous reviews, here at Asilia our staff are often considered our greatest asset and we pride ourselves on extending the family culture we have developed as a team to our guests travelling with us. This clearly wasn’t the experience you had and as such we would very much like the opportunity to investigate further. We have reached out to your booking agent but if you would prefer to communicate directly, please email our Guest Services department at gst@asiliaafrica.com and we will respond immediately. Asilia Management
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The Highlands was our second stop on our two week Safari. We stayed at Asilia camps throughout our trip. Each has its own personality but what was consistent was the high level of care and attention from a friendly, personable camp staff. They welcomed us to the camp on arrival and each time we returned from a safari drive. They were also there to say goodbye each time, often in song and always with a smile and a wave.
Accommodations were very high level “glamping”. Temps are cooler here and having a wood burning stove to keep our room warm was nice as was the “bush baby” (hot water bottle) in our bed each night. Having the chef introduce us to what we were being served at each meal was a very nice touch as was having a refreshing warm or cold towel ready upon our return from a drive.
Our guide, Kazawadi, was very knowledgeable and friendly. We found this to be the case with all of our guides. We learned a lot from all of them. (We stayed at five different camps.) The drive in spots to the camp was very bumpy (more than usual) but we viewed it as part of the adventure.
Thank you to all for making this a great trip. We can wholeheartedly recommend The Highlands.
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Date of stay: September 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Asilia Africa, Owner at The Highlands, Asilia Africa
Responded Jan 8, 2025
Hello, We can’t thank you enough for your lovely review of our camp – it really has made our whole team’s day to read your kind words! Thank you for noticing all the small details – we love to find ways to spoil and surprise our guests, even in our humble setting in the middle of the wilderness – it makes us so happy to hear that our team was so appreciated. Your guide Kazawadi so enjoyed showing you the incredible wildlife that you discovered each day, and he’s so happy that your game-viewing was so rewarding. We hope we can welcome you back to The Highlands in the not too distant future. In the meantime, we hope you have wonderful memories of your Ngorongoro adventures. Warmest wishes from Africa, The Highlands Camp Team
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We couldn’t have asked for a better family adventure with our boys (12 and 14) and my mom. We had the feeling we were in the wild but with all the luxury of a five star hotel. We spent full day in the crater and saw every animal on our must see list. After 12 hours of game driving we were welcomed home with cocktails, snacks and cold cloths. The coffee every morning in our room was a special treat and the food was incredible. Our hike to the waterfall and visit to the massai village were so memorable and perfect for our active family. There was reliable WiFi but our teenagers forgot about their phones thanks to the engaging staff and incredible adventure. This is absolutely worth the cost, drive, flight and experience. ❤️
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: February 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Asilia Africa, Owner at The Highlands, Asilia Africa
Responded 4 weeks ago
Hello, Thank you for this incredible review and we really appreciate the very special comments you have made. It was a pleasure for us to host you and making your family’s stay a memorable one. We do hope all those special memories of the incredible wildlife, the delicious meals, and just reclining on the porch with the amazing views will have you longing to return. We look forward to having an opportunity to welcome you here again! Warmest regards from Africa, The Highlands Camp Team
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After staying in this hotel for 2 nights, the food was delicious, but since staying in the hotel, the hotel has been trying to recommend their extra services to us. In addition, when the hotel team arranges the delivery, in order to pick up the incoming customers on time. Sent us to the airport more than 3 hours in advance and didn't help us check in the plane. I wouldn't recommend a hotel that is so chaotic and doesn't care about customers' feelings to others and my friends.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: September 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Asilia Africa, Owner at The Highlands, Asilia Africa
Responded Oct 10, 2024
Hello, Thank you for the valuable feedback of your stay with us. Our location is complimented by activities unique to the region and our staff may make mention of this, should guests be interested. We also have a lovely spa, a welcoming surprise to many of our guests after an adventurous journey to the camp. We appreciate mid-morning departures do call for a very early start to the day. The road conditions and distance from Manyara Airstrip are considered to ensure our guests reach the airstrip in time for flight departure. We once again thank you for the opportunity to address the matter and improve. It was a pleasure to host you. Warmest regards from Africa, The Highlands Camp Team
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Hello Rachel, the rates fluctuate quite a lot between our Green and High Season. So a stay at The Highlands could cost anything from US$ 527, 70 to US$ 912, 70 per person per night based on 2 people sharing accommodation.
We hope to welcome you to our camps in the future!
There are more places to choose from in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area area.
LOCATION
TanzaniaArusha RegionNgorongoro Conservation Area
NUMBER OF ROOMS
8
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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