We arrived close to sunset at the Manor House in Karatu. We didn’t know what to expect, as our trip had been so amazing and this was our last night of the safari. When we got there it took our breath away as we were not expecting such a beautiful property. The property was amazing with horse stables, a wonderful pool, and open areas everywhere. Set on a coffee plantation, the views were amazing. The property had a wine cellar, a billiard room, a movie room, a bar room, and outdoor areas to sit and eat. Our room was fantastic. It had a private deck overlooking the plantation, a private yard, a living area with fireplace, a beautiful bedroom area, and an amazing shower. There was a bottle of champagne waiting for us, and our laundry was taken and done for us that night.

Peter was the person who made our stay here the most amazing. He prepared everything for us, including a private dinner in the wine cellar. He had picked flowers to create a "Congratulations" on the table, set in front of a fire place, which he also started for us. It was so beautiful The dinner was amazing, the drinks and wine were stupendous, and the staff sang and brought us a special cake baked for our anniversary. Again we were in tears at the amazing treatment that we received. We were overwhelmed with the way we were treated, and have only wonderful things to say about the Manor House, and Peter who was from Karatu. The next day it was time to leave, so we were given our box lunches, and sadly said goodbye to the staff.

The gift shop sells the coffee beans from their plantation and some other unique gifts that we had not seen at elsewhere.

We planned our safari through &Beyond, and their Ngorongoro Crater Lodge was full for our dates there, so they recommended we stay at The Manor - what a great recomendation! The hotel is beautiful and peaceful - it used to be the manor of the coffee plantation. The plantation still exists but the house is now a hotel. The rooms are HUGE and very comfortable and the staff is wonderful - excellent service. We got Shariff as our butler and he made sure we were always comfortable, with a drink in our hand or a snack - he is a great person, very professional and sweet. I would recommend you stay a day longer than you planned just to stay at the hotel, enjoy the pool, go horse-back ridinging, grab a book and sit by the fireplace with a gin and tonic in hand... hmmm!!!

The hotel is not inside the Ngorongoro Crater National Park, but it is just 15 minutes away by car. The road from the main road to the hotel is a bit rough (especially if it has been raining), but it makes it an even better adventure. Their jeeps are OK (not as fantastic as the jeeps of &Beyond), but our guide was excellent - very friendly (John), and we met other guides who were great as well.

Perfect in everyway. Delicious food, wonderful friendly staff, beautifully appointed lodges, we thoroughly enjoyed our 2 nights here, wished we had stayed for longer. Worth swapping something in the crater for this tranquil oasis, even if it is a bit further from the crater itself :)