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Lemala Safaris: honey badger crossing golden hills
Dark timber-clad guest villa rising among forest trees at Lemala Osonjoi near the Ngorongoro crater rim

Summit collection · Ngorongoro Crater

Lemala Osonjoi

Airy suites on a hill behind the Ngorongoro rim, beside the quieter eastern access road

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Collection
Summit · Luxury
Destination
Ngorongoro Crater
Area
Ngorongoro Conservation Area, eastern rim
Style
Crater-rim lodge
Best months
Jan, Feb, Mar, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct

About Lemala Osonjoi

Lemala Osonjoi is the newest lodge in the Lemala collection, set in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area on a hill just back from the crater rim. It sits close to the Lemala Gate, a more gradual access road with game viewing on the way down, in the quieter eastern part of the crater where fewer visitors arrive first thing and last thing in the day.

That quiet matters. Game is most active early and late, and guests can leave at first light and be among the wildlife on the crater floor in around fifteen to twenty minutes. Escorted walks into the forest and along the rim are led by an armed ranger and a Maasai guide.

The lodge is named for the osonjoi tree, which has symbolic and medicinal importance for the Maasai. It is easy to reach by road from Arusha or from the Tarangire and Manyara camps, or by air to the Manyara airstrip.

  • Twenty airy suites, among the most spacious on the rim
  • Slow-burning wood stoves and winter-weight duvets for cool nights
  • Heated indoor swimming pool beside the main lounge
  • Spa suite among the trees
  • A private site on the crater floor for catered lunches
  • Quiet eastern crater access for an early start

Setting

The lodge stands on a forested hill just behind the crater rim, with views over the local forest and, from the main areas, a sense of the highlands all around. It is close to the Lemala Gate on the eastern side, which sees fewer visitors than the west. Mornings are cool and often misty, and the air smells of woodsmoke.

Rooms and tents

Suites are spacious and airy, with one king-size bed, a slow-burning wood stove, winter-weight duvets and hot water bottles to keep the rim's chill at bay. Large picture windows flood the room with highland light. Bathrooms include a dressing area, a double vanity, an indoor shower and a freestanding bathtub, and a hidden day-bed nook makes a good reading spot. There are two-bedroom suites for families and friends.

Dining

The main double-height area has a lounge and bar, a viewing deck with a roaring fire and access to an indoor heated swimming pool. Osonjoi is one of very few Ngorongoro properties able to serve a fully catered lunch at a private site on the crater floor, which lets guests spend a whole day below. A separate spa suite among the trees offers treatments daily.

Things to do from here

  • Early crater descents with first light on the floor
  • Full days on the crater floor with a catered lunch
  • Escorted walks in the forest and along the rim
  • Swimming in the heated indoor pool
  • Spa treatments in the forest

When to stay

The crater has wildlife all year. The dry season from roughly June to October is the most reliable for game viewing, while the long rains from March to May bring fresh green grass and fewer vehicles, and the short rains arrive in November and December. Whatever the month, the rim is cool and often misty in the morning.

Good to know

  • The rim gets cold at night. The suites have wood stoves and extra bedding, but pack warm layers.
  • The Manyara airstrip is the usual landing point for guests flying in. Lemala arranges your transfers.
  • Game drives can leave from around 6.00am. Ask us how to plan your crater day.
  • Ask us to confirm which suites and family arrangements are available on your dates.

Gallery

Inside Lemala Osonjoi

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