safari.vc

Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge


The Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge is a large basic-luxury hotel perched over the Ngorongoro Crater. It offers a variety of services for those in search of comfort and peace of mind rather than a rougher, more authentic bush experience. The hotel boasts spectacular views.


Accommodation at the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge


The Lodge offers 61 double bedrooms, each with two queen-size beds, dressing area and private veranda, and 6 single rooms with queen-size beds. Bathrooms are spacious and clean. The rooms are remarkably big, but very sparse which. Some furnishings are a little dated and therefore lend the rooms a less clean feel than they might otherwise have. Hot water bottles are provided on colder nights which are very necessary as the hotel is in a chilly spot.


Hot water is not reliable at the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge. This can prove very frustrating considering the colder temperatures in these parts.


The Lodge boasts a good pool that is well maintained but cold, it is only good for swimming on hot days. It also offers parking, a gift shop, an internet café (although the connection speed in this region can be frustratingly slow), laundry service and baby sitting.


Staff at the hotel are friendly and generally very keen to please. There are some minor training issues with a few staff members, but generally speaking they are both obliging and attentive. While small touches (hot water bottles and greeting towels and drinks) lend the hotel friendly feel, this is a large lodge and service is unsurprisingly less personal than at smaller camps and hotels.


Food and Drink at the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge


Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served buffet style. Portions are generous but the food is not spectacular and often the menu offers some rather odd combinations and inaccurately described dishes. It is advisable to notify the hotel of any dietary requirements in advance of arrival. However, the dining area is pleasant and large with a domed glass roof. Dining service can be slow at busy times. Packed lunches can be provided, but these are distinctly average.


The hotel’s bar is also comfortable and atmospheric though service is unreliable. Local beers and a limited wine-list are on offer. Drinks are reasonably priced but it is advisable to check bills thoroughly while travelling round Tanzania. There is often live entertainment after 9pm in the bar or restaurant area.


The lodge can also arrange a number of special dining options including meals in the bush and sundowners (trips to local beauty spots to enjoy a drink and maybe canapé while watching the sun set).


Things to do at the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge


The main lure of the lodge is its proximity to the awesome Ngorongoro Crater. The Lodge is situated at the head of a path down into the crater. Game drives as well as Bush dining are popular activities.


Entertainment at the hotel includes Maasai displays and African Music as well as use of the pool (on hot days).



<< Serengeti Sopa Lodge

Tarangire Sopa Lodge >>






Trip Advisor Review Disclaimer:

We estimate that around 30% of the reviews on Trip Advisor are probably fraudulent; something that Trip Advisor is powerless to prevent.  What was begun as a chance for fellow travellers to review hotels honestly, has since been subverted as a tool for unscrupulous businesses to promote their own services and to damage their competition’s reputations, and for disgruntled guests whose unreasonable demands have not been pandered to, to punish their accommodation providers.


While the UK’s Advertising Standards Agency banned Trip Advisor from claiming that its reviews were genuine, and while we advise that readers do not assume to be genuine everything that they read, we nonetheless feel that Trip Advisor is still helpful, in the absence of there yet being a more credible alternative service.