What is Entamanu and where is it?

Entamanu is a highland area on the northeastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, sitting at approximately 2,400 metres elevation — significantly above the crater floor and above the more developed crater rim area around the main viewpoint. The Entamanu area offers sweeping views across the crater and the surrounding highlands, a more exclusive and remote feel than the main crater rim, and access to guided walking safaris in the forest and highland areas that are not available on the crater floor.

How is Entamanu different from staying on the crater rim?

The main crater rim area is accessible, popular, and has a small number of lodges that can feel crowded, especially during peak season. Entamanu is more remote — the camps here are smaller, the access roads are rougher, and the experience is considerably more intimate. The views from Entamanu camps are often better than the main rim — facing south and west over the crater, rather than north into the sun. And from Entamanu, you can do guided walking safaris in the highland forests — something not possible from the main rim lodges.

What is a walking safari in the Ngorongoro highlands?

From Entamanu, guided walking safaris are offered in the forest and highland areas above the crater — typically a 2-4 hour walk with an armed ranger and a knowledgeable guide. The walks go through the highland rainforest, home to colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, and a remarkable variety of birds. The walk also covers the highland grasslands where you can see buffalo and, occasionally, elephant. The highlight is often the viewpoint walk to the crater rim — arriving on foot at the rim, away from the vehicle-track viewpoint, is a profoundly different experience.

What is the Entamanu Wilderness Camp like?

Entamanu Wilderness Camp is the premier camp in the Entamanu area — a small, owner-run camp with 9 tents on the crater rim at approximately 2,400 metres elevation. The tents are comfortable and well-appointed, with private verandas overlooking the crater. The camp has a warm, low-key atmosphere — not sleek corporate luxury, but genuine wilderness hospitality. The food is excellent for a remote location, and the guiding — typically led by the owner or a long-tenured naturalist — is exceptional.

View from the Entamanu rim over the Ngorongoro Crater at sunrise — the caldera stretching below in the morning mist with the highland forest visible on the rim

Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania

Entamanu Ngorongoro

Plan My Safari

Above the Crater. Away from the Crowds. On Foot.

The Ngorongoro Crater is one of the most visited destinations in Africa — and for good reason. But the crater floor experience, extraordinary as it is, is not the only way to experience Ngorongoro. Above the crater, in the highlands at 2,400 metres, the Entamanu area offers a different Ngorongoro: sweeping crater views without the crowds, guided walking safaris through highland forest, colobus monkeys in the canopy, and a more intimate, personal experience of one of the most remarkable landscapes on earth.

Elevation

2,400m

Above the crater rim — cool and fresh

Camp tents

At Entamanu Wilderness Camp — intimate

Crater views

180°

Sweeping views from Entamanu camps

Walking safari

2–4hrs

Guided walks from camp — armed ranger

Why Entamanu

Four Reasons to Stay Above the Crater

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Sweeping Crater Views

The view from the Entamanu rim — looking south and west across the Ngorongoro Crater — is considered by many to be more dramatic than the standard crater rim viewpoint. You are at slightly lower elevation than the standard viewpoint, which means you look into the crater rather than across it. At sunrise, when mist rises from the caldera floor, the view is extraordinary.

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Guided Walking Safaris

From Entamanu, guided walking safaris are possible in the highland forests and grasslands above the crater — led by armed rangers and knowledgeable naturalist guides. The walks go through dense highland rainforest, across open grasslands, and to viewpoints that are inaccessible by vehicle. Arriving at the crater rim on foot — rather than by vehicle — changes the experience entirely.

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Highland Forest Wildlife

The highland forest above the Ngorongoro Crater supports wildlife that does not occur on the crater floor. Colobus monkeys and blue monkeys are common. The forest birds include the bar-tailed trogon, striped-cheeked oliveback, and mountain wagtail — species that are difficult or impossible to see elsewhere on the Northern Circuit. Elephant and buffalo are present in the forest areas.

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More Intimate Than the Crater Floor

The main crater rim area can feel busy during peak hours — vehicles, other lodges, and the standard viewpoint. Entamanu is quieter and more remote. The camps are smaller. The guides know the area in more depth. And the experience — a combination of crater views, walking safaris, and highland exploration — is more layered and personal than a day on the crater floor alone.

Where to Stay

Accommodation in the Entamanu Area

9 tents · Owner-run · Crater views

Entamanu Wilderness Camp

The premier choice in the Entamanu area. Owner-run, 9 comfortable tents on the crater rim at approximately 2,400 metres elevation. The camp has sweeping views across the crater, exceptional guiding, and a genuine wilderness atmosphere. The tents have private en-suite bathrooms with hot water, proper beds with linen, and private verandas overlooking the caldera. The food is excellent for a remote location — the camp grows its own vegetables.

Premium luxury

24 rooms · Eastern rim · Walking trails

Rhino Lodge

Rhino Lodge is a mid-range option on the eastern crater rim, below the Entamanu area. The lodge has 24 rooms in stone-and-thatch buildings, a garden setting, and direct access to walking trails in the surrounding forest. The atmosphere is simpler than Entamanu Wilderness Camp but the location is excellent and the price point is considerably lower. It is a good option for travellers who want crater rim access without the premium price tag.

Mid-range

Camping on the Ngorongoro highlands above the crater — a tent pitched on a highland ridge with sweeping views of the conservation area landscape

Basic · High elevation · Extraordinarily scenic

Ngorongoro Conservation Area Campsites

For the adventurous, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area has designated public campsite areas within the conservation area highlands. These are basic — no facilities beyond pit latrines — but the setting, high above the crater with views of the rim and forest, is extraordinary. The campsites require advance booking through the NCA authority and are generally used by overland camping operators.

Budget

Experiences

What to Do Above the Crater

Guided Walking Safari

2–4 hours

The signature experience from Entamanu. A 2-4 hour guided walk through the highland forest and grasslands, led by an armed ranger and a naturalist guide. The walk visits the highland viewpoints, the colobus monkey forest, and arrives at the crater rim on foot — away from the vehicle tracks. The guides are exceptional — they have spent years in these forests and know every call, track, and behaviour.

Armed ranger · Naturalist guide · Forest & rim walk

Crater Floor Game Drive

Full day (6 hours on crater floor)

The standard Ngorongoro experience — a full day game drive on the crater floor, departing from your Entamanu camp at dawn and returning by mid-afternoon. The game drive covers the full crater circuit: Lerai Forest for elephants and leopard, the open plains for lions and cheetah, and Lake Magadi for flamingos and hippos. The drive from Entamanu to the crater floor takes approximately 30-45 minutes.

All Big Five possible · Black rhino likely · Full circuit

Highland Birding

Half day

The Ngorongoro highlands above the crater support a different bird community from the crater floor. The highland rainforest is home to the bar-tailed trogon, one of Africa's most sought-after birds for birders. The grasslands host the scarce hemipringue, and the forest edges are alive with sunbirds, warblers, and flycatchers during the breeding season. A half-day birding walk from camp with a naturalist guide can be extraordinarily productive.

Bar-tailed trogon · Highland endemics · Naturalist guide

Maasai Village Visit

Half day

The Entamanu area is surrounded by Maasai communities who have lived in the Ngorongoro highlands for generations. A visit to a local Maasai village — arranged through your camp — offers a genuine window into pastoralist life in the highlands. This is not a performed tourist show — it is a structured but authentic exchange, and most visitors find it one of the most memorable parts of their Ngorongoro visit.

Cultural exchange · Community benefit · Authentic encounter

Wildlife

What You Will See Above the Crater

Colobus Monkey

Year-round, best morning

The highland forest above Ngorongoro is one of the best places in Tanzania to see both black-and-white colobus and Angolan colobus monkeys. The colobus are present in troops of 10-20 individuals and are commonly seen moving through the forest canopy. They are habituated to humans in the Entamanu area.

Blue Monkey

Year-round

Blue monkeys (actually more greenish-grey) are common in the highland forest areas. They are less conspicuous than colobus but regularly seen at water sources and in the mid-level canopy. The forest between Entamanu and the crater rim is a reliable area.

African Elephant

Year-round, best early morning

Elephants move through the highland forest between the Entamanu area and the crater rim. They are less commonly seen from the crater floor viewpoint but can be encountered on the guided walks — always with an armed ranger present. The forest elephants are a distinct population from the crater floor elephants.

Cape Buffalo

Year-round

Buffalo are present in the highland grasslands and forest edges above the crater. They are most commonly seen on the guided walking safaris — a herd of buffalo on a highland ridge with the crater behind is an extraordinary sight. The buffalo in the highlands are larger and darker than the crater floor population.

Stay Above the Crater — Not Just on It

Entamanu works as a single-night stop on a Northern Circuit safari or as the base for two nights exploring the highlands and crater floor. Tell us your itinerary and we will include the Entamanu experience.

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The full Northern Circuit — combining Entamanu, the crater floor, and the Serengeti.

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Questions

Entamanu Ngorongoro — FAQ

What is Entamanu and why would I stay there instead of the main crater rim?

Entamanu is the highland area on the northeastern rim of Ngorongoro Crater, at approximately 2,400 metres elevation. Unlike the main crater rim area which is more developed and visited, Entamanu is remote and quiet — the camps are smaller, the guides more personal, and the experience more intimate. The views from Entamanu camps face south and west, looking into the crater away from the sun. And from Entamanu, you can do guided walking safaris in the highland forests — which are not possible from the main rim.

Can you do game drives on the Ngorongoro Crater floor from Entamanu?

Yes — a full day game drive on the crater floor is standard from any Entamanu camp. Departure is at approximately 6am, the drive down to the crater floor takes 30-45 minutes, you spend 5-6 hours on the crater floor covering the full circuit, and you return to camp for lunch. The drive to the crater floor from Entamanu is shorter than from the main rim lodges.

Is a walking safari in the Ngorongoro highlands safe?

Yes — all walking safaris from Entamanu camps are conducted with an armed Ngorongoro Conservation Area ranger. The walks are carefully managed: routes are chosen for safety, distances from dangerous wildlife are maintained, and the guides are experienced in managing groups on foot. The risk is low when proper protocols are followed. The walking safari is one of the most rewarding experiences available in the Ngorongoro area — seeing the forest and crater rim on foot is a completely different experience from a vehicle game drive.

How does the Entamanu area compare to staying inside the crater?

There is no accommodation inside the Ngorongoro Crater — all accommodation is on the rim or outside the conservation area. The main rim options (Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Neptune Ngorongoro) are more accessible and more expensive. Entamanu is more remote, more intimate, and offers the walking safari option that the main rim does not. The trade-off is rougher access roads and a more basic infrastructure at the camps.

What is the weather like in the Ngorongoro highlands?

At 2,400 metres elevation, the Ngorongoro highlands are considerably cooler than the Serengeti plains below — often 10-15°C cooler. Nights can be cold, even in summer. Bring layers regardless of the season. The dry season (June to October) is clear and cool. The green season (November to May) brings rain, mostly in the form of afternoon storms that clear quickly. The highland forest is beautiful in the green season — lush, green, and full of birds.

How many nights should I stay at Entamanu?

Two nights is ideal — this allows for a full day on the crater floor, a morning guided walk, and time to simply sit on your veranda with the view. One night is possible if you are combining with other parks but feels rushed. The Entamanu experience rewards slow travel — the walks, the views, the birds, and the Maasai village visits all take time.