Elewana The Manor at Ngorongoro

The Manor at Ngorongoro was like stepping into an East African dream. The architecture is stunning, the accommodations luxurious, and the service simply outstanding. From start to finish, everything was flawless – the meals were gourmet, the South African wine list exceptional, and the hospitality some of the best we’ve encountered in all our travels. A huge thank you to Altus, the General Manager, Baracka, our wonderful waiter, and the entire team for making our stay so memorable. Their special touches and genuine warmth made us feel truly cared for. This was one of the most unforgettable stops on our three-week East Africa journey. An absolute gem – highly recommend staying here during your safari. They knocked it out of the park!

The manor is now one of my favourite hotels and their attention to detail is second to none. We even came back to our room to find a hot bubble bath ready for us after safari and a surprised private room dinner! Little touches like this really made the stay here special. The staff are incredibly friendly. A personal butler throughout the stay makes things very easy. Food is amazing and a very good selection of wine. The general manager Altus is very friendly and welcoming. It makes you feel like you are right at home.

There are many, many good hotels in the world, but many of them fall into the trap of generic luxury. Open your eyes in the morning, and it can be hard to remember where you are. This is not a problem when you are at The Manor at Ngorongoro. Instead, you are likely to feel like you have taken a giant step back into a world of European elegance nestled on a coffee farm in East Africa. Start with the setting. While being only a few hundred miles from the equator, the hotel sits at 5,700 feet (1,740m), so the daytime temperature in August rarely exceeds 75F (24C). Then layer in the unique architecture, comprised of cabins and larger building modeled on South African vineyards. Add in extraordinary cabins, featuring separate sitting and sleeping areas which share a wood burning fireplace. (NB: You’ll want to have the staff light you a fire: it gets cold at night.) Finally, set the whole thing in the midst of a large coffee plantation. It’s very easy to harken back to another time. Then there is the service. General Manager Altus du Toit and his wife run a very tight ship, one which is luxuriously accommodating to guests. In a previous life, Altus was an award-winning chef, which may explain why the kitchen does such spectacular work. Equally, service is very personal. During our stay, we have had the same dedicated server and butler, both of whom are present at every meal. They are friendly, attentive and detail oriented. (Thank you John and Beatrice!) To the extent that there are downsides… The internet can be a little precarious and the power sometimes go out. That said, electricity is usually restored in a minute or two. And if you’re looking for a television, look elsewhere. However, there is a theatre in the main building (which primarily shows soccer). The location is remote and over some challenging roads that give a good ‘African Massage’. But for all of that, I cannot think of another property that has taken me so out of time. If you are visiting Ngorongoro, The Manor is not to be missed.

Our stay at the Manor was beyond what we needed or expected. It was a very luxurious property and accommodation beyond anything we are used to staying in. We stayed in the stable Cottage. It had plenty of room for our entire family and could also have accommodated another traveller with us who was staying in their own Manor suite. The best part of our stay was our cottage butler, Shareef, who did an amazing job of engaging with the children and giving them a special stay. Including their preferences in the rooms and at the restaurant to allow the adults to enjoy their meals. He did many other little things to ensure we were warm and comfortable. Chilly pool was well set up and maintained. Gorgeous grounds which we enjoyed exploring. Excellent food at the restaurant. Only challenge with it is that it’s a bit off the beaten path and takes a bit to get from town out to the manor.

What a special place! From the moment we arrived I knew we were in for a special experience. Our guide Steven was incredibly knowledgable, not just about the local flora and fauna but about the people who live in the area. He answered all our question from how old a baby elephant was to sharing details about the local education system, and geological information about the crater and surrounds. After nearly four days together, my kids were hoping he was coming with us on the next leg of our journey. Our butler Shariff was friendly and warm and genuinely wanted to make our stay special. He set to work getting to know our preferences right away including those of a child with very picky tastes. He wanted to be sure to take a picture with all of us before we left. The proprietor Altus was friendly and helpful. He is very knowledgeable about South African wine and never steered us wrong in helping us select a bottle to accompany dinner. We were so at home there at were sad to leave the comfort of the stable cottage even though we were excited about our next stop.