The Highlands Ngorongoro

Set on the edge of a sparse mountain forest north of the Ngorongoro Crater, the eight pods of The Highlands are the latest in the cutting-edge luxury safaris. The guest “rooms”, the lounge, the bar, and the restaurant are all domed with geodesic spheres made of canvas and clear plastic — and they look simply spectacular. We were lucky in being able to include this place in our African itinerary.

Journey to the Craterland

But arriving here was not exactly a smooth ride. First, we flew from Nairobi to the Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania, and after a night in Arusha, we jumped on a Coastal Aviation plane and 45 minutes later landed on the Lake Manyara airstrip.

From there it was a very picturesque but at times a grueling drive to the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater, around its rim, and finally to the camp. We passed by troops of monkeys, herds of cows, and traditional Masai settlements. The further we went the worse the roads became, but arrive we did, and it was worth putting up with the epic ride — if just to finally settle in our amazing tent.

The tent felt like a space capsule from another world combined with a Scandinavian log cabin (and furnished with the warmest and fuzziest of things). As we said in Africa’s 20 hottest hotel openings of 2016 list: the tents “look as if from the sketchbook of Buckminster Fuller”. From this description, you would be excused asking, is this not a little out of place in the African wilderness?

Not in the slightest. That’s because the Ngorongoro Crater is not an ordinary place.

Wind-swept

Technically, the Ngorongoro is not exactly a crater. Rather, it is a caldera — the product of a collapsed magma chamber that followed the volcanic eruption. The diameter is around nineteen kilometers, so the eruption must have been enormous — enormous enough to give the entire Serengeti its geology and fertility. Walled by a ring of mountains, today the bottom of the crater is an almost artificially perfect, self-contained system with its own weather patterns, all kinds of habitats and a whole spectrum of wildlife.

The terrain outside of the crater — which is where the camp is located — in a mixture of mountainous highlands with a budding savanna. The bare, windswept hills may look uninviting (the evenings bring coldness), but they are peppered with mud-hut settlements of the Masai, who insist on living here the way their ancestors have for thousands of years.

All this gives this area quite a surreal appearance. Enter The Highlands with the space capsules… It’s quite a perfect fit.

Inspirations

The camp does, of course, draw from its surroundings. The domed architecture and the textures and materials of the interiors bring to mind the dry-mud bomas of the Masai. And the warm blankets, the soft pillows, the fur, and the iron fireplaces — all these are expertly put together to create interiors that feel equally well placed in a safari context as they would be in the latest home decor catalog from some Scandinavian country.

Our bedroom was the best place—especially at sunset, and as the evening approached. Nothing beats coming back from dinner to the tent warmed by the log-burning fireplace. And as lights would go off for the night the transparent side of the tent permitted us to stargaze.

It’s the people

Asilia means “authentic” in Swahili and the company takes this to heart, putting a lot of effort into nurturing a good relationship with the surrounding communities. The neighboring settlements benefit from the guests’ visits and a small market set up for the guests, and half of the staff at the camp are employed locally.

It makes a huge difference in the experience of the camp, as the people here create the warmest atmosphere — all the while maintaining a very high level of service. In the end, human contact is what really matters, and it is what we will remember from The Highlands the most.

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in our opinion

It's quite a challenge to place a camp designed like this in Africa and make it belong. But Asilia Africa has done it — and more. A stay at the Highlands is an incredible experience, made extra special by the warm approach of the staff.

What we love

• Tent design. These geodesic domes look otherworldly, which paradoxically fits the location quite well. The Ngorongoro crater's mountainous landscapes and at times harsh weather conditions make this place almost surreal.
• The interiors of the tents are very beautifully furnished, and they are very practical and cosy. The log fireplaces are just perfect for the cold evenings! Some tents have cosy mezzanines with daybeds, tucked just under the curvature of the tent's dome.
• The en-suite bathrooms are very comfortable and spacious — and there are two showers… perfect for a couple.
• The service is impeccable here. The staff goes beyond the standards and expectations and takes care of the smallest of details.
• Food is great, as so is its presentation. The dinner is a communal affair and served in a large dining room, and it would typically include Masai dancing and singing by the camp's employees, many of whom are local. It's a lot of fun.
• Wildlife sighting in the Ngorongoro Crater was great, as the thousands of animals that live here are used to humans and are quite chilled about the visitors (as no poachers are able to sneak in). The safaris included lunch or breakfast, which always tasted special in the great outdoors.
• The Highlands is the highest-altitude property in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the views from the camp are quite spectacular.

What you should know

• We stayed here outside of the high season and it was a great time for a safari. Or maybe we were just lucky — in any case, there were never many cars in the Ngorongoro crater. We are told that in high season the crater gets very busy with dozens upon dozens of vehicles all competing for the best spot to viewing the wildlife.
• The camp is located on the edge of Tanzania’s wildlife-rich Ngorongoro Crater at almost 3000m above sea level and the nights can get really cold. We were very thankful for the log fire in the evening and the gas heater in the morning (as unfortunately, the fire burns itself out overnight) — but it was still hard to get up before sunset for the morning drive! Be prepared and make sure you pack warm clothes.
• Access to the camp is not easy — the roads are pretty bad. Especially the last part, from the gate entrance to the camp itself, felt like it should be better maintained. But apparently, Asilia is looking into ways to bring air travel closer to the camp, e.g. by building their own airstrip or a helipad.
• For now, the drive from the Lake Manyara airstrip takes as much as 3,5 hours (most of it is uphill). Descending is quicker, so a drive to the airstrip is an hour shorter.
• The safari drives also meant a lot of uncomfortable hours stacked up just getting to the Ngorongoro crater and back. That said, driving through the countryside, peppered by traditional Masai homesteads, was always interesting and the wildlife in the crater and the landscapes are simply amazing — so it's worth it.
• There weren't many other guests here when we were staying in the Highlands, so we had the 4x4 to ourselves, but in busier periods you may have to share with other people. It is possible to reserve the car for exclusive use though.
• Getting there: Online comparison sites such as Skyscanner (www.skyscanner.com) or Kayak (www.kayak.com) will help you find the best flight and deals.