High-altitude safari hideaway opens in northern Tanzania

Perched at 2,500 metres above sea level, the new solar-powered lodge offers rare early access to the Crater floor, community-guided crater rim walks, and East Africa’s only forest spa with a heated indoor pool

Lemala Camps & Lodges has opened Osonjoi Lodge, a 20-suite property located on the eastern rim of Tanzania’s famed Ngorongoro Crater. The solar-powered lodge is the group’s most ambitious project to date and marks the first major new opening on the Crater rim in over a decade. Perched nearly 2,500 metres above sea level, the lodge is designed to combine contemporary safari luxury with low-impact operations and close community collaboration.

“Osonjoi was created to feel like it belongs here – not imposed on the landscape, but emerging naturally from it,” said Leanne Haigh, CEO of Lemala Camps & Lodges. “This is a retreat for travellers seeking depth as well as comfort. An experience that is slower, more intuitive and grounded in place.”

Access to the Crater floor and quieter safari routes

Positioned just outside the Lemala Gate and overlooking the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera, the lodge occupies one of the most sought-after locations in East African safari country and offers privileged access to one of the continent’s most biodiverse and beautiful ecosystems. Guests can descend to the Crater floor in just 20 to 25 minutes via the least-used access road and arrive early, when wildlife sightings are at their peak. The northeastern quadrant of the Crater is quieter than the main western arc, making it ideal for unhurried game viewing and close-up encounters with black rhino, elephants and big cats.

Suite design and lodge interiors

Osonjoi Lodge comprises 20 suites, including two two-bedroom family options. Interiors are designed to reflect Ngorongoro’s cool, high-altitude setting, with a palette of charred timber, pigmented cement and panoramic glass. Rooms include slow-burning wood stoves, hot water bottles, and deep duvets, alongside features such as walk-in showers, freestanding tubs and signature “secret nooks” – window-side daybeds positioned beside the fireplace. The central pavilion houses a library and a large outdoor deck with firepit and views across the crater rim.

Sustainability and community focus

Osonjoi Lodge operates entirely off-grid and is powered by solar energy. Recycled and local materials were used throughout construction, with no single-use plastics permitted on site. From early planning stages, the lodge has worked with local artisans and neighbouring Maasai communities to create furnishings, hire staff and support women’s empowerment and education programs. Locally made volcanic glassware, woven throws and ceramics created by women’s cooperatives are used throughout the lodge.

The lodge also aims to support longer, slower travel through multi-night itineraries and guided experiences such as crater rim walks with Maasai naturalists and wellness treatments at the forest spa suite – home to the Crater’s only indoor heated pool.

Completing Lemala’s northern circuit

The opening of Osonjoi Lodge completes Lemala’s northern Tanzania circuit, linking with Hamerkop House in Arusha, Mpingo Ridge in Tarangire, and Nanyukie and Kuria Hills lodges in the Serengeti. The itinerary is designed to offer a seamless overland or fly-in safari through some of East Africa’s most diverse ecosystems.

Rates at Lemala Osonjoi Lodge start from US$690 (about AU$1,065) per person per night, including meals, house drinks, WiFi and laundry. Park fees, game drives and transfers are at an additional cost. lemalacamps.com