Our current plan is to stay in Plantation Lodge for two nights.
While we will be in Lake Manyara the first of these two days, the second day we plan to be in the crater. On the third morning, we head to Serengeti.

Is one day in the Ngorongoro crater sufficient? One other option is to stay on the rim (Serena/Sopa) on day 2 instead of plantation lodge, and go into the crater for a few hours the third morning before we leave to Serengeti.

Please let me know your advise.

If you plan to do a morning crater tour, it's better to be on the rim night before.

You are limited to 6/hr visits to the crater floor, so many visit afternoon of arrival and then again next morning.

There is a vehicle fee for each visit of about $200 to enter the crater floor.

when you stay at plantation lodge you can easily drive the 45 minutes in the early morning and be at the crater's gate when they open.
i would definately not skip the plantation lodge in the favour of one of the big lodges at the rim as PL offers great atmosphere, very good meals, wonderful lawn to have a sundowner e.g. - and: it's much more intimate.

We really loved our stay at Plantation Lodge (and this was after the disappointment of having a confirmed reservation at the Ngorongoro Serena that was "bumped" for someone else). Plantation Lodge is beautiful, very quiet and peaceful, and the food was delicious. I did not think the drive to the Crater was bad at all, but you do have to be prepared to get up early. I was initially disappointed not to be able to enjoy the Crater views from a rim lodge, but as it turned out the Crater was socked in with mist in anyway. I can understand the appeal of staying on the rim, for sure, but from what I saw of the Serena Lodge, the Plantation Lodge is much nicer.

Having said that, it would be nice to have an extra morning in the Crater if your budget can take it. We had one entire day there and saw so much, we felt it was sufficient. But I'd always be happy for more time, if I had the chance!

Loved the 2 nights we spent at PL in Sept 2007, so much so would not consider elsewhere in the same locaity in future. Start a little earlier and still at crater 4 opening.
V friendly staff, lovely atmosphere- not to be beaten!

Thank you all, for those great responses! Makes my decision very easy!

Sandi, I did not realize that we are limited to 6/hr visits, but that is good information. If we get to the crater at 7, I doubt we will last past 1pm anyway.

I will keep my option open for visiting the third morning for a few hours.

thank you!

The Serena Lodge on the Crater rim is spectacular. My only safari regret was not having more time in the Crater but everyone is different.

Hi mush:

I have not stayed at Plantation Lodge--but did stay at the Serena and Crater Lodge. Crater Lodge was a total splurge and we could not do that again--but the views from both were spectacular.

If I were to do it again--given the Serena's very bad reputation for bumping--personally I would go for the Sopa. But each to their own--I am very much a "room with a view" person.

Plus, aren't you back-tracking from the rim to stay at PL and then re-tracing your steps to move on to the Serengeti? That is my understanding.

"If we get to the crater at 7, I doubt we will last past 1pm anyway."

Save this quote and let's see. Especially if you have a little break for cookies, tea, or whatever, time will fly when you are surrounded by wildlife and the beauty of the crater!

Having stayed at Wildlife Lodge and Sopa, I think Sopa is ideal because it has its own access road. Nothing wrong with Wildlife either.

atravelynn,
that comment was based on an earlier comment that we were only allowed 6 hours maximum inside the crater. Is there really such a limit or not?

<b>Is there really such a limit or not?</b>

Yes, there is a 6 hour limit, but often the rule is not enforced if it's not overly crowded. We've spent six days in the crater in two different years and were allowed to stay all day, but I think in the summer they enforce this to control over-crowding.

After Munyara you should head directly to Serengeti and then do Ngorongoro on your return. The drive from Ngorongoro entry point to Serengeti can take 5-6 hours on bad dirt roads. On your way back, stay over at Ngorongoro such that you do an afternoon drive of the crater after Serengeti, overnight, and then spend the next day in the crater. The 6 hour rule is not always enforced, particularly in high season. The drive from Ngorongoro to Moshi is about 3-4 hours. Obviously ff you plan on flying into the Serengeti etc then distances are irrelevant. Happy safari!

Nomadic_adventures,
what is the advantage of doing this at the end? Our current plan is to fly out of Serengeti, to Kilimanjaro or arusha.

The only advantage is if you are driving direct Serengeti to Arusha as it is a good 7-8 hour drive. Stopping at Ngorongoro on the way back just breaks the journey. But as you are flying, it is does not matter which way you do it.

In my opinion, one day in the crater is sufficient. You will see why it is famous...a great concentration of animals.

We spend on night on the rim at Sopa. Adequate, but hardly charming. We had just a single night at the Plantation Lodge, but it was the great surprise of the region. A very relaxing, charming place.

If you have a change to take a side trip of the highway west of Ngorongoro to visit the Hadzabe (Bushmen) you will never forget it. 25 miles each way on the worst road I have ever been on, to vist a hunter/gatherer tribe barely out of the stone age. One of the top experiences of my life. Your guide will know how to find it...near Lake Eyasi Read more about them here:

http://www.kilimanjaro.cc/hadzabe.htm

I am a little reluctant to publicize this threatened tribe. But, the Fodorites were so helpful in planning my trip that I want to make a contribution here. Also, the Hadzabe do gain precious currency from tourists to buy a little food that supplements their meager diet.

We had two morning visits to the crater in March. Our first morning we were at the gate at 6:30am. We saw no other vehicles for the first hour. Our second morning visit we were at the gate about 8:00. We are so glad we planned for a second visit to the crater as we had lions around our vehicle and one male who marked it right below the window I was looking out of. Serena Lodge is not the type of place we like to stay at, but it was great in terms of accessing the crater.

Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is fantastic. The view from the chalets overlooking the crater and the lake is unbelievable.

Mush - Stay on the rim

seeing the sunrise from your room is as exciting as seeing the Arenal volcano (CR) or any other fabulous view on the planet
my neighbour at Serena last april, had tears in her eyes 'cause of the view...

&amp; as others mentioned, getting down early has its advantages

aby