The Highlands by Asilia is one of the most architecturally distinctive safari camps in East Africa: eight geodesic dome suites built on the forested slopes of Olmoti Crater in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area at an altitude of nearly 3,000 metres. The domes constructed from canvas and perspex panels are inspired by the Maasai bomas that dot the surrounding highlands and create an experience that has been described as futuristic and primordial at the same time. Floor-to-ceiling windows face the rolling highland panorama, views on clear days stretch as far as the Serengeti, and the Ngorongoro Crater is an hour’s drive away for game drives.
The camp’s altitude makes it genuinely cold at night, which is part of its appeal: log-burning stoves in each suite, warm duvets, and hot water bottles create a cosy highland atmosphere unlike anything offered by the crater-rim lodges. Hikes to Olmoti Crater and Empakaai Crater, Maasai cultural visits, and crater floor game drives form the core activity programme. Only eight tents means the camp is intimate and exclusively focused on personalised service.
Eight dome suites feature enormous king-size beds, wood-burning stoves, en-suite bathrooms with hot showers and flush toilets, and wraparound balconies with highland panoramas. A honeymoon suite has an outdoor hot tub; a family suite can be interconnected.
The nearest airstrip is Lake Manyara (LKY), approximately 3 hours by road from the camp. This is a high-altitude, remote camp at nearly 3,000 metres on the slopes of Olmoti volcano. The drive from the Manyara airstrip is scenic but demanding; guests should be prepared for a rough road on the final approach. Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) is the main international gateway.
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