Hotel Ngorongoro Lions Paw

Style of hotel and ambience

Lions Paw offers an authentic safari experience without sacrificing the warmth and comforts of home. The camp features 9 ample sized heated canvas tents with spacious sleeping quarters, one of which is a Family Tent consisting of two separate bedrooms and a shared bathroom. Each tent comes equipped with its own private ensuite bathroom that includes running water from a marble-topped single basin vanity, a separate shower area elevated on teak wood flooring, an enclosed private flush toilet and a dressing area. Each tent is furnished with a comfortable sitting area complete with a hand-carved solid wood coffee table, one cozy upholstered side chair and a quant writing desk for journaling about the days events. At night you can watch spectacular sunsets descending over the western rim of the crater from your own private verandah, while you rest on comfortably sized teak folding chairs. Ngorongoro Crater is the jewel located within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and is the worlds largest intact un-flooded caldera. This means that the entire rim of the old volcano is still intact. The crater is home to almost 30,000 animals in an area naturally enclosed by the slopes of the volcano. Despite the high walls of the Crater, approximately twenty percent of the herd animals do migrate in and out. However, the lion population remains rather steady, between 55-65 individuals. The lions of the Crater lack genetic diversity because new males do not venture down into the Crater to challenge the males of these inbred prides. Ngorongoro Crater boasts the highest density of hyena in any location in Africa and is one of the best places for viewing black rhino and the huge old bull elephants. There is not enough vegetation or shade to support the large elephant cow and calf herds, but the old males retire to the Crater to take advantage of the wonderful swamp grass and acacia forest. The only animals you will not see down in the Crater are the impala and giraffe. It is not known why the impala do not inhabit the Crater, but giraffe are unable to descend the steep grade without lowering their heads which raises their blood pressure to dangerous levels. Birding in the Crater is a delight, with over 500 recorded species populating six distinct habitats: acacia forest, swamp, short and long grass, riverine and woodland. Since the Crater is only twelve miles wide and totaling 100 square miles, it is easy to see the various habitats.