Crater View Inn


The Basics:
Even though the name implies it, the Crater View Inn does not sit on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater with a view of the crater floor below. The Inn sits in the town of Karatu, a few miles from the entry gate to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. It might be possible to actually see the Ngorongoro Crater from here, but you'd be hard pressed to identify it.

The Crater View Inn is your basic inn and is owned and run by locals. I really like staying here. I have found the place to be quite nice given the decent price. The menu is somwhat limited, but always above average in taste. The staff was always genuinely friendly and welcoming. Most of them live nearby in the town, which you will have a view of because the inn situated on a hill overlooking Karatu.


The Photos:
Actually, the bamboo ceiling is interesting and artistically laid out in the bar area. The bar itself is pretty basic, but if you need a drink and a room with a "view" then this should suffice. Through those windows you have a view of Karatu all around and below.


The rooms are simple but clean and fairly new. The mattress are good quality and very comfortable. Each room comes with its own bathroom and shower, of course.


Each room is named after one of the dozens of ethnic groups that occupy Tanzania. This one is named after the Hehe people.


Here's the patio outside your door. There is a fairly nice, and small, flowered courtyard just beyond that banana tree.