By far the most lavish and ostentatious of the north Tanzanian Sopa lodges, the Sopa Ngorongoro also has something of a theme park feel about it. It is loudly and proudly poised on the eastern rim of the crater, catching the sunset as the Serena Ngorongoro catches the sunrise, and with a situation like this what establishment would not want to amp up the atmosphere and celebrate a small piece of paradise.
The Ngorongoro Sopa is set in a beautiful micro-habitat of dense highland forest and woodland on the eastern edge of the crater. This is a rare and beautiful setting in an already spectacular location. The road leading into the lodge runs along the narrow rim of the crater, with expansive views unfolding around every corner, and heavily wooded hill country diminishing westward in yet another glimpse of the old Hemingway vision of The Green Hills of Africa…
Immediately upon arrival lodge staff rush to take your bags and usher you into the large reception area where, through vast windows, the spreading view of the Ngorongoro Crater will no doubt be the first thing that catches your eye. As you mop your brow with a warm towel, and sip a complimentary fruit juice, the reception will likely be ablaze with sunlight as through a series of plate glass windows the sun slowly subsides on one of the most vivid and spectacular views in the world.
As a secondary consideration it will be noted that the expansive lobby and reception area is laid out along familiar Sopa lines, with the floor on several levels and a bar and dining area to the left and right. Lavish quantities of glass offer a variety of different views of the crater, and certainly both the bar and dining room are incomparable in this regard. Besides that both are expansive in size and decorated with African themes, but in an entirely homely, welcoming and lived-in way.
The layout of the lodge is once again designed to gain maximum advantage of a world-class view, not only for the main hospitality area, but also for each of the 91 doubles contained in two blocks of attached rooms on either side of the lodge. Each room is furnished with two queen size beds, and are en-suite with a glassed in balcony for a better appreciation of the view. Comfort and attention to detail are what might be expected from a Sopa lodge, and under the able management of Emily Rogers, service is slick and efficient while a sense of individual importance seems to be attached to each guest.
Dinner and breakfast are served in the huge dining hall, a small Internet Café is always available and a media center for small presentations is situated on a mezzanine floor with yet another perspective of the ubiquitous view. There is also a gift shop, a baby-sitting service, and of course bar and coffee shop facilities.
Sopa Ngorongoro is probably the least functional of all the reviewed properties in this regard. Notwithstanding generator use as a standard, the lodge has been constructed using astronomical amounts of indigenous hardwood that, once again, considering the lodge was constructed in the mid-1990s, is unfortunate in regards to the conservation credentials of the establishment.
Further to this I was amazed in the bar to discover burning in the fireplace charcoal of the type illegally manufactured on a cottage level throughout Tanzania, and east Africa as a whole. The illegal charcoal industry is arguably the single biggest threat to indigenous woodland across the region, and should be the subject of a ban throughout the hospitality industry.
Poor marks to Sopa for this, but the argument that the establishment is simply too large for solar is definitely an ameliorating factor, but some part could definitely be played by this sustainable energy source, particularly since many others are to a greater or lesser extent making the changeover.
The Ngorongoro Sopa is the best run and most tightly managed of all the Sopa lodges I visited. It is arguable whether this is the flagship of the organization, but bearing in mind the extraordinary situation it is in, it must certainly be the most naturally advantaged. Standards of design and décor are very high, as are the levels of service, comfort, food and entertainment. On the whole this is another fine example of the great standards that are applied throughout the Tanzanian hospitality industry, and without doubt Sopa Ngorongoro is one of the top establishments of its sort in the region.
Rough Travel Africa Style: The Tented Camps & Lodges of Serengeti
Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp
Migration Camp
Mbalageti Tented Camp
Serena Serengeti
Serena Ngorongoro
Sopa Lodge Serengeti
Sopa Lodge Ngorongoro
Lobo Wildlife Lodge Serengeti
Gibbs Farm
Ndarakwai Ranch
