It's a weird feeling to be camping at 2400mtrs, just a degree away from the equator, and needing to be wearing thermals to stay warm. Simba is a large campground, with 2 lots of amenities. The area we camped at, as part of a tour group, had communal kitchens and dining spaces. The toilets worked, they even had toilet paper, and there were 2 showers (at least in the men's block). As with many other sites we visited, be prepared for low water pressure and often a cold shower as the hot water units are small and totally inadequate for the number of campers. They do have staff who regularly clean the amenity blocks, so that was good. There was plenty of space for all the various groups. Being located on the lip of the Ngorongoro Crater the views are spectacular! Based on the scat around the tents zebras were the nocturnal visitors we could hear munching on the grass. Our guide even had to make some noise at dusk, to encourage the browsing bull elephant to go around our camp rather than through it. So, measured against other camp sites we visited, Simba is not too bad. If you're planning on travelling down into the crater, it is a good spot to set up camp.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Be prepared for a wild night.. Friendly and not-so-friendly animals may come very close to the campsite, so enjoy the wildlife! It's on a crater that is 2000m above sea level so it is cold when the sun is down. Tip: Bring along a portable emergency thermal blanket to keep yourself warm in the tent. Also, the male toilet had hot water shower while the female toilet didn't..
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Date of stay: June 2022
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Stayed 1 night there. A little shop sends beers and drinks, there is a great room to have dinner as the temperatures can be chilly there. The bathrooms are ok, hot water available if you shower early ! The wifi is a bit hectic but plenty of plugs to charge your phones. The zebras came very close at night which was nice. All in all a good place !!
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed at Ngorongoro Simba Campsite for one night with Angelino Adventures. The experience was incredible: Camping in the wild nature, next to Zebras, Buffalos and more was truly unique. With Angelino Adventures, we had our private driver and private chef who was cooking delicious food in the evening at the camp. Can highly recommend everyone to visit!
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Date of stay: November 2019
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Room Tip:Booking with Angelino Adventures and was super happy.
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I rarely write bad reviews but this experience has left us feeling more sad and taken advantage of than angry. We saved for years to have the Safari and honeymoon of our dreams, and the night we spent at Simba campsite was the worst night for us. I didn't think after paying over $7,000 to a tour operator for a safari trip you'd get a night with a budget and basic tent. The world is really going in the wrong direction. Around the Ngorongoro Crater area, you either get this budget campsite or unaffordable luxury lodges. It'd be nice if a mid-range accommodation existed there. What to expect: a sturdy tent for the cold winds, smelly sleeping bags, hard twin mattresses, a cold water shower after a 10hr safari drive, long bathroom lines, no toilet paper, no towels, the showers don't have hooks to hang your clothes, so they get wet in the shower and overall had no view and no animals were seen or heard around the tents. There are also at least 30 tents all very close together. You can't sleep when you can hear everyone talking late at night. The common eating area was also loud and as much as I love a backpacker atmosphere, I didn't pay for one and even the younger backpackers seemed miserable. A younger woman was so happy that I had toilet paper to share and everyone walked out shivering cold from the showers. It was a very short night of no sleep and you wake up early to start the next Safari day. So choose wisely and I guess you need to spend a minimum of $400 for a comfortable night in this area. I recommend Pakulala Camp which is more expensive but I wish we would've stayed there.
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Date of stay: June 2024
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Great surrounding on top of the crater. We got a chance to have the visite of an elephant while assembling the tents...crazy nice souvenir.
Facilities were horrible : Shower - must not have been cleaned for several months Toilet - Turkish WC blocked, so I let you imagine how it looked with the s*** (literally) floating all around the rooms (same area as the shower...). And this was the case in both men and women facilities.
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Bring some warm clothes as it freezes during the night (5degres in summer).
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Basic camping grounds. There is hot water. It could be a little cleaner and there are also huge dung beetles which fly into the bathroom attracted to the light. A mix of western and squat toilets are available but no hand soap so bring your own. I heard a lion in the night and there were some water bucks chilling outside my tent in the morning.
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Date of stay: May 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Bring your own hand soap
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Camped for one night while visiting Ngorongoro. This is a basic budget camp on top of the crater wall. There is a dining hall where they sell cold beer and have an espresso machine. The toilets were not in the best condition. The best thing about this camp was the visits from wild animals. There was a herd of zebras and buffalo grazing around the campground. When it got dark, the buffalo were sitting near the entrance to the dining area. They were not aggressive. This camp has a guard on duty. Overall, I enjoyed the "wild" camping here.
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Date of stay: January 2023
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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Without mentioning any names of other camp sites, this place is far better than them. We were shocked to know that our travel agent arranged us a tented camp in here. Nothing provided other than the land and the washrooms. Good to find hot/cold water as well as soaps. Had to make our tents, prepare our food, load/unload stuff from the truck. Wi-Fi is very weak. Canteen prices is like airport. Cola is 5000 while in the city it’s 1000 only.
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This place is well set up but basic- as it says in the description. It has hot water, toilets showers, kitchen and dining room. It has some wifi. It’s cold so pack appropriately. Wild animals will most likely greet you, which we loved. Woke up to zebras at our door. We also met some baboons. You can stroll around the grounds but dont venture too far. I would have loved an open fire, which some people had but not sure it’s allowed. Amazing views
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Henrieta,
As we went with a tour group, I'm not really sure. However, I'd recommend you check out the web site for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania. They have a site specifically discussing ngorongoro crater camping sites.
Hope this helps
I heard that they were run by the Nat Parks themselves but can’t confirm that . There was also a payment booth at the entry but no one in attendance when we arrived . Try the NP office at the entrance - hope this helps .
I didn't notice any mosquitos or biting insects. There are however wild animals that roam through the site, particularly at night so take a torch and move carefully when leaving your tent. We encountered buffalo, and two of the ugly 5...warthogs and marabou storks. Don't ignore the warnings about temperature at night, it really can be bitterly cold so ensure you have layers and your operator provides an all-season sleeping bag and not a summer one.
"Dont leave your stuff unlocked in the tent. Other visitors had their stuff disappear. We locked our tent with a small lock and we didn't have a problem! "
There are more places to choose from in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area area.
LOCATION
TanzaniaArusha RegionNgorongoro Conservation Area
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