Single
One of the eight tents taken by a single guest, with an ensuite bathroom with flush toilet and a solar heated shower, and a private verandah over the plains.
Lodges & partnersNdutu Plains
Olduvai Ndogo
Eight tents among the kopjes above Olduvai, where you arrive on foot and the donkeys bring the bags.
From $158 per person per night
01 / 06
- Tier
- Comfort
- eight tents, seven standard and one family
- Location
- Ndutu Plains
About
About Olduvai Ndogo.
Ndogo is the Swahili word for small, and that is the whole proposition. Eight tents on the Kiloki kopjes plateau, set among granite boulders above the short grass plains, about six hundred metres up the hill from the larger Olduvai Camp that shares the same rock. The two are separate camps with the same owner, the same guiding culture and the same activities, and this is the smaller and newer of them, opened around 2021.
The arrival is the part people remember. Guests are met at the main camp and walk the last stretch up to Ndogo with a Maasai escort, while the luggage goes ahead on donkeys. It sets the tone, and it is also a fair description of how the camp works: informal, Maasai run in character, and built around walking. That last point is worth understanding. This is Ngorongoro Conservation Area, not national park, and walking with a guide is permitted here in a way it is not inside the Serengeti. The warriors who lead the bush walks live in the villages between the two camps.
Be accurate about where you are, because the name on the map matters less than the drive times. The camp sits on the Olduvai axis: about nine kilometres from Olduvai Gorge and its museum, ten from the Shifting Sands dune, and roughly twenty seven kilometres from the nearest point on the Ngorongoro Crater rim. Lake Ndutu and the calving plains are about thirty one kilometres away, which is a drive rather than a step outside the tent. Naabi Hill gate into the Serengeti is thirty eight kilometres on.
The seasons here are sharply defined and we will not pretend otherwise. From late January to mid March, peaking in February, the wildebeest calve on the short grass plains to the south and west and the whole area turns into one of the great wildlife events on earth, with the big cats of Ndutu following the herds. From June to October the herds are far to the north and the immediate Olduvai country is dry and quiet. In those months this is an archaeology, walking and Maasai culture camp with game viewing as a day trip, and that is a real trip, just a different one.
The eight tents sit on wooden platforms wedged among the rocks, seven standard at thirty five square metres and one family tent with two separate bedrooms. Triples and quadruples are possible. Each has a king or two twin beds, an ensuite bathroom with a vanity sink, a flush toilet and a solar heated shower, and a private verandah with chairs and a table looking out over the savannah. The public area is a dining tent under a thatched roof, a lounge, two wide terraces and a fire pit. Power is solar around the clock from a twenty eight and a half kilowatt peak array. WiFi reaches the common areas and not the tents.
What the elevated position buys you, and this is the thing guests mention against the main camp below, is the view and the breeze.
Signature experiences
Why guests choose it.
Arriving on foot
You are met at the main camp and walk the last stretch up the hill with a Maasai escort while the donkeys carry the bags. Nobody forgets it, and it is a better introduction to the place than a vehicle would be.
Walking with Maasai warriors
This is Conservation Area rather than national park, so guided walking is permitted. The warriors who lead them live in the villages between the two camps.
Olduvai Gorge
About nine kilometres away. The Leakeys excavation and the museum that was rebuilt in 2018, which is where the human story of this landscape is laid out.
The Shifting Sands
About ten kilometres away, a free standing crescent dune of black volcanic ash that moves a few metres across the plain every year.
The calving plains
From late January to mid March, peaking in February, the herds calve on the short grass about thirty kilometres away, and the cats of Ndutu follow them. It is a drive from camp, and it is the reason to come in those months.
Gallery
A closer look.
Room types
Where you will sleep.
Double
A thirty five square metre tent on a wooden platform among the rocks, with a king bed, an ensuite bathroom with vanity, flush toilet and solar heated shower, and a private verandah with chairs and a table.
Twin
The same tent as the Double, made up with two separate beds.
At a glance
The essentials, in brief.
Amenities
- Dining tent under a thatched roof
- Two terraces and an outdoor fire pit
- Lounge
- Private Verandah On Every Tent
- Ensuite bathroom with flush toilet and solar heated shower
- Solar Electricity Around The Clock
- WiFi In The Common Areas
- Guided bush walks with Maasai warriors
- One family tent with two separate bedrooms
- Security Staff Around The Clock
- No Single Use Plastics
Best for
- Calving Season
- Small Camps
- Walking
- Maasai Culture
- Archaeology
- Photography
Wildlife and nature
- Wildebeest calving on the short grass plains, late January to mid March and peaking in February
- All six cat species present in the wider Ndutu area, including cheetah on the open plains
- Lion and hyena following the calving herds
- Elephant and giraffe in the acacia woodland around Ndutu and Masek
- Long views from the kopjes, with raptors working the rock faces
Best time to visit
When to go.
- January: best
- February: best
- March: best
- April: not a best month
- May: not a best month
- June: not a best month
- July: not a best month
- August: not a best month
- September: not a best month
- October: not a best month
- November: not a best month
- December: best
Best months
Best months: December to March.
Location & access
Getting there.
Location
Ndutu Plains
Arriving by air
About four hours: an hour and a quarter by road to Arusha Airport, then about an hour and a half to Ndutu on the Air Excel service including stops, then roughly an hour to an hour and a half across the plain to camp. That last leg is a game drive in its own right rather than a transfer.
By road
About six and a half to eight hours: an hour to Arusha, two hours to Mto wa Mbu, an hour to an hour and a half up the escarpment to Karatu, an hour through Loduare gate to the Crater rim, then an hour and a half to two hours down past Olduvai on rough track. The last five hundred metres are on foot, with donkeys carrying the luggage.
On the map
Where it sits.
3.031° S, 35.279° E
What's included
What the rate covers.
Included
- Full Board, Three Meals Daily
- VAT And Service Charge
Not included
- Drinks
- Park Fees
- Concession Fees
- Tourism Development Levy
- Tanzania inbound travel insurance, 44 USD per adult (children 3 to 17 half price, under 3 free), compulsory from 1 October 2026 and bought online before travel
Frequently asked
Questions, answered.
How many tents does Olduvai Ndogo have?
Eight. Seven are standard tents of thirty five square metres and one is a family tent with two separate bedrooms. Triple and quadruple occupancy is possible.
How is it different from Olduvai Camp?
They are two separate camps under the same ownership on the same kopje, about six hundred metres apart. Ndogo is the smaller and newer of the pair with eight tents against seventeen, sits higher up the hill, and guests generally prefer it for the view and the breeze.
Is the camp in Ndutu or at Olduvai?
It sits on the Olduvai axis inside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, about nine kilometres from Olduvai Gorge. Lake Ndutu and the calving plains are about thirty one kilometres away, so they are a morning drive rather than the view from your tent.
Can guests walk?
Yes. This is Conservation Area rather than national park, so guided walking is permitted, and the bush walks are led by Maasai warriors from the villages between the two camps. It is one of the main reasons to choose this side of the boundary.
When is the calving season?
Realistically from late January to mid March, with most calves born in a short window around February. It shifts from year to year with the rain and the grazing, so nobody can fix the dates in advance.
Is it worth coming outside the calving season?
From June to October the herds are far north and the immediate Olduvai country is dry and quiet on game. The camp then works for the gorge, the Shifting Sands, the walking and the Maasai, with game viewing as a day trip. Come with that expectation and it is a good stay.
How do guests reach the camp?
By air into Ndutu airstrip, about thirty two kilometres away and an hour or more by track, with the flight from Arusha Airport taking about an hour and a half including stops. By road it is six and a half to eight hours from Kilimanjaro International. The final five hundred metres are on foot, with donkeys carrying the luggage.
What is included in the rate?
Full board, plus VAT and service charge. Drinks, park fees, concession fees and the Tourism Development Levy are charged separately.
Do I need travel insurance to visit?
Yes. From 1 October 2026 visitors entering mainland Tanzania must hold the government inbound travel insurance, 44 USD per adult and valid for up to 92 days, covering emergency medical care, evacuation, repatriation and lost luggage. Children aged 3 to 17 pay half and infants under 3 are free. It is bought online before you fly or on arrival, and residents of Tanzania and of East African and SADC countries are exempt. If you land in Zanzibar first, the Zanzibar policy covers you instead. It is paid by you directly and is not part of our quote.
What's nearby
Worth the short trip.
Olduvai Camp
about 600 metres, a short walk downhill
The larger sister camp on the same rock, with two restaurants and two lounges. The two share staff, activities and arrival logistics.
Olduvai Gorge and museum
about 9 km
The Leakey excavation and the museum rebuilt in 2018. Busy in peak season, and worth an early start.
Shifting Sands
about 10 km
A crescent dune of black volcanic ash that migrates a few metres a year across open plain.
Lake Masek and Lake Ndutu
about 27 and 31 km
The soda lakes at the heart of the calving country, fringed with acacia woodland and strong for cats.
Ngorongoro Crater
about 27 km to the nearest rim
The caldera floor, a long morning out from here rather than a short hop.
Nasera Rock and Olkarien Gorge
about an hour and a half
A monolith rising off the plain and a narrow gorge where vultures nest, out towards the Gol mountains.
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