Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge

Seventy-five rooms and a suite built along the crater rim, so close that the balconies look straight down into the caldera. Rooms are stone-built with local decoration, king beds and en-suite bathrooms.

The architecture borrows from the region, down to stylised cave paintings on the walls and a fire at the centre of the building. Drives into the crater, guided walks, Maasai village visits and trips to Olduvai Gorge all run from here, and there is music and dance in the evenings. At seventy-six rooms it feels like a hotel at breakfast.