Simba Public Campsite sits on the southwestern rim of Ngorongoro Crater, only about 2 km from the crater village, making it one of the most convenient bases for an early descent into the crater for game drives. It’s a public campsite, meaning multiple safari groups share the grounds on any given night, and no advance booking is required to use it, though tour operators typically arrange this as part of your itinerary.
At roughly 2,300 to 2,400 meters above sea level, this is the coldest of the public campsites on the northern circuit, nights and early mornings drop noticeably, so warm clothing and a solid sleeping bag matter more here than almost anywhere else on a Tanzania safari. The payoff for the altitude is the view: campers wake up looking straight out over the crater rim, with wildlife, including elephants, zebras, and buffalo, regularly passing through the unfenced grounds overnight.
Facilities are basic but functional. There are two sets of toilets, two kitchens, and two dining areas (split between the larger Simba A and smaller Simba B sections), along with hot showers heated by firewood, which is sold on site. There’s 24-hour ranger security given the lack of fencing, but as with any unfenced bush camp, food should never be left in tents, and movement around camp after dark should be cautious.
This campsite works best as a strategic overnight rather than a destination in itself: it sets you up to enter the crater at first light, when wildlife activity and light conditions are at their best, without the early morning drive in from a lodge outside the conservation area.
