Rhotia Valley Tented Lodge offers 15 spacious en-suite tented safari houses set on raised wooden decks beneath thatched roofs, available as doubles, twins, triples, family units and honeymoon tents. Each is comfortably furnished with king or twin beds under mosquito nets, a desk and chair, warm blankets and a cosy fireplace, opening onto a private veranda with sweeping views over the valley, the Ngorongoro forest and distant Lake Manyara. En-suite bathrooms have flush toilets and hot-water showers, and thoughtful touches like hot-water bottles at night make the cool hilltop nights wonderfully snug.

Rhotia Valley Tented Lodge is a charming, intimate tented lodge perched atop a hill in the authentic rural landscape of Rhotia, near Karatu, right on the boundary of the Ngorongoro forest and just 30 minutes from the Ngorongoro Crater. Built in traditional African style from local hardwood, it commands breathtaking panoramic views over the valley, the terraced fields of local farmers, the Ngorongoro rim and, in the distance, Lake Manyara, with beautiful sunrises and sunsets from every private veranda. What truly sets it apart is its heart: the lodge is one half of the "Rhotia Valley Project", and a major portion of every stay (20% of the nightly rate) goes directly to the Children's Home on the opposite hill, which supports dozens of local orphaned children, along with the village school, hence its motto, "Two hills, one goal." Run by a Dutch doctor couple, it grows its own organic vegetables and herbs, bakes fresh bread daily and even churns its own butter from the milk of its cows. At 1,700m altitude it's mosquito-free but can get cold, so guests are warmed with fireplaces and hot-water bottles tucked into the beds at dinner, a much-loved touch that makes this a genuinely special, purposeful place to stay.