Ngorongoro Crater was once a gigantic volcano, taller than Kilimanjaro. When it collapsed a huge bowl ringed by 500 metre high walls, measuring 18 kms across and encompassing a total area of 260 sq kms was formed. Wildlife tours, adventure, trip, excursions, Ngorongoro safari Tanzania.
NGORONGORO CRATER
Ngorongoro Crater was once a gigantic volcano, taller than Kilimanjaro. When it collapsed a huge bowl ringed by 500 metre high walls, measuring 18 kms across and encompassing a total area of 260 sq kms was formed. Ngorongoro is one of the most perfect & spectacular calderas on the planet.
Scenic grandeur and stunning views are the hallmark of this natural wonder. The safari lodges and campgrounds are built high on the crater rim and most afford amazing views. There is only one road in/out of the Crater so all safari vehicles descend via the same route.
Ngorongoro Crater (which makes up only 3 percent of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area) is a microcosm of East African habitats and in this restricted space, exceptional climatic conditions have favoured an explosion of animal life. Some 25,000 mammals live permanently within the Crater.
Aside from the fact that there are very large numbers of animals here, one of the things that makes the Crater so good for game viewing is the great visibility. There are many places from which you can get sweeping views of the crater floor and identify animals at quite a distance. You’d be amazed at how far away your guide will be able to confirm that the dot you are looking at is actually a lion for example (or that the lion you have spotted is in fact a log).
In addition to good numbers of zebra, buffalo, ostrich, warthog, eland, wildebeest, elephant and various species of gazelles and antelopes, the Crater is probably the best place to see some of East Africa’s last wild black rhino. There are some big prides of lions including some with magnificent black-manes, as well as leopard, cheetah, hyena and jackals. On a days game drive you have a good chance of seeing ‘the big five.
There are lots of colourful flamingos and a variety of other water birds gather around the soda lake on the crater floor. More than a 100 species of bird not found in the Serengeti have been found in the Crater.
The best of the Ngorongoro Crater’s wildlife can be seen on a daylong game drive, which usually includes a stop for a picnic lunch, and may people stay here for just one or two nights. However, Ngorongoro is just the best known of a large number of volcanic mountains in the area and the landscape contains a stunning range of dormant volcanic peaks rising to over 10,000 ft above seal level – Ol Deani, Olmoti, Loolmalasin, and Empakaai.
For a more in depth visit to the surrounding highlands there are some spectacular walks north towards Empakai, Ol Donyo Lengai and Lake Natron as well as south towards Lake Eyasi or south west towards Ndutu. This gives an opportunity to explore areas that are visited by far fewer people.
