Ngorongoro Crater is the main highlight of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania, is the largest intact caldera in the world. Nest about 20kms across, 600 meters deep and 300 sq km in area, the Ngorongoro Crater is a breathtaking natural wonder. Some maintain that before it erupted, it would have been higher than Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. There are only a handful of calderas around the globe, but the Ngorongoro is special because it’s the world’s largest fully intact caldera that hasn’t yet turned into a lake
The property has global importance for biodiversity conservation due to the presence of globally threatened species, the density of wildlife inhabiting the area, and the annual migration of wildebeest, zebra, gazelles and other animals into the northern plains. This single caldera contains 55-65 permanent lion residents on the crater floor, one of the highest densities of lion prides on Earth.
Extensive archaeological research has also yielded a long sequence of evidence of human evolution and human-environment dynamics, including early hominid footprints dating back 3.6 million years. Following these earliest scattered bands of hunter-gatherers, Mbulu pastoralists would arrive on the scene followed by the Datooga, and most recently, the Maasai.
The stunning landscape of Ngorongoro Crater combined with its spectacular concentration of wildlife is one of the greatest natural wonders of the planet. Spectacular wildebeest numbers (well over 1 million animals) pass through the property as part of the annual migration of wildebeest across the Serengeti ecosystem and calve in the short grass plains which straddle the Ngorongoro Conservation Area/Serengeti National Park boundary.
The Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s most famous sites and is said to have the highest density of wildlife in Africa. Over the course of a few million years this geologic divot filled with life. Sometimes described as an ‘eighth wonder of the world’, the Crater has achieved world renown, attracting an ever-increasing number of visitors each year. You are unlikely to escape other vehicles here, but you are guaranteed great wildlife viewing in a genuinely mind-blowing environment. Nearly three million years old, the ancient caldera shelters one of the most beautiful wildlife havens on earth. There is nowhere else in Africa quite like Ngorongoro! The reason for all this abundance is the presence of water, both from the permanent springs that sustain the swamps, and the permanent streams and rivers fed by run-off from the crater-rim forests.
Any Northern Tanzania Safari should ideally include a visit to Ngorongoro Crater: it is one of the most beautiful natural wildlife safari sites in the world and an exceptional place to interact with people from the Maasai tribe. The crater is a breathtakingly beautiful setting and the best place in East Africa to see the Big Five. It is a great way to start your African safari adventure. However, as one of the world’s most astonishing and renowned natural wonders, the Ngorongoro Crater does get busy, and at times very busy.
What to do!
Game drive.
Safari to Ngorongoro is very crazy as it is one of the most likely areas in Tanzania to see the endangered Black Rhino, as a small population is thriving in this idyllic and protected environment. It is currently one of the few areas where they continue to breed in the wild. Your chances of encountering leopard here are also good, and fabulous black-maned lions. Many flamingos are also attracted to the soda waters of Lake Magadi.. Ngorongoro Crater is one of the most likely areas in Tanzania to see the endangered Black Rhino, as a small population is thriving in this idyllic and protected environment. It is currently one of the few areas where they continue to breed in the wild. Your chances of encountering leopard here are also good, and fabulous black-maned lions. Many flamingos are also attracted to the soda waters of Lake Magadi. Other game in the Ngorongoro includes serval cat, cheetah, jackal, Grant’s and Thompson’s gazelle, flamingo and bat-eared foxes along with approximately 400 species of bird.
A Ngorongoro safari is action-packed, to say the least – and for a relatively small park, it really does have the highest concentration of wildlife of any one place in the whole of Africa. The Great Wildebeest Migration (the largest migration of ungulates on the planet – source) passes right through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, more specifically Lake Ndutu, from December to March. With over 2 million wildebeest, zebra, and gazelles, this monster migration is a sight to behold. Don’t miss it.
Bird Watching.
For friends of the winged ones, look no further. Within this caldera, you will find 500 bird species. Ostriches, kori bustards, secretary bird…you name it. Visit from November to April and witness the myriad migratory birds that take up residence here.
Visiting Masai Village.
Part of the reason behind the Ngorongoro Conservation Area has been to preserve the environment for the Maasai people who were diverted from the Serengeti Plains. Essentially nomadic people, they build temporary villages in circular homesteads called bomas. There are possibilities to visit a couple of these now, which have been opened up for tourists to explore. Here you can see how the huts are built in a strict pattern of order according to the chronological order of the wives, and experience what it must be like to rely on warmth and energy from a fire burning at the heart of a cattle dung dwelling with no chimney. These proud cattle-herding people have a great history as warriors, and even though they are no longer allowed to build villages inside, they continue to herd their cattle into the crater to graze and drink, regardless of the predators nearby.
Visit Oldupai Gorge
Within the greater Ngorongoro Conservation Area exists the Oldupai Gorge, a steep ravine in the Great Rift Valley where paleoanthropologists Louis and Mark Leakey famously discovered traces of homo habilis, our first known human species, reaching back 2 million years. “The Mountain of God” in the Maasai language.
Walking Safaris
Walking in and around Ngorongoro is adventurous and rewarding. Short hikes can be organized by the lodges in the area, or at the headquarters of Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority, or through a tour operator. Short walks include trekking down Empakai or Olmoti Craters. Long walks need more planning and are easily booked through tour operators. Long walks include trekking from Olmoti to Empakai, and down to the floor of the Great Rift Valley; trekking in the Northern Highlands Forest Reserve; and trekking in the Eastern Plains around Nasera Rock, Gol Mountains, and Olkarien Gorge. All walking safaris in Ngorongoro must be accompanied by an armed ranger.
Photography and Filming Tourism
Photographers are advised to come with all equipment desired for filming and photography. Cameras with telescopic lenses for telephotos are recommended because off-road driving is not allowed at all in the Area. At times the environment can be very dusty and therefore we recommend you bring with you protective gear such as dust cover, etc.
Best time for photography is early in the morning and late in the evening. Taking pictures of the Maasai along the road is strictly prohibited. This can be done with permission at designated places such as cultural Bomas. Remember to bring several fully charged batteries and devices with enough storage capacity.
Tanzania is most famous for the Serengeti, for good reason. But the second you start descending into the Ngorongoro Crater, something shifts in the air. Your hair stands up on end. Prepare for your head to be on a swivel all day, from the first minute to the last, as wildlife interactions here will shuffle all around you
Where to stay
The choice is whether to stay at a hotel on the Crater rim for the phenomenal view, or a little way away from the Crater in nearby Karatu. Either way, where you stay does not impact the quality of your Ngorongoro safari. The advantages of Karatu include the comparative lack of crowds, and better-value, smaller and more intimate lodges that offer a range of activities such as walking and mountain biking. Some of the lodges include Crater Forest Tented Camp, Gibbs Farm, Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Ngorongoro Farm House, Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge, Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge, Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge, etc.
How to get to the Ngorongoro Crater
By Air
One needs to fly to Kilimanjaro International Airport at Moshi, situated at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. From there one can get a charter flight, take a taxi or make use of the free shuttle service. The distance from Moshi to Arusha is about 55km. From the airport, it takes about 1 hour to get to Arusha, the gateway to the Northern Safari Circuit.
By Road
Take note: The road from Arusha to Lodoare Entrance Gate is 160km long. As of recently, the entire journey is on the tarmac and it takes about 3.5 to 4 hours’ drive. Unless you stay on the main roads, which are graveled, a 4×4 vehicle is essential when entering the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti National Park.
Descend into the crater
The main route into the crater is the Seneto descent road, which enters the crater on its western side. To come out, use the Lerai ascent road, which starts south of Lake Magadi and leads to the rim near park headquarters. The Lemala road is on the northeastern side of the crater near Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge and is used for both ascent and descent.
Best Time to Visit
Anytime is a great time to catch wildlife in the Ngorongoro Crater, but from May to October it’s drier and grasses aren’t as abundant, so wildlife tend to come closer together
Operating Hours:
The gates open at 6 am and close for descent at 4 pm; all vehicles must be out of the crater before 6 pm. officially, you’re only allowed to stay down in the crater for a maximum of six hours, but this is rarely enforced. Self-drivers are supposed to hire a park ranger (US$23.60 per vehicle) for the crater – note that this rule is being more strictly enforced than it used to be and it’s a long way back to the park gate to hire a ranger if they don’t let you go down without one. All fees are valid for 24 hours, single entry only.