Ngorongoro Crater & Conservation Area is one of the best Tanzania safari destination renowned for its excellent game viewing adventures.
The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest unbroken, inactive and unfilled caldera. With a diameter of approximately 19 km (12 miles) and its majestic walls that rise just over 610 m (2000 feet), the crater floor covers an area of 260 sq.km (100 sq miles). Abundant wildlife – over 30,000 animals including the rare black rhino, part of the Big Five call this unique place their home. The crater was formed when a gigantic volcano – said to have been as high as Mt. Kilimanjaro – erupted and collapsed about 2.5 million years ago
Ngorongoro Crater: A place of unparalleled beauty
The feeling of anticipation you get as you descend the narrow road into the Ngorongoro Crater is unlike anything you will experience in other protected wildlife areas in Africa as well as the world, it is not only of the best places for wildlife sightings on the continent. But also a place of uniqueness, wonder and abundance which will leave you in awe of the natural world.
Today, the crater floor is covered by various landscapes, ranging from dense mountain forests and woodlands to grasslands, lakes and swamps. The crater and its ecosystem is fed by several water sources including the two main rivers, Munge River in the west and Lerai River in the east as well as the Ngotokitok spring that spills into a swamp.
The crater floor is dominated by huge herds of ungulates including zebras, wildebeests, elands, Grant’s and Thompson’s gazelles which are most commonly seen. The crater is also home to the Big Five, elephants, lions and buffaloes often spotted. Leopards are rarely seen as they prefer staying in the forests on the crater rim. The very rare black rhino is also calls the crater home and its sightings are fairly common, several cats, spotted hyenas and jackals are also often seen while cheetahs are more difficult to spot.
Mammals are only the creatures that reside in the Ngorongoro Crater, you can see a great number of lesser flamingoes at Lake Magadi – an alkaline lake. Other common birds in Ngorongoro Crater include ostriches, Kori bustards, crowned cranes, white-backed vultures, black kites, cattle egrets, tawny eagles, augur buzzards and many more.
A walk along the Ngorongoro Crater rim accompanied by a ranger takes visitors on a trail created by livestock, this trail passes moss-covered trees and Masai bomas offering breathtaking views of the crater below. Ngorongoro is one of the few popular wildlife areas in Tanzania where you can experience your surroundings on foot.
The famous Ngorongoro Crater is part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a large area of protected land. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area was officially declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the area encompasses of various landscapes and includes dense mountain forests, woodlands, grasslands, lakes and swamps. Ngorongoro Conservation Area is also hosts some of the most important archaeological sites in the world such as Oldupai Gorge and Laetoli, archaeologists found evidence showing that the area was occupied by hominids over 3 million years ago, thus claiming that it could be the birthplace of Mankind.
Today, over 40,000 Masai reside in the area, making the Ngorongoro Conservation Area one of the only places in Tanzania where human habituation is allowed within a wildlife protected area. The Conservation shares a boundary with Serengeti National Park and in order to access Serengeti, you need to drive through the conservation.
In the bottom of the Crater floor, there are no accommodation options so you drive into the crater for game drives during the day, but drive back up on the sunsets. There are few exclusive lodges and camps, as well as one campsite along the Crater rim overlooking the caldera. Staying at Ngorongoro’s Crater rim grants you the view of a lifetime and an unforgettable sunset.
However, most accommodation options are located close to the small town of Karatu in the Ngorongoro Highlands. You can stay at coffee plantations and beautiful manor houses overlooking coffee fields and rolling hills. It takes about an hour to drive from Karatu to Ngorongoro Crater, while this means you will not be the first to reach the Crater floor for your game drive in the morning, you will still have an amazing safari experience – and an accommodation that is very friendly on your wallet too.
Quick Summary
Size: Conservation Area: 8292 km2 (3201 mi2) | Crater: 260 km2 (100 mi2)
Founded: 1959
Best time to visit: year-round
UNESCO World Heritage Site – Ngorongoro Conservation Area is recognized by UNESCO for its natural as well as its cultural heritage
The Big Five– The Ngorongoro Crater is a Big Five destination. Even the rare black rhino is spotted here.
Shoulder Season Travel – Ngorongoro Crater gets very busy during the high season, for a more intimate experience we recommend traveling in shoulder or low season.
Location Of Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Ngorongoro Conservation Area is part of Tanzania’s Northern Circuit, a region with some of the most popular safari destinations in the country, it is about 180 km (110 miles) from Arusha city.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area shares a border with the Serengeti National Park and in order to get to Serengeti, you will need to pass through the conservation area. To access the Ngorongoro Crater, you drive down a steep road through lush and dense forest.
- Arusha160 km | 3 hours by road
- Serengeti National Park (Naabi Gate- )100 km – 3 hours by road
- Tarangire National Park – 110 km | 2.5 hours by road
- Dar es Salaam – 810 km – 14 hours by road
- Nyerere (Selous) National Park – 900 km – 17 hours by road
WHEN TO GO
Best time to go to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a year round destination, meaning wildlife viewing is great no matter the month.
There are few things to consider when choosing the travel time that is best for you as an individual throughout.
July to September is peak traveling season in Tanzania, this is because it is dry season which means sunny weather, dry roads and short grass which are all important conditions for successful wildlife sightings. This also means the Crater floor will get busy and you will have to share sightings with quite a number of other safari vehicles.
If you are looking for a more intimate experience, consider the rainy season months April and May. Vegetation is lush and green and it is only time of the year the crater is less busy. When choosing the best time to travel, do consider the other national parks you would like to visit during your stay as well.
Often, shoulder season that is the months in between the peak and the low season, you will get best of both worlds.
Dry Season
June to October & December to February
Best for wildlife sightings, but it can get very busy.
Green Season
November & March to May
Lush landscapes and fewer visitors in the Crater.
WHY TO GO
Nothing Compares
Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a ”Must See” Tanzania Safari Destination ad its experiences are exceptional. If this is your first time to Tanzania, we definitely recommend you allocate time and budget to do a game drive in the crater. Though it might not be as wild and untamed as the Serengeti or the parks in Southern Tanzania, but it is absolutely unique and breathtakingly beautiful.
The density of wildlife on the comparably small space intensifies the experience even more. Additionally, the crater’s location in the Ngorongoro Highlands offers the opportunity to experience the Tanzania way of life. On tours around a coffee plantation or visits to the small town of Karatu, you can get out of your safari vehicle and get in touch with the locals.
WILDLIFE AND PLANT LIFE IN THE NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA
The Big Five and many more
In Ngorongoro Conservation Area you can spot the Big Five and many other classic safari animals on a Tanzania Safari, there are fewer elephant compared to other Tanzania destinations and there are no giraffes on the crater floor, the slopes are too steep, but you can see them in the conservation area surrounding the crater.
Where to stay in and near the Ngorongoro Conservation Area
There are several accommodation options in Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the available ones are
- Tloma Lodge
- Kitela Lodge
- Ang’ata Ngorongoro Camp
- Gibb’s Farm
- Acacia Farm Lodge
- The Highlands
- Farmhouse Valley
- Ngorongoro Lions Paw
- Sanctuary Ngorongoro
- Ngorongoro Farm House
- Lake Masek Lodge
- Country Lodge Karatu
- Lemala Ndutu Camp
- Ndutu Safari Lodge
- Lemala Ngorongoro Camp
- Entamanu Ngorongoro Camp
- Ngorongoro Crater Lodge
- Pakulala Safari Camp
- Rhino Lodge
- Marera Valley Lodge
- Serena Ngorongoro Lodge
- The Manor at Ngorongoro
- The Retreat at Ngorongoro
- Ruaha National Park770 km – 15 hours by road
