• Close-up of a Zebra in the Ngorongoro Crater
  • Wildebeest in the Ngorongoro Crater with mist
  • an African rock python curled around a branch
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DISCOVER THE WONDERS OF THE NGORONGORO CRATER

NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA

Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Ngorongoro Crater

North Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) is home to one of the continent’s most impressive safari experiences.

This UNESCO World Heritage Site includes one of the seven Natural Wonders of Africa; the Ngorongoro Crater, which is an inactive volcanic caldera (a large crater formed by volcanic explosions) measuring 30,000 hectares.

Inside the Crater, you see a wide variety of animals and distinct landscapes within a small area.  There are grass plains, volcanic peaks, rainforest treed areas, and calm crater lakes.  Drive down into the Crater and spend a day (or more) on game drives in this unique landscape.  Imagine what it must be like for the Maasai, whose traditional land this is, to walk their herds of cattle down into the crater and then back up before nightfall!  If you can, stay a night in one of the luxurious lodges that overlook the Crater.

The variety of animals in a small space is hard to imagine until you see it.  Wildebeest, elephants, lions, buffalo, zebras, warthogs, Grant’s and Thompson’s Gazelles, and even the black rhinoceros may show themselves.  Learn from our experienced guides about the wildlife and birdlife, and observe them interacting in their natural habitat.  Keep your camera at the ready!

Beyond the Ngorongoro Crater, there is the rest of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to discover.  Whether you are interested in cultural tourism and would like to visit a Maasai village and see a boma, or whether you want to visit the Olduvai Gorge Museum, the world’s most famous archeological site in East Africa, or whether you want to explore the amazing natural scenery, if you have the time, there is always more to discover in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

  • ANIMALS FREQUENTLY SPOTTED

    Wildebeest, Impala, Cape Buffalo, Zebra, Warthogs, Grant’s Gazelle, Thompson’s Gazelle, Lion,
    Flamingos, Ostrich, Hyena

  • ANIMALS SOMETIMES SPOTTED

    Elephant, Leopard, Eland, Lions, Great White Pelican

  • ANIMALS RARELY SPOTTED

    Black Rhinoceros, Cheetah, Leopard

Wildebeest with pink flamingos (Ngorongoro Crater) four lion cubs; 3 looking right at the camera in the golden light in the Serengeti An Ostrich with his mating colors (Tarangire National Park) Maasai on very dry hilltop (Ngorongoro Conservation Area) Lion with Prey at Lake Masek (Ngorongoro Conservation Area) Two Crested Cranes in the Ngorongoro Crater Hippo walking in the Ngorongoro Crater Wildebeest in the Ngorongoro Crater with mist Wildebeest in the Ngorongoro Crater

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Beyond the Ngorongoro Crater

Beyond the Ngorongoro Crater, many other possible adventures await in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.  You may choose to

Ngorongoro Crater Sighting

Early one morning in the Ngorongoro crater, a guest and I watched very interesting behaviour as a hyena and a female lion fed on the same buffalo carcass.  This is very unusual to see as lions will rarely share their prey with other animals, but in this case the carcass was too big for this lionness on her own and there was more than enough for everyone.  To see something like this, you need to be in the right place at the right time, which is why most of our game drives start at 6:00 am.  These types of unusual sightings are what make each safari unique.

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