Ngorongoro Crater Safari
Where to go
Forming part of the greater Serengeti ecosystem, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is an impressive UNESCO World Heritage site in northern Tanzania. This pristine expanse of wilderness is comprised of a large area of short-grass plains on the southern border of the Serengeti National Park as well as the exquisite Ngorongoro Highlands region, featuring a range of dramatic ancient volcanoes on the western side of the Great Rift Valley.
The area’s star attraction is undoubtedly the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest inactive, intact volcanic caldera, which forms a unique 300 square kilometre natural enclosure for around 30, 000 wild animals. The crater is renowned for containing the highest density of big game in Africa including all of the ‘Big Five’ as well as cheetah, serval cat, jackal, hyena, Grant's and Thompson's gazelle, and over 400 species of bird. In addition to its astonishing array of wildlife, the crater features the wonderfully scenic Lake Magadi; the Lerai Forest, considered one of the best places in Africa for leopard sightings; and the lovely Ngoitokitok Spring area, inhabited by countless hippos, elephants, and lions.
Other popular attractions within the greater Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area include the smaller Empakaai Crater, known for its exceptionally large flocks of flamingos, and the spectacular Olduvai Gorge. This steep-sided, 50-kilometre-long ravine is one of the world’s most significant prehistoric sites boasting a fascinating museum displaying replicas of some of the hominid and animal fossils unearthed at the site.
Must see: The magnificent Ngorongoro Crater containing: an impressive abundance of resident wildlife, an acacia forest crawling with leopards, a beautiful lake teeming with waterbirds, and the Ngoitokitok Spring area, inhabited by countless hippos, elephants, and lions.
