Ngorongoro Conservation Area

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to the world's largest caldera. The Ngorongoro Crater is an enormous collapsed volcano that is home to over 25,000 wild animals. It has the highest concentration of predators in all of Africa. It's here where you can see Tanzania's big five animal treasures all in one place - Rhinoceros, Lion, Leopard, Elephant and Buffalo. You'll also see plenty of Zebra, Gazelle, and Wildebeest.


The entrance gate to the crater lies directly on rim. The road in is a steep winding descent of 1800 feet! With each switchback the enormous crater floor filled with wild life below will inch closer and closer. The crater is like an enormous wild animal park - a walled up zoo about six times the size of the city of Santa Monica. The crater's steep walls keep most animals from leaving and entering. The crater collects rainwater in various pools and lakes. Water is available year round to the residents so there is little incentive to leave.


There are many nice picnicking areas. One especially nice one is on the far north end where there is a Hippo pool full of bright blue water and a nice shade tree to eat under and watch the eyes and ears of submerged hippos float around.


During the rainy season, and for several months afterwards, the lakes and swamps fill up and the whole crater floor becomes green with tall grasses. During this season it can be difficult to see the animals you wish to see. The main attraction of Ngorongoro Crater is to be able to see many animals, both rare and common, congregating in a relatively small place. Rare animals such as Cheetahs, Leopards, and especially Rhinoceros can be tough to track down during this time. Because of this, I personally wouldn't recommend a visit to the Ngorongoro Crater during the rainy season, nor for several months after.


The best time to go is when it's dry - between August and February. During this time the available water has shrunk and the lush vegetation that can obscure the animals has thinned out. Less water means there are fewer places available for the animals to drink. Eventually all inhabitants, big and small, end up having to congregate near the waters edge. With only a little bit of driving you will probably be able to see just about every animal that lives inside the crater during this season.


Over the years the Ngorongoro Crater has grown in popularity due to this fact that you can easily see so many different animals in one place. For animal lovers looking to witness as many wild animals in their natural habitat in the shortest amount of time I would definitely recommend a visit to the Ngorongoro Crater. Here, in one place, you can see Buffalo, Wildebeest, Hartebeest, Thomsons Gazelle, Zebra, Hippos, Rhinoceros, Elephants, Giraffe, Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs, and Hyenas. Bird life is plentiful and you can see variations of Guinea Fowl, Cranes, Ostriches, Flamingos, Ibis, Kites, Herons, and Bustards.


As the Crater has grown in popularity so has the crowding. You'll be surprised how many vehicles you'll see, knowing that the vehicle entry fee is $200 plus $60 per person! Because of the cars, park rangers, and the occasional presence of road crews, it can sometimes get the feel of a crowded zoo, rather than a natural wild habitat. My personal recommendation is, unless you would be greatly disappointed to leave Africa without having seen a Rhino, Leopard, and Cheetah, spending the time and money visiting the other beautiful parks Tanzania has to offer might be more worthwhile.


Each time I've visited the crater I've seen only a few Elephants. The better parks for seeing elephants are Tarangire and Lake Manyara. Giraffes are also relatively uncommon. It's better to visit Arusha, Lake Manyara, or Tarangire National Parks for Giraffe viewing.


If you are on your way from Ngorongoro to the Serengeti be sure to stop at Olduvai Gorge. There is a small visitors center and museum. The center has a plaster cast of the Hominid Walkway and replicas of the fossils found at Olduvai. There is a viewing platform that allows you to look down into the erosion where the discoveries were made A curator there gives fairly frequent presentations about the history and importance of the discoveries made at Ngorongoro.