Ngorongoro Crater

Breathtaking, beautiful and a wonderful experience.

So lucky to have experienced such a magnificent place where every thing was perfect, it not often happens!

Spectacular.

Utterly breathtaking! You have to see it to believe it. The crater rim vista is jaw dropping gorgeous. The drive down into the crater is a 360 degree scene of wonder. A multitude of wildlife to be seen in the basin.

although too much crowded for my liking, the beauty of the scenery is undisputed and as in Serengeti the abundance of wildlife was amazing.

Not only the big five, but also the spectacular view!

There's no better place to get up close and personal with wildlife of all varieties.

Ngorongoro Crater was the best place to get up close and personal with wildlife from the smallest bird to the Big Five. The weather in the Crater was milder than in the Serengeti, despite both safaris taking place during the heat of dry season. Our safari guides were quite knowledgeable, helping us understand not just the ecology and characteristics of birds to flora, but maintaining a constant respect for the conservation efforts in the area and how they've affected the lives of native Tanzanians. I got great shots. Not hard to capture wildlife in motion, particularly in the bright sun. Lots of flexibility in how you shoot. Other travelers can sometimes be quite elitist. Ngorongoro is not as busy as Serengeti tends to be, but certainly is well traveled.

The largest self contained ecosystem in the world deserves a look. It does get crowded but it is lovely day trip with lunch picnic in the crater. The animals here do not migrate and for some reason there are no Giraffes! The landscape is unique as you descend 2000 ft into the crater. It usually visited along with other areas like Tarangire and Manyara.

Another crown jewel and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. NgoroNgoro Crater holds a special place in Africa as the only self contained eco system within the crater! Rhinos, Lions, Leopards, Cape Buffalo and Elephant - The Big Five in one eco system within the Crater along with hundreds of birds and other species.

An iconic safari destination

Ngorongoro Crater (acually a caldera) is one of those must see destinations in Africa for is scenic beauty, the wonderful lodges (I stayed at the high end %Beyond Safari Lodge), and the concentrations of wildlife. I was there at the start of the rainy season so the numbers of vehicles was not as high as it gets during the dry season when it can become too crowded. The wildlife are more disperse during this season when the caldera is full of green grasses, so you need a big lens (I was mostly using my 200-500 mm lens), compared to the dry season when they concentrate around the water holes. The resident rhinos, in particular, can be quite far away. Since you can't go off-road as is possible in other locations, it means that the wildlife can a bit distant, but some good close sightings are still possible since the animals there are very acclimatized to vehicles. In my 3 days there (1 day in a private car, self guided) I got some really great shots, but relied heavily on my big lens. Since the lodges are on the rim and at around 8000 feet, the nights are cool and refreshing, and even during the day the caldera floor was not overly hot. The &Beyond food and guides was/were, as with all their locations, nothing short of superb. The caldera has no cheetah, crocodiles, giraffes, and leopards are rarely seen.

Great wildlife but didn't feel natural

Most likely wouldn't have written this if it wasn't for my mixed feelings. I'm glad I went there as a Tanzania safari is not complete with visiting the crater but it doesn't come even close to Serengeti. Yes, a lot of people complain about it being crowded with tourists but that wasn't the only problem. Seeing the Masai and their cattle right next to the wildebeest and zebras was also strange. Add to this the fact that the place is a small, very open enclosure hemmed in by mountains on all sides and you end up losing that "jungle" vibe that you get when you visit Serengeti or Tarangire.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's an excellent place to see wildlife-but the combination of geographic and human factors just make it feel like too much of a zoo.