Ngorongoro Crater

Not only can you see the big five in one place but there is so much more!!

Arriving at the gates of the Ngorongoro Crater Reserve is almost like a scene of Jurassic Park. Our guides and their vehicles were amazing. They were very knowledgeable on all wildlife and history of the Ngorongoro crater. We saw a Leopard in the first 5 mins of the drive which was very lucky. When you get the view point up high on the crater, you can actually take in and appreciate how amazing this place is. We started our drive down into the crater and began our checklist with Lions with cubs, Zebra, Buffalo, Hyena, Giraffe, Gazelle and Hippopotamus. Not bad within the first hour. Later on we edged towards the lake and saw more Hippo and saw Elephants, Flamingo, Wildebeest and Rhinos. Thinking that it couldn't get any better, we spotted a Cheetah. Most amazing day in Africa. Not a day we will soon forget.

The view of the Crater as you reach the summit is jaw dropping! Take some time here to suck it all in!
The Crater is a concentrated area and is arguably your best opportunity to see the Big Five in one Day, although the Leopard is pretty illusive and we never seen one here (We did however see four in the Serengeti).
We missed out on seeing Flamingo but this was because it was the wrong time of year.
For me the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti were must visit destinations.
Get there!

Stunning location of breath-taking diversity of wildlife, flora and fauna

Ngorongoro Crater is enormous, being about 20kms across, 600 meters deep and 300 sq kms in area. Nothing really prepares you for the breath-taking spectacle of the world's largest un-flooded and unbroken volcano crater but reading about it beforehand will help you appreciate it even more. Some degree of luck is required to see all, or any, of The Big Five but this is the best place in Tanzania to try. Guides are knowledgeable, accommodating and work hard to ensure every party gets the very most out of the trip. This isn't a particularly remote location, however, and the crater floor can be busy with other vehicles so don't expect to be alone for the entire visit. Remember to take binoculars and a spare battery for your camera, you will need it!

The Ngorongoro Crater is a breathtakingly beautiful setting and the best place in Tanzania to see the Big Five. it is one of the most beautiful natural wildlife safari sites in the world and an exceptional place to interact with people from the Maasai tribe.

The Ngorongoro Crater and surrounding highlands together form one of Africa's most beautiful regions.

One of the wildest places I've been to, totally recommend!

Ngorongoro is definitely one of the wildest places I've been, even though I am a seasoned traveller. The sheer concentration of animals in small space makes it a small place makes it an unforgettable experience. On a safari, you see an animal and come it, whereas in Ngorongoro the animals come to YOU. This was my second time there and each time I saw black rhinos and hunting lions, among dozens of other animals. Ufortunately in January we couldn't find any flamingos - the pink sea of flamingo was the highlight of my trip the first time - so make sure to check the best time to go for flamingos. Also, make sure to make a detour to the elephant retirement home, as the locals call it - a huge conservation of old huge ageing elephants that are no longer mating and can't be with the rest of the herd. There is usually a lunch box included with the trip - an apple, a cake, a piece of chicken and a box of juice - simple but enough to get your through the day. We went with Akaro Tours and the driver/guide were alright, although we thought the package was over-priced for a one day trip. The best way to go is to find a local guide with a car and just go on your own.

Africa's Garden of Eden

This was my second time visiting the Ngorongoro Crater. Our guide Gabby, from Maasai Magic Safaris, suggested we get an early start to see the animals as the park opens. The early sunrise and a bit of mist on the crater floor make for an ideal opportunity to view the animals on their morning hunt for food. We had numerous lion sightings both mornings and then had lunch at the lake on the crater floor. Here we were able to see lots of Hippo's and had a visitor, the largest bull elephant I think I have ever seen walked with about 25 yards of our lunch.

Nighttime was quite spectacular too, from the Serena Lodge. The stars were so bright, and my other travel partners and I would marvel at the stars and enjoyed our wine on the deck as we shared the day and some philosophies on life with shooting stars above in the heavens. Those scenes are forever going to be great memories.

Its is always exciting to pull up to the rim of the Crater when we first arrive, especially with guests that have never been there and seen how massive the crater is.

I am fortunate to go back every year now while leading photo tours and it's always a magical place.

Easy wildlife spotting and in quick succession

We left our hotel rather early in the morning to enter the crater hoping to leave behind the crowd. A large number of sightings and in quick succession are possible as the crater or in fact the Ngorongoro Caldera holds a variety of mammals and birds. All mammals are contained within the crater and most of them live here till they die, without easy access to the outside world.

Within a few minutes of entering the Crater we were rewarded with a sighting of a Serval cat, which according to our driver is not rare but difficult to spot. Then started a series of spottings, rhinos, elephants, gazelles, hyenas, lions, kori bustards, wildebeests, ape buffalos and many birds.

If in a short while one wants a taste of African wildlife then one must visit the Ngorongoro crater.

Go there early in the morning and take in the wonderful landscape in the early morning sun. The landscape changes with every minutes with the sun changing the quality of light swiftly.

In a couple of hours and after more than 20 minutes with the black rhinos we decided to drive over to Ngoitokitok Springs for our breakfast, Ngoitokitok means a bubbly spring and this is a great spot to spend some time watching the Hippos grunting, coming close to the shore and staying away at a respectful distance. Weaver and other birds coming over to share your food, the ducks making noise all add to the wonder of this place. A drive to Lake Magadi to watch the flamingos though from a distance and at the same time watch the numerous mammals that graze there will make one believe that this a Garden of Eden.

The walls of the crater offer a great background for photographing the animals here in the open crater and this along with the quality of light make it a photographers delight.

No visit to Tanzania can be complete without a visit to Ngorongoro crater.

Spectacular and unique landscape. Not to be missed

Very special conservation area

We had a great time at Ngorongoro conservation area. The nature is very special in the crater. There is a big amount of animals and one can be ssure of spotting them. We saw six rhinos at great distance and closer by.
We stayed at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge. What a great view. The hotels is very big so the restaurant is also.
We traveled with leopard tours a very proffesional company.

Photo safari in Ngorongoro

After driving on the track, we reach overhanging the crater. It is about 20 kilometers in diameter, roughly the size of Paris and 610 meters deep. This crater millions of years is surrounded by walls of several hundred meters high.
Several springs flow along the sides to form Lake Magadi. One can find a yellow acacia forest (Lerai forest) where we can find elephants.
This crater is home to over 55 species, there are buffalo, wildebeest, gazelles, rhinos (very shy and difficult to observe), there are also lions, cheetahs, porcupines, etc.
The Maasai are allowed to come to graze their cattle, which is surreal, given the presence of cats.
An exceptional number of wildebeest (over 1 million) through this area during the annual migration and calves in the plains of Ngorongoro.
A natural phenomenon of a truly exceptional beauty.
To preserve this wonderful Garden of Eden, it is forbidden to build.
If you do a safari in Tanzania, the Ngonrongoro plan is a must.
The camera equipment used during my stay was two reflex enclosures, each equipped with a 70-200mm and a 100-400mm.
The guide who accompanied us had a piercing gaze , seeing the beasts hidden in the tall grass , or the rhinoceros safe.
The people are very welcoming , parks and reserves are all very clean.
The food is always very good and generously served.
Wherever we were , we found that the cleanliness was perfect and always professional and welcoming.