Ngorongoro Crater

A unique opportunity to get close to the animals

The structure of the crater means that many animals are virtually trapped within the crater because the rim is so steep. This means that the ecosystem is unique with a richness of wildlife. The number of jeeps with guides is limited as is the number of days you can stay. This and the limited accommodation means that the crater is no overrun by tourists. This is the only place we saw rhinos. We also witnessed an attack by lions being beaten off by cape buffaloes. The guides communicated between themselves to get information on the latest sightings of interesting animals. The scenery is splendid but took second place to the wildlife. Accommodation in Rhino lodge on the rim was rustic but comfortable. On the rim the weather was cold and wet but inside the crater we had fine sunny weather.

This is an unique place.

Nogorongro Crater is one of the four safari destinations, Masa Mara, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Nogorongoro Crater, we visited this August (we also took a side trip to Victoria Fall). It has an unique landscape that is hard to describe. Our guide jokingly said it looked like Eden.
We stayed at Nogorongro Crater Lodge for 2 nights. Our cabin sits on the rim of the Crater. The swiping view of the crater from the room was breathtaking. The facility, the service and the food were very good.
The park even being a crater is not really isolated from outside area. The variety of wild life in other parks can all find here. It is just more densely packed in this small area. The game drive experience was similar to that of Serengeti or Masa Mara. The difference is that the floor is completely flat. There was no tall grass either when we visited. You could see the other end of the park miles away. Therefore it was easier to spot wild life activities far away. I saw ostrich mating dance at a far distance. With all the cars crisscross the crater floor, the animals quite get used to the tourists. Lions sat at the road side letting tourists taking closeup pictures. In short conclusion, if you want to see big migration, this is not the place, If you want to view African wild life in an unique landscape, this is the place.

Ngorongoro is a beautiful place to spot a variety of animals while at the same time being very busy when it comes to tourists. Since the caldera is very open and you can see from one end to the other easily, you can't avoid seeing all those safari vehicles. The wildlife makes up for that, though. On my most recent visit, we even managed to see a rhino.

Very interesting location - but very crowded with aggressive safari operators

The scenery was awesome - and there were a ton of animals, however after coming from the Tarangire, I was disappointed with a few things. First, there were more people in this small crater floor than there were in the entire Tarangire national park. Second, the safari operators on the floor were very aggressive with the animals. People were driving after lions as they tried to cross a road - blocking them from their prey. At one point a lion tried to move to a watering hole, and cars kept moving in front of her to get pictures until she turned around.

I don't think this is a problem with the crater specifically - just the number of people allowed in at once without any ranger support system to keep them in check leads itself to an environment that is not centered around what is best for the animals.

I had heard there was so much wildlife congregated in the crater but felt I saw more in other parks. Maybe it was the time of year, as we visited in the winter.

Gorgeous landscape, wide variety of animals in impressive herds, up close encounters with lions.

A breathtaking journey to a magical place with a surprise around every corner

The night before our visit to Ngorongoro National Park , my partner and I had booked a stay at the secluded Kiruruma Tented Lodges after a visit to Lake Manyara National Park. We had arranged this through our hotel in Moshi and were not prepared for what we found. A must! We were given a warm welcome by the staff there and were met with drinks at the entrance. We were then taken down a series of pathways, through the natural flora to our lodge. It was beautifully designed in every detail and luxuriously furnished to a standard we hadn't expected. Each lodge is set away from the next and is perched on the hillside with stunning, uninterrupted views of the Serengeti from its veranda . Ours was called 'Kilimanjaro'. The staff were already aware that we had climbed the mountain 2 days before but we never found out if this was a coincidence or by design. Everything about our stay was outstanding: the food in the thatched restaurant, the friendly and efficient service and of course our accommodation and a peaceful night's sleep.
Our driver, Chaz could not have been any more accommodating. He was very knowledgeable and could be relied upon to tell us about the culture, flora and forna of the area; occasionally pulling to a halt, en route to the reserve, to show us animals he had spotted (on one occasion Masai Giraffes). He had also advised us to make an early start to make the most of the day and we were so glad that he did. The Ngorongoro Crater itself is one of the natural wonders of the world and our first view of it was breathtaking, in its beauty and sheer scale! (260 square kms). We wound our way down the 600m to the crater floor. If you are an animal lover (or even if you are not) this is heaven! We saw everything we hoped to see and so much more. Chaz's keen eye spotted animals we would never have otherwise seen and he was always on hand to identify animals for us. On the day we went, the weather was warm and sunny and perfect for taking pictures or for seeing more elusive animals through our binoculars (like black rhino!). It was surprising how close we could get to wild animals in their natural environment: elephants, lions, wildebeest, zebras, hippos, buffalo, baboons, ostrich, hyaena, gazelles and so much more. All from the safety of the 4X4! We only had the 2 of us and our driver in the car and this allowed us a little more flexibility, I think. Chaz was always happy to stop when we asked him or drive to where we could view animals we had a particular interest in and he played a big part in making the trip so special and one we will never forget. A MUST for anyone who finds themselves in Tanzania!

A once in a lifetime experience.

We went to the Ngorongoro Crater in our own vehicle (on a self-drive safari) and it was a great experience. The roads are well kept, and the camping was excellent. We saw great sightings like a white rhino, lions in the forest and more antelope, zebra & gnu herds than you can shake a stick at. It's also wonderful seeing the Maasai with their herds in and around the crater, where they live.

An amazing and majestic experience that should be on everyone's bucketlist

Wildlife:
There isn't another place in the world where there are more wild animals per square miles as in this crater. Everywhere you look, you will see animals. What makes it more special is the amount of different animals that are living in this crater. There is a chance to see almost everything exept giraffes (they cant climb down the steep walls), cheeta's and leopards becouse of the territorial lions and huge amount of hyena's. For the lucky ones there is also a chance to see a glimp of the extremely endangered black rhino.

Scenery:
However the crater isn't big, there is a big variety of scenery. At first, when you drive down, you will see a kind of bush against the steep walls. On the floor there are two small forrests (good spots for elephant and birds), some small lakes and a river (good chance to see hippo's and grey crowned cranes), a salty lake full of minerals and of course the savanna.

Transportation:
The only way to visit this crater is by small jeeps. They are realy comforteble and have open roofs so you realy can see in any direction.
The roads are sandy and bumpy but thats the beauty of Africa.

Guide:
Our guide was a realy friendly person who had alot of knowledge of the African wildlife. They also know the greatest spots for observing animals. Just ask what you want to see and they will drive towards it.

Higlights:
1: There are two picknickspots in this game reserve where you have permission to leave the car. One is in a small forrest and another at one of the most beautiful lakes in Tanzania where you can observe some hippo's from a realy close but safely distance. There are also some special birds at picknickspot 2 like: great white pelican, african spooners and lesser flamingo.
2: If you are lucky then there is a chance to see some black maned lions or black rhino's at the savanna.
3: Viewpoint when you have left the crater. It's on top of the crater and if the sky is clear, you realy have a good view that's breathtaking.

The Ngorongoro crater has also lots of kind of birds. Especially in the forrests and at the small lakes. It also has the most biggest amount of grey crowned cranes that i have ever seen before. Sometimes in groups of 100 and more.

Also see: www.natuurfotografiestefan.jimdo.com for some beautiful images that i have taken in this crater and on my journey trough Kenya and Tanzania.

The are has been naturally well protected. Because the creter has been surrounded by the mountains and the wild like has been surrounded like in a natural pool. The guides and and the animals seem to have agreed in timing. Every morning during the animals breakfast the guides are driving the visitors to watch the game. Hyenas are almost ther at the same place every morning.