Ngorongoro Crater

Fantastic place but unfortunately to much tourists

Ngorongoro was absolutely beautiful. There is a great mix of animals here and you have the chance to see every one of the big five. Because it is a smaller space there are a lot of other trucks around though so it can feel a bit cramped.

Didn't see all that many bird species.

Ngorongoro is speactacular as a formation, but the wildlife we encountered was not that great. But the poverall impression, coming down into the caldera, was magnificent!

Male lions, Rhino's, Hyenas Galore!

The drive to the crater is beautiful. Once inside, its not a scenic, but the wildlife is plenteous! I've been on a few safaris', and have never had male & female lions (hyenas, etc) walk up to our safari vehicles as they do in Ngorongoro. We could practically pet the lions! They look soo peaceful! If we hadn't seen a kill the day earlier, the lions' beautiful expressions and calm demeanor would have lulled us into a sense of naitivity!

Summer months are good - as the animals have to return to the parks and conservation areas for water (because the rainy season has ended). Weather is also stellar.

Picking a good tour operator is important. Ngorongoro crater is pretty open, so its easier to see safari vehicles conglomerate together. But if you're in the other parks, an experienced safari driver is highly recommended. Within 3 hours of one park, by God's grace (and we attribute this to prayer!), we say 2 sets of lions eating zebra, wiildebeast, and saw a lionness kill another wildebeast! We met a group that evening that didn't see any lions! We highly recommend Kilidove Tours. His team is not only highly knowledgeable (and they teach you their wisdom!), the owner grew up as an orphan and supports 4 - 5 orphans in their schooling! So you're not only getting the best tour company, but supporting a great organization. Its important, and you'll see this, that the operator understands the animals habits and how to maximize your photography experience.

Too crowde, too little time.

Our tour group did not get to really experience Ngorongoro because on the 1st day we went down into the crater, it was REALLY raining, and none of the animals were visible. When we were coming back from the Serengeti on our way back to Tarangire, we stopped there for a short period of time, but because of time constraints, we weren't able to devote an entire day there.

The most fascinating part of Ngorongoro is the first look you get upon cresting the rim of the crater. You can see miles in each direction, and down 600 metres to the floor.
Most of the Big-5 is on display – we did not see a leopard, but experienced our only rhinoceros sighting here. But for whatever reason, the feel is more like an extremely large zoo. The animals seem to keep to themselves and not interact with each other significantly.
Also within the Ngorongoro conservation area is a scattering of Masai villages, and it is fascinating to see how the villagers live. Finally, Ngorongoro is the location of Olduvai Gorge, which is an incredible archaeological site for human evolution.

great animal sightings; very crowded; hotels atmosphere in many locations

The landscapes are wonderful. The drive down and drive up were fun to experience with the top open.

Yet, it feels like a zoo. If you have been on other safaris, I would recommend skipping it and just do the lookout at the rim.