Ngorongoro Crater

Incredible! The pictures I took here are the ones that everyone cannot believe are real. Lions so close I could hear them breathing. Hippos, Hyeana, Serval Cat, Flamingos, Jackals, Baboons...just everything. Beyond belief. We stayed at Serena Ngorongoro and it was very nice and had an amazing view.

No vast herds of animals, but the setting in the crater is unbelievable.

Amazing place. From the view at the top of the crater through to the bottom of the crater. We saw our first white rhinos here.

Delightful and a very interesting place with the crater aspect.

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.

Looking into the crater was out of this world, well worth it, loads of wildlife.

Spectacular scenery and animals. A Must.

Too crowde, too little time.

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.

Regarding wildlife, it´s the most exciting place I´ve ever seen. It´s PACKED with wonderful wildlife. We even saw a lion hunting down a zebra. Downside to this are the crowds of people (cars go in a queue at times, and car-jams may occur if there´s some must-see and the notice runs fast) and exhorbitant entry fees. No chance to camp inside, so you can´t really get a feel of the vibe of the place. Anyway, you cant miss it.