Ngorongoro Crater

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.

It is a natural wonder, but we found that the wildlife was less overwhelming than in Serengeti and Tarangire. We spotted a rhino far away. But hey, we can tick the box of the Big 5. Certainly a wonder that you want to visit. But one day is enough.

A once in a lifetime experience that makes me wish I'm back on the caldera floor everyday.

It was an excellent safari drive on the caldera floor, and to our surprise, we bumped into a zebra with a hump like a camel. The Mirror (online) UK and Solent News carried this story. The floor of the crater is littered with zebras running and playing, hyenas, lioness and several other species. We even spotted a black rhino!

Overall, it was an amazing experience that I recommend to every wildlife enthusiast.

Ngorongoro Crater is a Tanzania MUST-DO with exceptional landscapes and wildlife

In the two-weeks that my small tour group was in Tanzania, we spent over a week in and around Ngorongoro Crater. We saw the wildebeest migration, lots of zebras, lions, giraffes, cape buffalo, cheetahs, wart hogs, hyenas, various birds and more. Our guides were the best, spotting the wildlife and in constant communication with other drivers and guides to show us the best sites and wildlife. The various campsites we stayed were 5-star quality with wonderful staff, great meals, hot showers and conveniences that made our stay so memorable. While we had a few rainy days, it was all part of the experience. I took over 8000 photos that have been edited to about 2500 wonderful images. I was part of a photo safari that guided us through some of the best images for my portfolio. This trip has peaked my interest in Africa, wanting to learn more about Tanzania, its people, and about the endangered animals (elephants, rhinoceros) that shape the wonderful Ngorongoro and surrounding Serengeti areas.

Great to visit for a day

The Ngorongoro Crater is a beautiful, Garden of Eden-like park where lots of wildlife lives together in the relatively small crater. It is the place to spot a rhino. Be sure to be there early in the morning when the gate opens to beat the crowds.

Unimaginable Beauty

This place is nothing short of magical. I was fortunate enough to go during the beginning of the rainy season, when the landscape was a vibrant shade of green and many baby animals had just been born. I was in total awe of the scenery and the wildlife - we saw gazelles, hyenas, foxes, elephants, zebras, lions, water buffalo, wildebeest, rhinos, pelicans, hippos, and countless other species. We were even lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a newborn rhino with its mother, as well as a pair of female lions attacking a water buffalo (who ended up escaping in the end). I would truly consider this place to be a wonder of the world - it was by far the most magical excursion I went on during my three months in Tanzania.