Ngorongoro Crater

Nature at its finest comes to life

The Ngorongoro Crater is truly a magical place. Our guide called it the eighth wonder of the world and he was correct. Having come off of a five day safari in the Serengeti the crater was our last visit. It was by far in my opinion the best. The animals are plentiful for sure. There is about 9 lion prides in the crater along with their neighbors hyenas, jackals, vultures, zebras, wildebeests, cape buffalo, hippo. leopard and the ever elusive rhino, etc... the crater is one of the few places you will have the opportunity to view a rhino in the wild. The guide indicated there were at least 16 in the park. We got the chance to only see one in person. This rounded out the big 5 in Tanzania for our tour.

The highlight for me is always the big cats. We were fortunate to see a live kill of a cape buffalo by one of the prides. Visible there were three males, two females and three cubs taking part in the feast. I have photos showing the feast commencing. It is was also interesting to note the dynamics among species. For example the it was clear the hyenas were alerting the lions to the fact the vultures were approaching. As a reward the lions allow the hyena to take part in the feast. The jackals had to wait their turn as did the vultures. Seeing a kill on TV is one thing, seeing it in person is entirely different you will not want to look away.

The Ngorongoro Crater is an unfilled volcanic caldera. We drove down about 2000 feet to get to the floor of the crater. This takes about 30 mins. There is a salt lake in the center and other tributaries that support the biodiversity in the area. The ride through the park can be rough. For the most part we arrived early in the day so it was overcast but that did not lessen the experience.

Again for me it was about the animals so to share what you will see in order of plenty:
Wildebeest-- many (and you get real close to them)
Zebra-- many (and you get real close to them)
Hippo -- many (and you get real close to them)
Lions -- many (and you get real close to them but from the truck!)
Hyenas -- many
Jackals -- many
Rabbits--many
Cape Buffalo --many
Leopard -- few
Rhino --few

Overall I highly recommend the tour. Do not settle for the 2 hour tour either. It will take you 30 mins down and 30 mins up. Take a day tour wherever possible. It is well worth it.

The Crater is one of the most picturesque, enchanting sites that we have ever encountered.

Our first view of this area was absolutely breath-taking. The whole Ngorongoro Conservation Area is lush and green, but when we 1st saw the Crater, we could not believe how beautiful it was. A few days later, we worked our way down the embankment, & experienced a diverse range of wildlife, fauna and geography. We were also lucky enough to see a wildebeest give birth to a calf. The lodge just outside the Crater was also delightful. My wife and I are extremely glad we saw this site and highly recommend it to anyone else thinking about a safari.

A wonder of the world

The crater Ngonrongoro is one of those places on Earth that once in your life you must see. It seems to be almost a paradise for animals. In the same pool of water you can see a few meters away hyenass, warthogs, buffalos, elephantss, craness, wildebeests, gazelless, impala and more. Everything in this place is perfect including lodges.

Together with the Serengeti It is a must see for photographers and safari travelers

I had been to Tanzania 3 times and Kenya twice. Every trip is different depending on the time of year and the climate. The best time to visit the crater is March-April with the start of the rainy season. With the rain the grass becomes lush and green attracting herbivores, and they are followed by carnivores.

My last trip was in March 2015, and it was the best. Although it was dry and dusty, the wildlife was plentiful and more variety. The Ndutu lodge was wonderful and the safari vehicles with the guides and drivers were always helpful.

Ngorongoro crater is truly one of the gems of Africa. Together with the Serengeti National park It is a must see for photographers and safari travelers. It is a large volcanic caldera created by a super volcanic explosion 2.5 million years ago. The original volcano is estimated to have been about 5000 metres (19,000 feet) high. After the explosion it collapsed on itself and the floor of the crater now is 610 metres (2,000 feet) deep. Its floor area is massive covering 260 square kilometres (100 square miles). The crater floor is mostly open grassland with two small wooded areas dominated by Acacia trees. The area became a Unesco world Heritage site in 1979.

The main source of water is rain in the rainy season and numerous springs that feed a lake. Last year was unusually dry and dusty but there was a large variety of animals present. The crater was home to a healthy resident population of lions. I photographed elephants, hartebeest, hyenas, wildebeest and zebra. Cape Buffalo, eland and Thomson’s gazelle. The buffalo population has increased greatly as well as zebras, waterbucks, black rhinoceros, jackals, hippopotamus, Serval cats. The crater has many species of birds such as flamingoes, eagles, owls, weaver birds, cormorants, ibis and other water birds.

I was comfortable in safari vehicles with elevated roofs to allow photography. I stabilized the camera with a been bag, supplied by the guides. Accommodation was in a lodge on the rim. I found it clean and comfortable with a beautiful view; a good service and Western style food was provided. The staff, drivers and guides are friendly and always willing to please.

Together with the Serengeti park Ngorongoro is a must see for photographers and safari travelers

My last trip was in March 2015, and it was the best. Although it was dry and dusty, the wildlife was plentiful and more variety. The lodge was wonderful and the safari vehicles with the guides and drivers were always helpful.

Ngorongoro crater is truly one of the gems of Africa. Together with the Serengeti National park It is a must see for photographers and safari travelers. It is a large volcanic caldera created by a super volcanic explosion 2.5 million years ago. The original volcano is estimated to have been about 5000 metres (19,000 feet) high. After the explosion it collapsed on itself and the floor of the crater now is 610 metres (2,000 feet) deep. Its floor area is massive covering 260 square kilometres (100 square miles). The crater floor is mostly open grassland with two small wooded areas dominated by Acacia trees. The area became a Unesco world Heritage site in 1979.

The main source of water is rain in the rainy season and numerous springs that feed a lake. Because of the variety of animals present, the Ngorongoro Crater is a well known tourist attraction. It is home to a healthy resident population of most species of wildlife. particularly strong cheetah and lion populations. I photographed elephants, hartebeest, hyenas, wildebeest and zebra. Cape Buffalo, eland and Thomson’s gazelle. The buffalo population has increased greatly as well as zebras, waterbucks, black rhinoceros, jackals, hippopotamus, Serval cats. The crater has many species of birds such as flamingoes, eagles, owls, weaver birds, cormorants, ibis and other water birds.

I was comfortable in safari vehicles with elevated roofs to allow photography. Accommodation in the crater is widely available on the rim of the crater. Lodges, hotels and tented camps with private facilities dot the rim. They are clean, comfortable; a good service and Western style food is usually provided. The staff, drivers and guides are friendly and always willing to please.

Ngorongoro crater is magical! it's known as Noah's arc as it have a collection of species that live balanced in that ecossystem. There I saw lions with black mane and black rhinos, that is an endangered specie. Although I haven't seen, a friend of mine who was in another vehicule saw two leopards by the road when they were driving inbound.

Ngorongoro Crater is a must visit; it a wonder and a marvel to behold. Here we photograph the only young lion cubs we saw. We also saw Serval and Caracal cats here too.

Our safari to Africa which include the Ngorongoro Crater is the most exciting adventure of my life

The crater was so amazing in that it was different from most of the other places we visited. We only had our one day tour and wish that it could have been longer. There were so many different things to see, animals everywhere and so little in the way of cover for them. Would go back in a heart beat..

Amazing scenery!

Just driving around the rim of the crater was amazing. Once down in the actual crater we saw a lot of animals ranging from rhinos and lions to monkeys and birds. The Ngorongoro national park is definitely a place wort to visit!

Best Wildlife Worldwide like Serengeti

Since 1978 I have been at least 10 times to Ngorongoro Crater because I love the place. Always traveling on our own. Weather can be tricky depending on which time of year, but remember Ngorongoro is on high elevation and mornings can be really cold. Lots of hotels but no budgets only more expensive ones today however campsites are available. Road is now fine from Arusha but inside the Crater it can be bad. Scenery is breathtaking from the rim.