Ngorongoro Crater

African Garden of Eden

Ngorongoro Crater is a thrilling safari destination. Meeting the crater is love at first sight - a steep winding drive up a mountain rewarded by a breathtaking view of the crater in all its glory. This birds eye view of the crater is very dramatic - the expanse of the crater can be appreciated, as well as the many habitats within it, vaguely delineated by the changes in color on the crater floor akin to a patchwork quilt. We arrived at the crater in the late afternoon and settled into our hotel on the rim for the evening. Out of the 6 hotels at which we stayed during our trip, I would say the one here was our least favorite. It was a beautiful lodge with a great view of the crater from our room, but the lodge feeling made it seem more like a traditional hotel, whereas our other accommodations throughout the trip were luxurious tents or separate huts, etc., that had more of an exclusive, remote vibe consistent with our surroundings. Our guide recommended we start our day exploring the crater at 6 AM to maximize our chances of seeing the elusive black rhino. When we entered the crater as the sun was rising, we felt like we were transported to a different planet. Our early start time was rewarded by a rhino sighting right off the bat. It is awe-inspiring to see such an endangered species in its natural habitat. We then spent the majority of the day driving throughout the crater, oohing and ahhing over the endless animal sightings - Thompson's gazelle, Cape buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, hippos, elephants, lions, hyenas, jackals, countless bird species, etc. My favorite moment in the crater was when our guide picked a spot for our picnic breakfast. He set up a table and chairs by a watering hole and we sat amongst a herd of zebras grazing and drinking. It was a surreal moment, as if we had been placed in the middle of television documentary footage. Toward the afternoon the crater became more crowded and we had covered most of the roads, so our guide decided it was time to move on to our next destination, the Serengeti. Driving back up to the rim of the crater, I couldn't help but look over my shoulder at the crater, surprised again at its massive expanse.

we were a bit unlucky .. it was a bit cloudy and cold .. not too many cats but a lot a lot of wildebeast and buffaloes .. we might give it another try coming back from Serengeti as it is on the way!!

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.

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.

First time not in a private concession

Abundant wildlife sometimes not as close as you would like. Due to the rules of staying on the road, it was luck of the draw if the animals came close. We did see lots of black rhino, wildebeast, zebray, giraffe, elephants and hippos, few lions in the distance and solitary hyenas. Lots of birds byr could not get close to the flocks of flamingos . It became crowded with tourists as the day progressed with the best sightings early in the morning. We were lucky in that we stayed on the crater rim close to the entrance to the crater floor. the lodge was great.

Excellent day at the start of a 9 day safari adventure

We arrived in time to have lunch overlooking the Ngorongoro Crater from our hotel. We were up before sunrise and set out to the gates. As the first vehicle into the crater, we instantly spotted a white rhino. From there we experienced the sunrise over the crater as we continued to see all the animals we had dreamed of seeing on safari, including lions finishing off a meal from the night before, elephants, ostriches, baboons. We had breakfast looking out over the hippo pool - very scenic and beautiful spot for a rest. Later on, we were fortunate to be able to see a serval cat hunting its prey. We headed back out of the crater in time for a late lunch. Prior to departure for the Serengeti, we enjoyed one last sunrise over the crater.

Best chance at seeing a rhino

The crater is a must-see destination for it's overall beauty and number of animals in such a compact location. But more importantly, it is your best chance at seeing the black rhino in the wild. We saw two of the 20+ rhinos that reside in the crater. Compared to the Serengeti, where we saw none, this is your best chance. Another interesting surprise is the Maasai herding cattle in the crater. It is quite a contrast to see the wild herd animals aside the cattle.

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.

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.

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.