Ngorongoro Crater

Great wildlife but didn't feel natural

Most likely wouldn't have written this if it wasn't for my mixed feelings. I'm glad I went there as a Tanzania safari is not complete with visiting the crater but it doesn't come even close to Serengeti. Yes, a lot of people complain about it being crowded with tourists but that wasn't the only problem. Seeing the Masai and their cattle right next to the wildebeest and zebras was also strange. Add to this the fact that the place is a small, very open enclosure hemmed in by mountains on all sides and you end up losing that "jungle" vibe that you get when you visit Serengeti or Tarangire.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's an excellent place to see wildlife-but the combination of geographic and human factors just make it feel like too much of a zoo.

Lots of animals in a small space

Ngorongoro was the start of my safari vacation, and I'm glad it was at the start. Pretty much all the animals you're looking for are there, and you can see them in less than a full day.

However, it felt really over-crowded to me in an almost sickening way. There was one point where a female lion was sitting by the side of the road, and literally 30 safari cars pulled beside her to look. Because of all the cars, she lost track of her cubs and was crying out for them over and over. It was hot, the middle of the day, and she was scared. I was very sad.

Stunning it is a must see but way to crowded, do not do it in August!

Stunning but way too crowded!

You have to be in Ngorongoro on the right day to experience all the wildlife that prospers there. Sometimes you can be just unlucky. But the crater is an amazing sight - it is so vast that you cannot see it all properly in one go. It is worth going but be prepared to have an "off" day.

Excellent but crowded

The Ngorongoro Crater offers both amazing experiences and large crowds due to its smaller size. It's one of the best places in Tanzania to see rhinos, and in general the wildlife is very accustomed to vehicles so you can get a close view of interesting behavior. On the downside, everyone makes it a stop on their safari, so it can get quite busy. We had a rhino near the road on our trip, and I counted at least 35 vehicles jockeying for position to see it. Certainly not a feeling of being out in the wilderness!

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.

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.

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.