Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area

Ngorongoro Crater Tanzania

Visit the incredible Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northern Tanzania and the largest intact caldera in the world, as part of scintillating Tanzanian safaris. Plan your Tanzania and East Africa holiday with the safari experts, to witness the magnificence of the crater, part of the eastern Rift Valley, and a place where the evolution of volcano’s dates back to the late Mesozoic / early Tertiary periods. 

This conservation region also includes Laetoli and Olduvai Gorge, where ancient human remains were discovered, clues to human evolution, such as the early hominid footprints from at least 3.6 million years ago.

Ngorongoro Accommodation

While there is no safari accommodation directly inside the Ngorongoro Crater, visitors can easily access the crater floor from various lodges and camps situated along its rim and further south on the slopes of the Rift Valley escarpment. Many of the lodges perched along the crater’s edge offer stunning panoramic views, though it’s also wise to consider their proximity to the entry gates for easier access.

Safaris to Ngorongoro

It is hard to believe that the actual rim of the crater is an astounding 2286m above sea level – a veritable mountain. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area covers enormous areas of pristine grasslands, savanna woodlands and forests. Here, wildlife lives with the Maasai livestock and shares their grazing land while the incredible biodiversity significance of the park includes endangered fauna and flora such as the Black Rhino plus the annual Great Migration into the plains of the north.

The Ngorongoro Crater is often explored as part of a broader East African safari, seamlessly fitting into itineraries that also showcase the Serengeti’s dramatic migration and the relaxed charm of Zanzibar’s golden beaches. A safari to the Ngorongoro Tanzania is an unforgettable journey, renowned for its exceptionally high concentration of wildlife and some of the easiest Big Five game viewing in Africa. 

 

Highlights

Ngorongoro Crater Tanzania – explore the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera with some of the best wildlife viewing in Africa.

  • The crater, which formed when a large volcano exploded and collapsed on itself two to three million years ago, is 610 metres deep and its floor covers 260 square kilometres – now one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa. 
  • Once part of the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area now encompasses a huge expanse of grassy plains on the southern side of the Serengeti Plain – including the Ngorongoro Highlands, a range of largely extinct ancient volcanoes on the west side of the Great Rift Valley.
  • Over millions of years the crater formed its own ecosystem thanks to its enclosed nature – the Lerai Forest comprises fever trees and the Gorigor Swamp and Ngoitokitok Springs provide the perfect habitat for hippos.

Did you know?

 

European explorers first entered the Ngorongoro Crater in 1892. Later, two German brothers, Adolph and Friedrich Siedentopf, established a farm in the crater, where they remained until the outbreak of World War I. During their time, they organized hunting excursions for their German acquaintances and even tried to drive the wildebeest herds out of the crater. Although their efforts were largely unsuccessful, their actions reflected the colonial attitudes of the time.

Today, the Ngorongoro Crater is a protected haven, where wildlife thrives undisturbed, preserving the area’s rich natural heritage. It is one of the most sought after safari destinations in Africa.

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