Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania

The Ngorongoro Crater is a major drawcard for tourists coming on a Tanzania safari holiday and is an essential component of any Northern Tanzania safari circuit.

The game viewing on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater is sensational at any time of year and the chances of seeing rare black rhino and also big cats, especially lions, is as good as anywhere in Africa. Lion and cheetah can often be spotted hunting by day and flamingos are present in the soda lake on the crater floor.

The Ngorongoro Conservation area also includes Olduvai Gorge, and huge expanses of highland plains, scrub bush, and forests that cover approximately 8300 square kilometers. Only indigenous tribes such as the Maasai are allowed to live within the borders of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Lake Ndutu and Masek, both alkaline soda lakes are home to rich game populations, as well as a series of peaks and volcanoes and make the conservation Area a unique and beautiful landscape. The short grass plains and the adjacent Southern Serengeti are the location of the “Great Migration” between January and April as the herds arrive to calve and over half a million wildebeest calves are born over the space of a few short weeks.

In our opinion despite the crater floor being rather crowded with tourist vehicles, the spectacular setting and superb year round game viewing make a visit to the Ngorongoro Crater an essential part of any safari in Northern Tanzania.