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Ngorongoro Crater
The Ngorongoro Conservation Authority is responsible for the establishment and maintenance of the Ngorongoro Crater as Tanzania’s premier protected area. The crater may be found in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which is located in the middle of the highland plains and is dominated by open savannah woods and forests. In 1959, the Crater was designated a Conservation Reserve so that its distinctive caldera may be preserved for future generations. The region was designated a World Heritage Site in 1979, and the conservation area is the only protected area in Tanzania where humans and animals are permitted to coexist in the same location. The conservation area is also the only area in Tanzania where visitors may go on safari. The semi-nomadic pastoralists who raise livestock and undertake small scale agriculture are currently making use of the land that serves several purposes. Once the area that is now the Serengeti National Park was designated a national park in 1951, the Maasai people were forcibly removed from the park and transferred elsewhere.
The indigenous Maasai people of the region gave the crater its name, Ngorongoro, from the sound made by the cowbell, which they shortened to Ngoro ngoro and merged to make a single word. Olduvai Gorge is located in the Conservation Area, which is a historical landmark known as the location where Dr. Leacky found the bones of an ancient stone age man. The Ngorongoro Crater is a component of the Serengeti Ecosystem, which stretches all the way from the present Serengeti National Park in the south to the Masai Mara National Reserve in the far north and includes the Ngorongoro Crater.
The Ngorongoro Crater is the biggest caldera that has been breached and is not filled with water anywhere in the globe. Because it is home to a large number of animals that are in danger of extinction, it acts as a conservation area for biodiversity on a global scale. The wildebeest migration takes place in the Ndutu Region, which is located in the northernmost section of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This is the greatest animal migration on the earth, with over 2 million animals moving, and it takes place in February and early March when millions of wildebeest migrate to the Ndutu region to give birth. This event is known as the Great Wildebeest Migration.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to 809,440 acres of land, and its namesake crater is one of the few locations in Tanzania where it is possible to spot the endangered black rhinoceros. In a poll that took place in Arusha on February 11, 2013, the Ngorongoro Crater was selected as one of Africa’s seven natural wonders. The crater may be accessible by animals, including a large concentration of lions, which makes this region one of the few places in the world to have such a high Lion per people ratio.
Ngorongoro Crater’s Position in the World
The Ngorongoro Crater is a dormant volcanic caldera that may be seen in the eastern part of the Great Rift Valley on the well-known Northern Tourists route. The park is located in the karatu region, which is characterized by its abundance of coffee plantations, 120 kilometers to the west of the popular tourist town of Arusha. The crater spans 264 square kilometers in total area and measures 16 by 19 kilometers across at its widest point. It is the biggest fractured caldera in the world. The summit of Ngorongoro Crater is located 2,286 meters above the crater floor and has a height of 610 meters.
It is possible to drive to Ngorongoro Crater from Arusha by using the picturesque route that goes through the Great Rift Valley region. Coffee farms, artisan stores, and cultural attractions may be found all along the main road, but the most notable attraction is the Lake Manyara National Park. The road has a nice asphalt surface, and it takes around two to three hours to drive on it. Karatu town is the closest and the largest settlement to the crater, and it is located in the Ngorongoro district of the Karatu region. The crater itself is located in the Karatu region. The whole Northern tourism circuit is serviced by a single roadway that connects Lake Manyara, Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater, and Serengeti national park. This highway is called the Seronera Highway.
Via plane, visitors may access the Ngorongoro Crater through an airstrip that is conveniently situated right adjacent to the Ngorongoro Serena lodge, which is only a few kilometers away from the crater’s entrance point. At the airstrip, flights to and from Arusha airport and Kilimanjaro international airport are provided by a great number of different local airlines on a regular basis. This is an option that is suited for those who might not like to ride in the automobile for an extended period of time.
Ngorongoro Crater’s Many Tourist Attractions
The Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area is where you’ll find the majority of the park’s attractions, which are spread out around the crater itself. There are some of them located within the crater, and others may be found along the Ngorongoro Conservation Area’s rim. The Serengeti ecosystem, of which the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a component, is thought to be the oldest ecosystem on the globe.
The Ngorongoro Crater is the crown jewel of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area’s collection of natural wonders and man-made structures. It is one of the most notable features of the Conservation Area as well as the entire world. It has a diameter of 16 kilometers and a width of 19 kilometers, giving it an area of 264 kilometers squared, making it the biggest caldera in the whole planet. Even before one makes the descent of 610 meters to the crater’s floor, the picturesque grandeur of the crater’s surroundings is enough to captivate visitors. Wildlife and other tree species that create lush forests near the banks of the crater are supported by Lake Magadi, which is a lake that is there permanently. Lake Magadi is also the source of water for the lake.
The crater was created when a massive volcano erupted and then fell in on itself millions of years ago, leaving behind the depression. It was believed that the scale of the volcano before it collapsed was comparable to that of Mount Kilimanjaro, which has an elevation that ranges from 4,500 to 5,800 meters above sea level.
The breathtaking panoramic views of the crater that may be had from either the observation point or the point of entry into the crater. The lake that is located in the middle of the soda crater is what draws in the majority of the animals, particularly birds like flamingos.
The Ngorongoro Crater conservation area is home to more than five hundred different kinds of birds. This encompasses both the crater region as well as the highlands that are part of the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area. The mountainous region that is home to evergreen woods also has a large number of bird species. The most frequently observed birds include the Secretary bird, white-eyed slaty flycatcher, Livingstone turaco, Kori Bustard, ostriches, Crowned cranes, Black kite, Black-winged lapwing, Kenya rufous sparrow, Hildebrandt’s spurfowl, open-billed stork, Augur Buzzard, Egyptian Vulture, Verreaux’s Eagle, Speke’s weaver, Schalow’s wheatear
This is a modest museum that was established by Dr. Leaky on the edge of Oldupai Gorge. It is known as the Oldupai Museum. Dr. Leakey made the discovery of the elderly man’s skeletal bones in this particular archaeological site in the year 1959. It is a pleasant site to rest that is situated in the middle of the way between the Ngorongoro crater Conservation Area and the infinite plains of Serengeti.
The Gol Mountains are a group of mountains that were produced by the powers of volcanism; some of these mountains are dormant while others are currently active in their volcanic activity. The people have a deep cultural connection to these mountains, which is evidenced by the fact that they have given them the appellation “Mountains of gods.” These deities are revered by the Maasai people who live in the area. The Mountains are found in the uninhabited regions of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which are in the far northwestern part of Tanzania. This is a significant moment for the first guy with native Maasai locals, as they are the only ones who continue to practice lion hunting as a form of initiation into the warrior class. In times when their town is threatened by natural disasters, the residents will travel to the mountains to worship the many gods that are venerated there.
The Ngorongoro Crater is home to all of Africa’s “big five” animals, with the exception of leopards, who are extremely rare but can be sighted on occasion. The crater is home to a wide variety of animals, including the endangered black rhinoceros, enormous prides of lions, leopards, hyenas, jackals, elephants, zebras, wildebeest, warthogs, and more. Despite its diminutive size, the crater is home to countless of creatures who have made their permanent home there. The proximity of the lake makes it possible for animals to get water, which is essential to their survival.
Activities Available Inside the Ngorongoro Crater
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to a diverse collection of attractions, all of which have contributed to the expansion of the range of activities available to visitors. Every time of the year is a good time to go to the crater, since there is always something new to admire.
If you are wondering what to do while you are in Ngorongoro, this article will provide you with in-depth information on all of the activities that can be done during your safari holiday in Ngorongoro Crater.
Game drives: During your time in the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, you will have the opportunity to go on game drives both inside the crater as well as in the Ndutu Region. All of the wildlife drives that take place within the protected Area are guided, and they are conducted in four-wheel-drive safari vehicles with pop-up roofs. You are able to get much closer to the animals, particularly in the Ngorongoro Crater, which is home to lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, buffalo, wildebeest, hyenas, warthogs, and a variety of other creatures. Game drives may be taken at the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, which is home to a wide variety of animals, including but not limited to elands, giraffes, gazelles, wildebeest, zebras, and kudus. It is the policy of the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Authority that all game drives, whether they be private or guided, be conducted in conformity with their set of regulations.
Birdwatching is a popular pastime in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area due to the fact that the Ngorongoro Crater is home to more than 500 different kinds of birds. This makes birdwatching one of the most important things that visitors may do in the park. While traveling to Ngorongoro for the purpose of birdwatching, one must be patient and prepared to spend additional days there if they want to complete their life list of birds. The nature walk in the woods to get up up and personal with the birds in their native environments. The Ngorongoro crater is an excellent place to go birding at any time of the year. The months of the year when it rains the most are the finest months for birdwatching since this is the time of year when birds are breeding and may be seen in their natural colors. In addition, there are migratory birds from the nations of North Africa and the states of Europe.
The ostrich, the secretary bird, the kori bustard, the secretary bird, the rufous-tailed weaver, the fischer’s lovebird, the grey-breasted spurfowl, the black-headed gonolek, the spurb sterling, the ruppell’s vulture, the southern ground hornbill, the grey-crested helmet-shrike, the black eagle, the martial eagle, and a
We will make a halt at Oldupai Gorge, which is proud of its history that dates back to the beginning of time. Olduvai Gorge is also known as the Oldupai Gorge. The anthropologists Drs. Lois and Mary Leakey found the skulls of “Nutcracker Man” and “Handy Man” at this location. Both of these individuals represent highly important links in the progression of human evolution.
It is well worth one’s time to come here, in conjunction with the museum, to gain an understanding of the history of human evolution. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to the museum, which is tucked away in its furthest northwestern corner. It offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity for researchers as well as other educational excursions.
Enjoying the safari of your dreams in Africa and seeing all of Africa’s “big five” animals in the Ngorongoro crater. The Ngorongoro area is one that should be visited since it offers visitors the opportunity to see culture as well as animals.
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