Ngorongoro Crater

Overview

Ngorongoro Crater/ Caldera, world’s largest intact volcanic caldera is an exquisite destination in Tanzania to see the Big five animals. It is believed that Ngorongoro was once a volcanic mountain with an equal height as Mount Kilimanjaro which later erupted due to volcanic forces forming the caldera, we now call Ngorongoro crater. The caldera measure 600 meters deep and 20km² wide.

The Ngorongoro Crater and its beautiful landscape, forms one of the World’s iconic tourist destinations Tanzania. It is said to be one of seven natural wonders in the World filled with magnificent natural environment and diverse wildlife.

Weather & Climate

Things to see in Ngorongoro

1. Ngorongoro crater
2. Wildlife of Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater is the best place to spot the big five, the elephant, buffalos, lions, leopard and if you are lucky, you can spot the rare black. The crater is also home to other wildlife like wildebeest, warthogs, waterbucks, impala, zebras and hyena, gazelles, cheetah, serval cats, sivets and jackals. It also harbors more than 400 species of birds such as flamingo and pelicans in the alkaline lake Magadi, ostrich, turacos and many more in the forests.

3. Plants of Ngorongoro Crater

The presence of natural forests in the crater ensures a sufficient number of plants and flowers within the area. The scenic forest in the crater consists of lush vegetation, desert plants, scrub heath, peacock flowers, yellow wood, and sweet olive. Other plants include acacia, yellow fever trees, Africana trees, zebrawood, and pillar wood.

4. Olduvai Gorge Museum:

The Great paleoanthropological site, commonly referred to as the Cradle of Mankind and located between the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater, is one of the most significant archaeological sites on Earth. Oldupai, a Maasai term for a local wild sisal plant, is misspelled as Olduvai. The earliest proof of the existence of our ancestors is kept in the museum. Numerous fossilized hominid bones and stone tools from a time in the millions of years ago have been discovered in the region by paleoanthropologists.

5. Empakai and Olmoti Crater

Empakai crater contains forests and a shallow lake, the scenery is spectacular everywhere, you can look out to the dramatic cone of Oldonyo Lengai, the Great Rift Valley and Lake Natron. It’s popular to camp on the rim and hike into the crater with an armed ranger.

The Munge River originates in Olmoti Crater and flows to Ngorongoro Crater via a cleft in the rim in a breathtaking waterfall. A very nice hike leads through the forest to the waterfall’s summit.

6. Oldonyo Lengai

This volcano active mountain, whose Maasai name means “Mountain of God,” is situated just outside the NCA, to the northeast, close to Lake Natron. It rises 1830m above the valley level. Its ash was carried westward across the plains and changed the ecosystem and landscape. It is the only active volcano in the area, having erupted in 2006 and more recently July 2007.

7. The Shifting Sands

This amazing black dune, which is made of Oldonyo Lengai volcanic ash, is being blown slowly westward across the plains at a speed of roughly 17 meters per year. It is located to the north of Olduvai Gorge and is approximately nine meters high and 100 meters long.

Things to do in Ngorongoro Crater

• Game Drive
• Walking Safari/ Nature walk
• Bird watching
• Olduvai Gorge Visit
• Cultural experience in a Maasai Boma
• Archeological tour
• Camping Safaris