Ngorongoro Crater

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Ngorongoro Crater is located in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Tanzania and referred to as the Garden of Eden due to its rich biodiversity, geological significance and history. The crater includes a vast caldera with many wildlife animals that are watched on Game Drive. The caldera covers an area of 20 kilometers (12 miles) in diameter making it the largest intact volcanic caldera in the world. The crater floor lies around 1,800 meters (5,900 feet) above sea level, with the surrounding rim reaching up to 2,400 meters (7,900 feet) in height.

Flora and Fauna at Ngorongoro

Ngorongoro Crater inhabits many wildlife animals that wander around the open grasslands, forests, swamps and lakes. The wildlife animals you watch in the conservation crater are the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros) and others like wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, Kobs, African wild dog, Antelopes, Jackals, Hippos etc. Other than the wildlife animals, you can enjoy bird watching as the park inhabits more than 500 species of birds including the raptors like the African Fish Eagle and vultures. are common on the crater’s rim. You watch flora too like the montane forests, dense woodlands.

Cultural Encounter with The Maasai People

Ngorongoro Crater is not just a haven for wildlife but also an area of great cultural significance. It is part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), where the Maasai people have lived for centuries. The Maasai, semi-nomadic pastoralists, maintain their traditional way of life in the NCA, grazing their cattle and goats in the area.

The coexistence of wildlife and people in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is one of the few examples of humans and wildlife living together in harmony. The Maasai have a deep cultural connection to the land, and their practices of sustainable grazing have been essential in preserving the balance of the ecosystem

Visiting Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongoro Crater can be visited anytime around the year by travelers on holiday vacation although the Best Time to visit the Crater is during the dry season in the months of June to October. This period is ideal as the animals crowd around the water sources. The trails are also navigable as well as photography since the animals can be watched in the less thick Savannah.

How to get to Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongoro Crater can be accessed by use of Road and Air as preferred by the travelers. By Road, you transfer from Arusha for about 180 kilometers to Ngorongoro Crater for a period of 4 to 5 hours with en-route views of the green terrain, bird species.

Travelers can also move by Air requiring them to fly from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Lake Manyara Airport or the Seronera Airport.

Things to do in Ngorongoro Crater

Game Drives

Game Drives are the most prominent safari adventure carried out in the park as you traverse from one point to another watching wildlife wander around their natural habitat. The wildlife animals you watch include; lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros, zebras, wildebeest, hyenas, cheetahs, and various species of gazelles. The Game drives are scheduled Morning, Afternoon and Evening depending on the preferences of the travelers. They are guided by professional rangers/ drivers.

Bird watching

Ngorongoro Crater is ideal for bird watchers as you watch over 500 species of birds fly around their natural forests vegetation habitat. The bird species you watch include; pelicans, heroes, ibises, ostriches, crown cranes, kori bustards, raptors, secretary birds, hammer kops, and European strain vultures, etc.

Explore the Ngorongoro Crater Rim

While in Ngorongoro, you shall transfer to explore the Ngorongoro Crater Rim where you have panoramic views of the breathtaking vistas. You shall stop at the various viewpoints along the rim taking many photos to keep. The crater has unique features like grassland, dense forest and volcanic hills that make it exceptional and remarkable.

Visit the local Maasai Villages

While on safari at the Ngorongoro Crater, you shall transfer to visit the local Masai homesteads. On reaching here, you shall learn about their livelihood, traditions and customs. Learn about how they graze their livestock. You shall visit their Manyattas (enkangs) as they inform you more on how they build them, as well as their varying customs. Later, you shall proceed to buy hand crafted Masai jewelry, clothing, art and souvenir.

Explore Ngorongoro Crater Floor

The crater floor is a exceptional to explore as it comprises of grasslands, wetlands and even a small forest that are worth viewing. As you drive through the floor, watch herds of animals grazing, flamingos wading in lakes and the black rhino. You should transfer with a local guide as some of the parts of the crater floor are inaccessible to tourists.

The carter floor also includes Lake Magadi that can be explored. This is a soda lake consists of many bird species i.e flamingos that flock here to feed annually.

Picnicking and Scenic Rest Stops

Ngorongoro Crater is ideal for travelers interested in picnicking as the area includes many designated picnic areas travelers can relax and enjoy meals while surrounded by nature. These stops offer brief stops at the crate rim where you watch the terrain landscape below.

Hot Air Balloon Ride

Ngorongoro crater can be explores using a hot air balloon which flies over the plains watching wildlife at an aerial view. On your balloon safari, you view the caldera and the wildlife below. As the sun rises, you drift peacefully over the crater’s rim watching herds of animals from a differing perspective. This activity is available seasonally and often includes a champagne breakfast upon landing after the safari.

Best Time to Visit Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongo Crater can be visited anytime around the year although the Best Time to visit the crater is during the dry season in the months of June to October as the wildlife animals can be clearly seen. Months from November to May are wet season and the vegetation is verdant making navigation through quite challenging.

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