Discover the Ngorongoro Crater, the Big Five animals, birdlife, and beautiful wild animals. Explore this Tanzania’s top wildlife destination.
THE NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA: TANZANIA’S NATURAL WONDER
Tanzania is an enchanting tourist destination endowed with a multitude of attractions. They include Serengeti National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro, and many more. Ngorongoro Conservation Area is one of such amazing attractions. It deserves to be on the bucket list of every safari-goer.
The wildlife and landscapes of this World Heritage Site are untouched. Consider adding it to your safari program on your next adventure.
How to get to Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Ngorongoro Conservation Area is 120 kilometers away to the west of Arusha. The best way to get to Ngorongoro Conservation Area is by road. The distance from Arusha to Ngorongoro Conservation Area is about 3 hours. The main gate is the Loduare gate, which is 45 km from Karatu.
Attractions in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Wildlife
There is a large number of wild animals in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The Ngorongoro Crater boasts about 700 wildebeests, 3000 elands, and 3000 gazelles. It also hosts 4000 zebras, over 90 elephants, and 26 black rhinos. Other animals include striped hyenas, cheetahs, jackals, foxes, waterbucks, reedbucks, impalas, wild dogs, warthogs, and various species of antelopes.
The animals are highly concentrated in the crater floor, thus making wildlife viewing pretty much easier. The crater is a promising destination to see the Big Five animals due to its smaller size. On a game drive, you can spot all the Big Five—lion, leopard, elephant, Cape buffalo, and black rhino.
Birds in Ngorongoro
Ngorongoro Conservation Area has plenty of birds, counting up to 500 species. Many are resident birds, while a few are migratory. Migratory bird species arrive at the Ngorongoro Conservation Area between November and May.
Some commonly encountered birds include ashy starlings, secretary birds, lesser flamingos, and white-eyed flycatchers. Visitors may also see black kites, African spoonbills, lesser flamingos, and grey-crowned cranes.
Kori bustard, black-winged lapwing, living turaco, and Egyptian vulture are also common. Hartlaub’s turaco, Verreaux eagle, and Hildebrandt’s spurfowl, among others.
You may also see ostrich, red and yellow barbet, Jackson’s widowbird, Namaqua dove, Rufous-tailed weaver, and Rosy-throated long claw.
Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro Crater is approximately 20 kilometers wide, 600 meters deep, and covers an area of 300 square kilometers.
How Ngorongoro Crater was formed?
Ngorongoro Crater was formed about 2 to 3 million years ago after the collapse of the Ngorongoro Mountains, whose cones collapsed inward after a major eruption, leaving an unbroken caldera. According to geologists, the Ngorongoro Mountains were the tallest in the world before they collapsed and erupted. The formation of the Ngorongoro Crater, along with the Olmoti and Empakai craters, dates back to the Mesozoic periods.
Olduvai Gorge and Laetoli.
The Olduvai Gorge and Laetoli are stunning historical sites within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The Olduvai Gorge is sometimes called the cradle of mankind. The Leakeys excavated the remains of ancient human beings. You can learn more about the history of man at this site.
The footprints of our ancestors were also found in a sedimentary rock in Laetoli. The footprints date back about 3 million years ago. You can visit Laetoli to learn more about human history.
The Olduvai Gorge Museum houses every detail about the discoveries made at these sites. Tourists usually have a wonderful trip here.
Activities in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Game drives
Ngorongoro Conservation Area is the best place for wildlife safaris. Guests can embark on both morning and afternoon game drives in this protected area. Ngorongoro Crater boasts a large number of animals and birds.
Cultural tours
While in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, you won’t end up seeing wildlife only, but also the Maasai nomads. They have been in this area for over 19,000 years. The Maasai tribe is prominent in East Africa, and it is famous for its unique style of life.
They graze their livestock in the Ngorongoro Crater and other places. They have a unique dress code, delicious locally-made cuisines, lifestyle, culture, and traditions.
A visit to their bomas is a truly memorable tour. They built their huts in the proper order of wives. You can join them in their traditional dances.
The Maasai are good artists. They make handmade products such as jewelry and so on. You can support them.
Visit Lake Magadi.
This is a shallow soda lake found in the southwest of the crater. Magadi is a Maasai word for salt. Lake Magadi is home to flamingos. It is an amazing place worth a visit.
During the dry season, Lake Magadi dries up, leaving large deposits of salt. The Maasai extract and use them for cooking purposes. Hyenas, jackals, and other predators lick on such deposits to supplement their food.
Ngoitokitok Spring is one of Lake Magadi’s water sources. You can take a walk in this breathtakingly marvelous spring and enjoy nature as well as the sightings of hippos in the Gerigor swamp.
Are you ready for an adventure in Tanzania? Bob Geor Adventures and Safaris organizes unforgettable safaris through Tanzanian spectacular destinations.
