The Ngorongoro Crater which gained great fame globally is among Tanzania’s major attractions hence regarded by many as the 8th nature wonder of the World. Ngorongoro Crater Tanzania is home to a large population of wildlife including the rare black rhino.
Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania is the largest inactive, intact and unfilled volcanic caldera in the world formed about 2 to 3 million years ago. Its enormous scenery and abundance of wildlife merge to make it a wonder of the natural world. The collapsed volcano which left high walls of about 600 meters that somehow challenged your ability of vision as you gaze into it. Geographically what has always been called Ngorongoro Crater mistakenly, it is rather the largest volcanic caldera in the world, with its floor of about 300 square km (100 square miles). Ngorongoro Crater activities are including game viewing and nature walks along the Crater rim on the Northern highlands. Day trips & tours to Ngorongoro Crater from Arusha city can be organized at a reasonable cost.
Ngorongoro Crater Wildlife
The Crater is home to a large number of wildlife supported by yearly water supply from the highlands and enough fodder. Over 300 bird species have been recorded here among them are Egyptian geese, flamingos, blacksmith plover, ibises, hummer head, cormorants, heron, storks and many more.
Large mammals and plain animals are inhabit the Crater among them are wildebeest, eland, zebra, gazelles black rhino and predators like lion, hyena, cheetah, jackals and the ever illusive leopard, as they all bounded by the volcanic walls, they can be spotted in a very close range. Giraffe and impala can not be found in the crater floor, they always hanging around the crater rim possibly is due to the steepness of the crater wall or as most of the time they have to rise their heads up while walking to only have favorable blood pressure that goes to the head. It can also be luck of palatable food in the crater floor as they are browsers.
Grassland
Most of the crater floor is an open grassland, more than 24,000 large grazing animals are feeding in this area, mainly are buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, black rhino, gazelles and other smaller moving both vertebrate and invertebrates. In turn support predators such as lions, Jackals hyena, leopard and many birds of prey.
Lake Magadi
Soda Lake at the center of the crater floor gets its water from Munge River. Lake Magadi is the feeding site for some flamingos and other water birds. The Lake and pools has become hunting point for many predators that hide in the marsh to ambush large animals that come to drink. Severe dry season lake Magadi and most pools in the Crater are often dries up.
Swamp
Swamps serves as a reserve for fresh water and food for big and small animals especial during the dry season. Elephants feed on giant sedge and hippos wallow in the pools other small and big animals are also coming for water and grazing at the pool side. Giant serge and tall grasses provide shelter for frogs, birds and insects while most of predators hunting around the swamps.
Lerai forest a sole forest patches on the Crater floor is providing food and shelter for the big and small animals such as velvet monkeys, baboons, bush-bucks, elephants and rhinos. Lerai is a name in Masai for yellow barked acacia.
The temperature in Ngorongoro highlands can get quite chilly in the morning and evening as the altitude is about 2300. Between November and May is the rainy season.
Camping and walking inside the Crater is strictly prohibited by the management of the Ngorongoro Conservation area. Cars allowed in the Crater are 4WD drive only and all cars should be outside the Crater floor before 18:00 hrs. Most of our Tanzania safari and Zanzibar beach packages are including one or two days in Ngorongoro.
Starting & ending in Arusha city, Tanzania’s Tourism Capital
Includes:-
Transportation in clean, well maintained 4WD safari Land Cruise with photographic roof thatch
Service of professional & well experienced English speaking local safari driver guide
Good packed lunch
Mineral water (1.5 l per day per person)
All park fees including VAT
Items not included:-
Alcoholic and soft drinks
Visa fees
Tips/gratitude for safari driver guide
All items of a person nature
Travel insurance etc.