THE NGORONGORO CRATER
Ngorongoro Crater is only one of its kind safari destination in Tanzania. With a large concentration of animals and short grasslands, game viewing in the crater is excellent as animals are everywhere!
LOCATION
ABOUT
The jewel in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area’s crown is a deep volcanic crater, which happens to be the largest unflooded and unbroken caldera(collapsed crater) in the world. NCA is a unique protected area in the whole of Africa where conservation of natural resources is integrated with human development.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area offers a 100% sighting of the “Big Five. Most of the game viewing is done on the Ngorongoro crater floor where there is the densest population of animals. While the Lake Magadi area and pools at the Mandusi swamp offer the best opportunity of birding in the Area. With high concentrations of wildlife offering close-range viewing opportunities, Ngorongoro is one of Tanzania’s most visited destinations. Within the walls of the crater you are likely to see lions, elephants, buffaloes and flamingos; and there’s also a chance of seeing black rhinos. Local Maasai have grazing rights and you may come across them tending their cattle. No hunting is permitted in Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA)
Reputed to be one of the wonders of the world and included in the list of Mixed World Heritage Sites in 2010, this 8,292sqkm Conservation Area named after its central feature - the Ngorongoro Crater which is about 20km wide, is the one of the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera. The 260sqkm and 600m deep crater provides an extraordinary natural sanctuary to some of Africa’s densest population of large mammals.
Other important features found in the NCA are the archaeological and paleontological site located at Oldupai Gorge which is reputable as the cradle of mankind where Hominid fossils have been found dating back to 3 million years and the early human foot-prints that were discovered at Laitole in Ngarusi area. Because of these particular features and the harmonious co-existence between wildlife and people that has existed for many years, NCA was accorded the status of a Mixed World Heritage Site. Ngorongoro Conservation Area has a high archaeo-anthropological potential.
CLIMATE
There is much variation in climate within the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area due to the altitude differences throughout the region. There is a dry season from June to October and a wet season from November to May. The wet season is divided into the ‘short rains’ from November to December, and the ‘long rains’ from February to May. It is often cloudy on the highlands and in summer it rains almost every day.
Temperatures in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area vary from 3 degrees to 35 degrees.
WHEN TO VISIT
In the Ngorongoro Crater you can witness game at any time of the year. During the rainy season the animals congregate on the short grass plains to have their young. In turn, this attracts large numbers of predators. Birds abound and wild flowers are in bloom. The rainstorms are dramatic and usually short lived. The cloud formations are compelling to watch as they develop with speed before exploding into a rainstorm.
The dry season also holds it’s own beauty. It is generally accepted that the dry season is a better time for game viewing because the animals are more concentrated along permanent water sources. Within the Crater game viewing is excellent during this time. However, keep in mind that the short grass plains become completely devoid of game during this season.
LOCATION
- The Ngorongoro Crater is part of the Northern Circuit Safari destination of Tanzania. It forms part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
ABOUT
The jewel in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area’s crown is a deep volcanic crater, which happens to be the largest unflooded and unbroken caldera(collapsed crater) in the world. NCA is a unique protected area in the whole of Africa where conservation of natural resources is integrated with human development.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area offers a 100% sighting of the “Big Five. Most of the game viewing is done on the Ngorongoro crater floor where there is the densest population of animals. While the Lake Magadi area and pools at the Mandusi swamp offer the best opportunity of birding in the Area. With high concentrations of wildlife offering close-range viewing opportunities, Ngorongoro is one of Tanzania’s most visited destinations. Within the walls of the crater you are likely to see lions, elephants, buffaloes and flamingos; and there’s also a chance of seeing black rhinos. Local Maasai have grazing rights and you may come across them tending their cattle. No hunting is permitted in Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA)
Reputed to be one of the wonders of the world and included in the list of Mixed World Heritage Sites in 2010, this 8,292sqkm Conservation Area named after its central feature - the Ngorongoro Crater which is about 20km wide, is the one of the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera. The 260sqkm and 600m deep crater provides an extraordinary natural sanctuary to some of Africa’s densest population of large mammals.
Other important features found in the NCA are the archaeological and paleontological site located at Oldupai Gorge which is reputable as the cradle of mankind where Hominid fossils have been found dating back to 3 million years and the early human foot-prints that were discovered at Laitole in Ngarusi area. Because of these particular features and the harmonious co-existence between wildlife and people that has existed for many years, NCA was accorded the status of a Mixed World Heritage Site. Ngorongoro Conservation Area has a high archaeo-anthropological potential.
CLIMATE
There is much variation in climate within the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area due to the altitude differences throughout the region. There is a dry season from June to October and a wet season from November to May. The wet season is divided into the ‘short rains’ from November to December, and the ‘long rains’ from February to May. It is often cloudy on the highlands and in summer it rains almost every day.
Temperatures in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area vary from 3 degrees to 35 degrees.
WHEN TO VISIT
In the Ngorongoro Crater you can witness game at any time of the year. During the rainy season the animals congregate on the short grass plains to have their young. In turn, this attracts large numbers of predators. Birds abound and wild flowers are in bloom. The rainstorms are dramatic and usually short lived. The cloud formations are compelling to watch as they develop with speed before exploding into a rainstorm.
The dry season also holds it’s own beauty. It is generally accepted that the dry season is a better time for game viewing because the animals are more concentrated along permanent water sources. Within the Crater game viewing is excellent during this time. However, keep in mind that the short grass plains become completely devoid of game during this season.