Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Ngorongoro is situated 2 hours from Lake Manyara or 3 hours from Arusha. I debated long time on staying on the rim vs close by village. Read lot of articles about traffic at the Ngorongoro entrance, drive in the morning, fog, views etc., Finally choose Ngorongoro Farm House.
Ngorongoro Farm house was amazing with vegetable farms, coffee plantation and relaxing environment. Very fresh food.
Flowers , vegetables and coffee plantation with in the farm house. They have tours to explain and guide to walk with us.
Evening snacks, entertainment and dinner.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest inactive, intact and unfilled volcanic caldera part of Ngorongoro Conservation Area of Tanzania. It’s also known as ‘the Garden of Eden’. The Maasai have given Ngorongoro Crater its name, meaning “the black hole” . Crater is 610 metres (2,000 feet) deep and its floor covers 260 square kilometres (100 square miles).
This is not a National park. The main difference between National park and conservation area is, in conservation area people can live and there are around 40K Masai people living together with incredible amount of animals. Black Rhino is main attraction in this area.
As the sun begins its gentle ascent each morning, a veil of mist unfurls over the rim of the crater, casting a spellbinding aura that beckons you to embrace the day ahead within its captivating confines. Stepping into the crater is akin to stepping into a realm lost to time, where an enchanting array of wildlife awaits discovery – from the noble black rhino and the majestic lion, to the graceful elephant and the elusive spotted hyena, all set against the breathtaking backdrop of the crater walls adorned in lush greens. Yet, the magic extends beyond the crater floor, as the rim offers a world of its own – with verdant forests, teeming wildlife, and the vibrant traditions of Maasai villages waiting to be explored. It’s an experience that promises to captivate and inspire, making it a destination of unparalleled reward for any traveler seeking the extraordinary.
Our drive was bumpy. Road to the crater is an introduction to the bumpy ride. Heard this would be worse in the rainy season with pot holes. Fog all around us. We started early after breakfast and packing our lunch. It was a cold day in the crater. It started with full fog and slowly by afternoon it got cleared.
So many animals in one spot. From lions to buffalo to zebras in the Ngorongoro crater is filled with wildlife. This has the densest populations of large mammals in Africa. Due to its enclosed nature, the Ngorongoro Crater has effectively formed its own ecosystem. The were many cool animals like the ostrich and pumba. We saw a lion cross in front of us and Lion tried hunting a buffalo.
There was a picnic site open to tourists and a huge swamp fed by the spring and the area is inhabited by hippos. Only place we were allowed to get down for wash rooms or rest rooms and Lunch break.
Lions walking and hunting Buffalo…
Buffaloes
Wildebeest and Zebras are together most of the times..
Break for lunch with hippos in the water…
We have seen plenty of lions, Buffaloes, Zebras, Hyenas, Warthog, Ostrich, Elephants, Hippos, Gazelles, Impalas and Jakael. No Black Rhino today. As they say game drive is a game. You might win or loose. The time we stay at each place is very short and you might see what you wish for or you might miss some. We still hoped to see the Rhino on our next part of the trip.
Realized there were no Giraffe in the Crater, seems like due to steep descent they can’t go there.
Summary of animal sightings:
Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Hippo
Wildebeast, Zebra
Hyena, Pumba(Warthog), Jakael
Ostrich, Gazelle , Impala
