Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater is frequently referred to as “Africa’s Eden” and the “8th Natural Wonder of the World.” It is a primary attraction for tourists visiting Tanzania and is considered a world-class destination. The crater’s interior is home to large herds of zebra and wildebeest, while lions can be seen lounging in the sun.

At dawn, the endangered black rhino returns to the thick cover of the crater forests after grazing on dew-laden grass in the morning mist. Just outside the crater’s ridge, tall Masaai herd their cattle and goats over green pastures through the highland slopes, living alongside the wildlife as they have for centuries.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area encompasses the famous crater, Olduvai Gorge, and vast expanses of highland plains, scrub bush, and forests that cover approximately 8300 square kilometres. It is a protected area, with only indigenous tribes such as the Masaai allowed to reside within its borders. Lake Ndutu and Masek, both alkaline soda lakes, are home to rich game populations, as well as a series of peaks and volcanoes, making the Conservation Area a unique and beautiful landscape.

The crater itself, a type of collapsed volcano known as a caldera, is the main attraction. Accommodation is located on its ridges, and after a beautiful descent down the crater rim, passing lush rainforest and thick vegetation, the flora opens to grassy plains throughout the crater floor. The game viewing is truly incredible, and the topography and views of the surrounding Crater Highlands are out of this world.

This magical place is also home to Olduvai Gorge, where the Leakeys discovered the hominoid remains of a 1.8 million-year-old skeleton of Australopithecus boisei, one of the distinct links of the human evolutionary chain. In a small canyon just north of the crater, the Leakeys and their team of international archaeologists unearthed the ruins of at least three distinct hominoid species, and also came upon a complete series of hominoid footprints estimated to be over 3.7 million years old. Evacuated fossils show that the area is one of the oldest sites of hominoid habitation in the world.

The Ngorongoro Crater and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area are undoubtedly some of the most beautiful parts of Tanzania, steeped in history and teeming with wildlife. Besides vehicle safaris to Ngorongoro Crater, Olduvai Gorge, and surrounding attractions, hiking treks through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area are becoming increasingly popular options. Either way, the Crater Highlands are an unforgettable part of the Tanzanian experience.