Ngorongoro Crater Tour
Ngorongoro crater tour
Ngorongoro crater tour : Ngorongoro crater is located is an attraction site located in the northern part of Tanzania. The destination is highly visited by tourists at different times of the year and the Ngorongoro crater is also known for the world’s largest inactive, unbroken and unfilled volcanic caldera.
The Ngorongoro conservation area is made up of diverse and beautiful scenery, with various species of wildlife and birds. It also consists of vegetation such as mountain forests, woodlands, grasslands, lakes, swamps and two major rivers.
The different factors which attract people to visit the Ngorongoro conservation area include the following;
Ngorongoro crater
The Ngorongoro crater is a major feature at the conservation area which is visited during tours. The crater was formed as a result of volcanic activity over 2 million years ago which led to the collapse of a volcano and formation of a caldera.
Wildlife species
Numerous wildlife species can be seen during a tour around the Ngorongoro crater and these include leopards, cheetahs, elephants, hyenas, warthogs, buffalos, impalas, rhinos, lions, wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, hippos, hartebeest, waterbucks, reedbucks and many others.
The Ngorongoro crater also has about 65 to 75 lions which can be seen around the grassy plains during wildlife viewing activities such as game drives. Many endangered species of wildlife such as the black rhinos also live in the crater.
Hippos can also be seen in the southern part of the Ngorongoro crater. Ngorongoro conservation area is also a big 5 destination where lions, leopards, rhinos, buffalos and elephants can be spotted while on a tour.
Ol duvai gorge
Ol duvai gorge has been described as a prehistoric site in the Ngorongoro conservation area where the evidence of fossils of human species was discovered.
This archaeological site consists of a steep ravine found on the walls of the great rift valley where the fossils were discovered dating back to millions of years ago and was discovered by Dr Louis and Mary Leakey.
This archaeological site offers information and a better understanding about human evolution. Visits to the museum are organized for tourists to know more about the findings at the Ol duvai gorge.
Conservation efforts
A number of initiatives are put in place to reduce the effect of tourism on the surroundings in Ngorongoro conservation area such as the kope lion project to foster coexistence of the lions and humans in the Ngorongoro conservation area.
Bird watching
Birding experiences in Ngorongoro conservation area is very rewarding as over 400 bird species can be spotted around the destination during a tour. The various bird species of Ngorongoro include ostriches, black kite, Livingstone turaco, black winged lapwing, lesser flamingo, African spoonbill, rufous tailed weaver, starlings and many others.
This experience is best done during the months of November to April when migrant bird species can be spotted around Ngorongoro conservation area.
Calving season
Another experience which takes place in the Ngorongoro conservation area is the calving during the wildebeest migration around the Ndutu area. Over 8000 wildebeest calves are born during the calving season and can be spotted as they graze in the savannah plans at the destination.
The wildebeest migration takes place annually and is the movement of over 2 million wildebeests at different times of the year in search of greener pastures and water. Predators such as lions, leopards and cheetahs can also be seen around the herds of wildebeests as wait to prey on the young wildebeest since they can’t protect themselves.
Maasai people
In the Ngorongoro conservation area during a tour, apart from the numerous wildlife species and various attractions tourists can also interact with the Maasai people who live in Ngorongoro and graze their livestock among the savannah plains.
Interactions with the Maasai is also another experience while on a tour around the Ngorongoro conservation area as tourists enjoy getting to know more about the culture of the Maasai and also engaging in activities such as watching cultural dance performances, listening to native melodies and many other forms of entertainment as well as other cultural aspects.
Lake Magadi
Ngorongoro conservation area also has attractions such as Lake Magadi which is an alkaline lake found in the crater. Flocks of flamingos can be seen along the shores of the lake during a tour around the destination.
Strategic location
The Ngorongoro conservation area is also strategically located close to Serengeti national park making it convenient to have safaris to both destinations during a tour around the northern part of Tanzania. It is also part of the northern safari circuit of Tanzania which includes lake Manyara national park, Tarangire national park and Serengeti national park.
To get to the crater area, there are different routes which are used and they include Lemala, Seneto and Lerai route. These routes are used during tours around the destination and also for descend and ascend in the Ngorongoro crater.
To get to the Ngorongoro conservation area while on a tour or safari, different means of transport are used and they include driving from Arusha to the destination and another option is flying from Arusha airport or Kilimanjaro international airport to Lake Manyara airstrip and driving to the destination.
Variety of safari activities
During tours or safaris around the Ngorongoro conservation area, numerous wildlife species can be seen and include game drives, guided nature walks, community visits and bird watching experiences.
The best time for engaging in wildlife viewing around the Ngorongoro conservation area is the dry season around June to October when different wildlife species can be spotted.
Camping
Among the different accommodation options during a safari around the Ngorongoro conservation area is camping which is an exciting experience since wildlife species like buffalos, zebras among others can be seen close to the campsites.
The campsites around Ngorongoro conservation area include Simba public campsite which is located at the crater rim. Other accommodation options around Ngorongoro conservation area include budget lodges, midrange lodges and luxury lodges.
There are lodges located in the Ngorongoro conservation area and also in the neighboring towns such as Karatu.
