Which is better Ngorongoro or Serengeti?

Which is better Ngorongoro or Serengeti?  When visiting Tanzania for safaris around the north, destinations like Serengeti national park and the Ngorongoro crater are among the top destinations sort after during wildlife viewing tours.

During the safaris in Tanzania, some tourists choose between engaging in a safari around Serengeti national park or the Ngorongoro conservation area while other decide to explore both destinations as they look out for various wildlife species.

Ngorongoro is smaller in size as compared to Serengeti national park making it easier to spot the wildlife species during a safari. Serengeti national park is a vast savannah national park covering over 14,750 square kilometers.

Serengeti national park also has many parts such as the northern part, the central part or Seronera area, the southern plains and also the western part of Serengeti national park. Safaris can be carried out in the individual parts of the national park during wildlife viewing experiences in the northern part of Tanzania.

The wildebeest migration takes place in both Serengeti national park and in the Ndutu area in the Ngorongoro conservation area which makes both these destinations ideal for wildlife viewing during a Tanzania safari. This migration takes place annually and around the Ndutu area, the wildebeest herds can be seen around January to March which is a time for the calving season when over 8,000 wildebeest calves are born.

Wildebeest migration safaris in Serengeti national park can also be carried out around June, July and August around the northern and western parts of the national park where river crossings take place along Grumeti river and Mara river. Around April and May, the wildebeest migration can be seen around central part of Serengeti national park.

There is so much to see during a safari around Serengeti national park and also in the Ngorongoro conservation area. Some of the attractions around the Serengeti national park include the Seronera valley where many wildlife species can be seen during a safari, the hippo pool, Mara river which is a crossing point for wildebeests during the wildebeest migration around Serengeti national park and the river crossings also take place along the Grumeti river.

Around the Ngorongoro conservation area, some of the attractions which can be seen during a safari include the Ol duvai gorge, the Empakaai crater and Olmoti crater and the Maasai can also be encountered during safaris around Ngorongoro conservation area.

Safaris to the Ngorongoro conservation area involve driving into the crater where the wildlife species can be seen as well as various bird species like flamingos. Tourists descend about 600 meters into the crater to explore the crater floor in search of wildlife species.

Tours can also be carried out around the crater rim during safaris around the Ngorongoro conservation area when visiting Tanzania. There are different ways to explore the Ngorongoro conservation area and they include driving in 4×4 safari vehicles and also on foot with an armed ranger guide.

Activities which are carried out around Serengeti national park and the Ngorongoro crater during safaris are also similar and they include game drives, nature walks, bird watching and hot air balloon safaris.

Wildlife species which can be seen around the Ngorongoro conservation area and in the different parts of Serengeti national park during safaris include the big five such as elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos and buffalos and other wildlife species like waterbucks, giraffes, impalas, kudu, gazelles, zebras, hyenas, hippos, hartebeests, cheetahs among others.

In terms of distance and drive time during a Tanzania safari, Serengeti national park is further as compared to Ngorongoro conservation area which is about 4 hour’s drive from Arusha which is a starting point for safaris around destinations in the northern part of Tanzania.

Another difference between Serengeti national park and the Ngorongoro conservation area is the fees paid for entrance during safaris. Park entrance fee for Serengeti national park is 82.6 USD for non-residents above the age of 16 years while in the Ngorongoro conservation area nonresidents are charged entrance fee of 71 USD. There is also a crater fee charged per vehicle for safaris to the Ngorongoro crater.

Both Serengeti national park and the Ngorongoro conservation area can be accessed by driving and flying. The different airstrips where flights land around Serengeti national park include Seronera airstrip, Kogatende airstrip, Kirawira airstrip, Sasakwa airstrip, Ndutu airstrip, Lobo airstrip among others.

Those with more days for safari around Tanzania can visit Serengeti national park and explore the different parts of the national park as they search for wildlife species due to the vast size of the national park. Both Serengeti national park and the Ngorongoro conservation area are home to numerous wildlife species that can be seen during safaris.

Apart from Serengeti national park and the Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania safaris can also be done in national parks like Tarangire national park, Lake Manyara national park, Arusha national park and also around Kilimanjaro national park among others.

There is a lot more to experience when visiting Tanzania including the coastal area where islands like Zanzibar island can be visited on safari as well as other wildlife viewing destinations found in the western and southern parts of Tanzania.