Ngorongor Conservation Area
A UNESCO protected World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is situated some 190 km. west of Arusha, between Lake Manyara and Serengeti National Parks. Covering approximately 8,292 square km, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area consists of the Ngorongoro Crater itself, the Olduvai Gorge and Ndutu, the Empakai crater and the Oldonyo Lengai Mountain. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a pioneering experiment in multi-purpose land use where people (the Maasai), their livestock and wildlife coexist and share the same protected habitat. Wild animals are protected as in the National Parks. The craters of Ngorongoro and Empakai are reserved exclusively for wildlife, while the rest of the Conservation Area is shared by wildlife, people and livestock. The Maasai, the main residents of Ngorongoro, are pastoralists who move widely with their herds of cattle, sheep, goat and donkeys in search of pasture and water. In recent years the Maasai have been encouraged to work on the land and supplement their traditional diet of milk and meat.
The Ngorongoro Crater, which is the central attraction in the area, is the largest Caldera in the world that has its walls intact. The Ngorongoro Crater floor, a sheer drop of 610 metres below the crater rim, has an area of 304 sq. km, with a diameter of 19 km. The sight of the Ngorongoro Crater is simply stunning. “It is impossible to give a fair description of the size and beauty of the Crater, for there is nothing with which one can compare it. It is one of the Wonders of the World…” once wrote Professor Bernhard Grzimek. The crater floor is home to tens of thousands of plains animals, including wildebeest, zebra, gazelles, elands, and a large predator population of lions, hyena and jackal which can all be viewed at close quarters. The rare black rhino can be viewed here, and if you are lucky you can see cheetahs and leopards. The rainy season is between November and May. The altitude at the crater rim is about 2286 meters above sea level, and temperatures can get quite chilly in the evening, especially between May to September.
Ndutu
Ndutu is located in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, in the southeastern plains of the Serengeti ecosystem. The plains around Ndutu are the main holding ground for migratory animals where vast herds congregate and linger for more than four months, from December to April, before they start moving across the Serengeti in search of greener pastures and water. The Ndutu area forms an important part of the Serengeti ecosystem, in particular the short grass plains which provide calving grounds for wildebeest and other migratory animals.
How To Go There
Ngorongoro Conservation Area can be well-connected by airways or roadways.
- Roadways:Ngorongoro Conservation Area is about 455.5 km from Mwanza and a 2-3 hours drive from Arusha which is 160 km away, while it is 140 km away from the Seronera area of Serengeti National Park.
- Airways:Charter flights are available from Mwanza International Airport to the Ngorongoro airstrip.
Activities Inside The Park
At Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a variety of activities can be done during your visit. Below a few are outlined:
- Game drive
- Walking Safari on the Rim of the Crater
- Camping along the rim of the Crater
- Maasai cultural tour
- A Visit to the shifting sands
- A Visit to the Olduvai Gorge Museum
What Animal Will You See?
- Approximately a large concentration of 25,000 animals can be spotted in Ngorongoro Conservation Area such as the black African buffalo or Cape buffalo, hippopotamus, zebra, gazelles, cheetah, East African wild dog and African leopard, the rare hyenas the blue wildebeest, Waterbucks or crocodiles.
- The “Big Five” is the main attraction here..