The jewel in Ngorongoro’s crown is a deep, volcanic crater, the largest un flooded and unbroken caldera in the world. About 20kms across, 600 meters deep and 300 sq kms in area, the Ngorongoro Crater is a breathtaking natural wonder.

The Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s most famous sights, with the highest concentration of wildlife in the continent. The Crater, sometimes referred to as the “eighth wonder of the world,” has gained international acclaim, attracting an ever-increasing number of visitors each year. You won’t be able to get away from other vehicles here, but you’ll be rewarded with incredible wildlife viewing in a truly breathtaking setting. Ngorongoro is unlike any other place in Africa!

The world’s largest intact volcanic caldera, the Ngorongoro Crater, is located in Tanzania. It is a spectacular bowl that covers about 265 square kilometers and has sides up to 600 meters deep, and it is home to about 30,000 animals at any given time. The crater rim rises to over 2,200 meters above sea level and has its own climate. The tiny shapes of animals making their way around the crater floor far below can be seen from this high vantage point. Most days of the year, swaths of clouds hang over the rocky rim, and it’s one of the few places in Tanzania where it can get chilly at night.

The crater floor is made up of a variety of habitats, including grassland, swamps, forests, and Lake Makat (Maasai for “salt”), a central soda lake fed by the Munge River. All of these different habitats entice wildlife to drink, wallow, graze, hide, or climb. Although animals are free to enter and exit this enclosed environment, the rich volcanic soil, lush forests, and spring source lakes on the crater floor (combined with the relatively steep crater sides) tend to encourage both grazers and predators to stay all year.

Highlights of the Ngorongoro Crater’s Wildlife

Because a small population thrives in this idyllic and protected environment, the Ngorongoro Crater is one of the most likely places in Tanzania to see the endangered Black Rhino. It’s one of the few places in the world where they can still breed in the wild. Leopards and magnificent black-maned lions are also likely to be encountered here. The soda waters of Lake Magadi also attract a large number of flamingos.

Maasai village visits in the Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area was established in part to protect the environment for the Maasai people, who were displaced from the Serengeti Plains. They are essentially nomadic people who construct temporary villages in the form of circular homesteads known as bomas. It is now possible to visit a few of these, which have been made accessible to tourists. You can see how the huts are built in a strict pattern according to the wives’ chronological order, and you can imagine how it must have felt to rely on the warmth and energy of a fire burning in the heart of a cattle dung dwelling with no chimney. These proud cattle herders have a long history as warriors, and despite the fact that they are no longer permitted to build villages inside the crater, they continue to herd their cattle into it to graze and drink, despite the presence of predators.