The Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater is called the 8th National Wonder of the World, due to the beautiful pastel colours of the landscape, together with the ever dancing clouds and abundance of wildlife. It shelters close to 25.000 animals including the Big Five and rare black rhino. The beauty of this natural amphitheatre is almost surreal.

Collapsed volcano

The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest collapsed volcano, forming a bowl of 265 square kilometres with sides up to 600 metres deep. The collapse also created a unique combination of elevations and ecosystems that have become home to the most famous species of African wildlife. The crater’s edges are covered in woodland and forest, merging into an open grassland of small streams. The conditions in the crater, with enough rain and sun, holds everything African wildlife needs to exist and do well.

All big wildlife

The crater is a smaller version of the natural life in East Africa. It is home to a diverse amount animals including elephants, black rhinos, hippos, buffalos, zebras, warthogs, baboons, wildebeests and gazelles. With so many grazers, open and vulnerable on the short grasses, predators also flourish within the crater. Leopards, hyenas and jackals can be found on the crater floor and in the woodland as well as the densest population of lions in the world. There are also more than 200 bird species like ostriches, ducks and flamingos.

Variety of flora

The crater floor is mainly open grassland with two small wooded areas. To the north is a shallow soda lake called Lake Magadi with open grasslands. To the east you will find Gorigor Swamp and the Ngoitokitok Springs where pods of hippos are to be found. Finally there is the Lerai Forest, which is mainly consists of yellow fever trees.

Activities

Game drives in the Ngorongoro Crater, Olduvai Gorge and surrounding attractions. Hiking treks through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Best time to go

All year round. To follow the wildebeest migration, December-July. To see predators, June-October.

Tip from Lomo expert

If you leave the crater on time, at the end of the afternoon, you can witness the sun go down behind the ridge of the crater. The sky changes from blue, to pink, to orange. A beautiful sight.