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A thin mist swirls through an enchanted forest of lichen-draped trees. Hundreds of metres below, a hazy expanse of savannah dips towards an oval lake whose edges shimmer pink with countless flamingos. As the mist dissipates, an ant-like formation is revealed weaving slowly across the grassland: A herd of hundreds upon hundreds of wildebeest setting off on its daily perambulations. Another day is breaking over Africa's most spectacular natural arena: the Ngorongoro Crater.
Ngorongoro is the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera, and its 304 sq km floor is the ultimate ‘Big Five’ destination, home to elephant, lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo and other safari favourites. It is the centrepiece of the 8,292 sq km Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), an easterly extension of the greater Serengeti ecosystem whose western plains attract up to 2.5 million antelope, zebras, buffalo and wildebeest seasonally.
As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and an International Biosphere Reserve, the NCA contains many archaeological sites of international importance, and its traditionalist Maasai, Datoga and Hadza communities co-exist alongside the prodigious wildlife. Tourism plays an integral role in the ongoing viability of this vast conservation area, by helping to fund schools, hospitals, roads and other amenities vital to local communities living within its borders.
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 HOW TO GET THERE |
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The usual approach to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is from the town of Arusha, about 180 kilometers (112.5 miles) to the north. The first 80 kilometers (50 miles) are on good tar road, but the rest is on rather poor quality gravel road. The gravel leads to the village of Mto-wa-Mbu, on the edge of Lake Manyara National Park. Petrol and diesel are available in the village. The road climbs to the top of the rift wall, passes through densely populated agricultural land and enters Ngorongoro at the Lodware Gate.
The only other official entry point into the area is from the Serengeti National Park. The distance by road from the park's headquarters to the headquarters of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is 152 kilometers (95 miles) on a fairly good, all-weather gravel road, although this is corrugated in parts. Entry into the Ngorongoro Crater is by four-wheel-drive vehicle only, and all side tracks elsewhere are unsuitable for two-wheel-drive vehicles. Various tracks, largely impassable during the rainy season, enter the area from the north and southwest. These numerous tracks are in remote areas and can be confusing; it is therefore not advisable to negotiate them without being accompanied by a guide. Special permission is required if you enter by any of these alternative routes.
It is also possible to fly in to the airstrip on the crater rim, some three kilometers (1.8 miles) from the headquarters. Details of the various safari companies that offer this service, as well as tours of the northern Tanzanian parks and conservation areas, can be obtained from Holiday Bazaar.
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CLIMATE |
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The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is open throughout the year, but during the rainy season (from November to May), movement may be restricted. Within the crater, itself high densities of game are present all year round, but on the plains, the quantity of game is dictated by the availability of food and water. Even during the height of the dry season (from June to October), you can still expect to see a wide variety of resident mammal and bird species on the western plains. It is during the rains that many game species drop their young, and it is also the best time to see migrant bird species. Each of the seasons has plenty to offer the visitor.
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