Ngorongoro conservation area safaris

Ngorongoro conservation area safaris : One of the world’s wonders, is Ngorongoro Conservation Area and recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is a stop on the northern safari circuit and is located in Tanzania’s northern region. It is located roughly 153 kilometres west of Arusha, Tanzania’s popular safari destination. Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Conservation Area is an excellent location to go a safari. It is a component of Serengeti ecosystem, and this conservation area and the southern Serengeti National Park intersect in the Ndutu region. Ngorongoro Conservation Area lies directly adjacent to the Serengeti National Park. The distances between the Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and Arusha national parks are 139, 213, and 50 km, respectively, from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

The main safari destination in the region is the Ngorongoro Crater. It is 260 square kilometres in size and 2,000 feet deep, making it the largest intact volcano caldera in the world. Ngorongoro Crater was created by a volcanic explosion and collapsed between two and three million years ago. Ngorongoro Crater was designated a World Heritage site of global significance in 1979 because to its exceptional qualities. Other stunning Tanzania safari destination in the Ngorongoro reserve area, aside from the crater, are highlights of Tanzanian safaris in this region. Known as the “cradle of man,” Oldupai or Olduvai Gorge is one of these characteristics. Paleoanthropologists Louis and Mary Leakey discovered the remains of the earliest humans on Earth in the 1950s at the enigmatic archaeological site known as Olduvai Gorge. In the Ngorongoro conservation area, there are also Laetoli footprints, Nasera rock, and the Olduvai Gorge Museum.

Ngorongoro conservation area extends all over the area of 8,292 square kilometers with landscape comprised of an array of natural features such as lakes, craters, swamps and many more. The Gol Mountains, Mount Lolmalasin and Losirua, Lake Ndutu, Lake Maseke, Olkarien Gorge, Mandusi swamp, Gorigor swamp, Ngoitokitok springs, central plains, Lerai forests, Rumbe hills, Ngoitokitok crater, and the shifting sands are among the locations where to be found. The majority of the Ngorongoro conservation area’s core plains are grasses inside the crater. In the Ngorongoro conservation region, Tanzania’s central plains are a fantastic location for game viewing safaris because they are home to a diverse array of animals.

Safari activities to do in Ngorongoro conservation area.

Game drives.

Because it offers excellent views of animals in action, Ngorongoro Conservation Area is the ideal safari spot for a Tanzanian game viewing safari. Through the verdant trees to the crater floor, a 4X4 vehicle can take you to the Ngorongoro conservation area, where you can witness animals.

On a game drive, you can observe creatures via the windows of the vehicle, including lions, spotted hyenas, cheetahs, leopards, black-backed jackals, golden-backed jackals, waterbucks, Bohor reedbucks, elands, warthogs, hartebeests, wildebeests, serval cats, elephants, and black rhinos.

Bird watching.

An essential stop on a Tanzanian birding tour, Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a birdwatcher’s delight. Over five hundred species of birds, both migratory and resident, inhabit the marshes, lakes such as Lake Magadi, grassland plains, and woodland areas of this region. On a birding safari in Ngorongoro conservation area, a variety of bird species are spotted, including hornbills, turacos, goshawks, harriers, ostriches, Kori bustards, crowned cranes, secretary birds, African spoonbills, capped wheatears, eastern double-collared sunbirds, Egyptian vultures, fan-tailed widow birds, Hartlaub’s turacos, red and yellow barbets, scarlet-chested sunbirds, white-eyed salty flycatchers, and many more. Finding lesser flamingos and other water birds on Lake Magadi, a salt lake on the crater floor, is the highlight of a bird viewing safari in the Ngorongoro Reserve.

Walking safaris.

Tanzania walking safaris should definitely visit Ngorongoro Conservation Area because it’s an incredibly gratifying and thrilling destination to be. In the Ngorongoro reserve region, walking safaris are an excellent opportunity to explore the many tourist safari attractions while accompanied by a safari guide. You can take a variety of walking tours in the Ngorongoro conservation area, including strolls around Lake Eyasi, hikes to the Empakaai crater, crater rim walks, ascents up the Olmoti volcano, and short walks.

These one to four-hour excursions provide stunning views of the crater bottom along with plenty of birdlife in the dense vegetation. It takes a whole day to go to the Empakaai Crater through the surrounding forests. The route to ascend the Olmoti volcano’s flanks begins from the highlands camp and travels through meadows, mountain forests, and rocky outcrops until arriving at the volcano’s top. Take a half-day stroll through Maasai community and along Lake Eyasi’s shoreline.

Archaeological tours.

Archaeological trails in Ngorongoro conservation area offer views of numerous archaeological sites. Two instances of these locations are the Laetoli footprint and Olduvai Gorge. Because it contains some of the oldest remnants of Homo sapiens, Olduvai Gorge is referred to as the “cradle of humanity”. There is a museum at Olduvai Gorge that houses a collection of items that Dr. Leakey and his wife discovered there, as well as rooms dedicated to Oldupai and Laetoli. Paleoanthropologists Louis and Mary Leakey discovered a fossil in Olduvai Gorge in the 1950s. Archaeological tours in the Ngorongoro protected area offer views of this fossil.

Camping safaris.

Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Conservation Area is the ideal location for a camping safari. Numerous public and private campsites are available for usage, with a few situated along the edge of Empakaai Crater. In the Ngorongoro conservation area, designated campsites are often spacious and equipped with necessities for campers, such as food outlets. Conversely, public campsites are typically used by hikers and offer fewer facilities, such as showers and toilets. Reservations for camping safaris within the Ngorongoro conservation area can be made at the Authority’s offices.

Cultural tours.

Visitors can witness the fascinating Maasai tribe on cultural tours in the Ngorongoro conservation area. The Maasai people are among the best groups to see on a cultural tour of Tanzania since they have a distinct culture that hasn’t been greatly impacted by technology and modernity.  Travellers can discover more about the beliefs, habits, and laws of the Maasai people by taking a Tanzania cultural tour in the Maasai towns that border the Ngorongoro conservation area. Other traditional Maasai pastimes include raising cattle, taking tours of the cultural Bomas, tasting native cuisine, and donning shukas and exquisite handcrafted jewelry like large, vibrant necklaces.

Where to stay in Ngorongoro conservation area.

There is a wide assortment of lodges and camps in the Ngorongoro conservation area that offer three different levels of accommodation: luxury, midrange, and budget. Neptune Ngorongoro Luxury Lodge, Ang’ata Ngorongoro Camp, Neptune Ngorongoro Tented Camp, Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Lion’s Paw Cam, Ngorongoro Forest Tented Lodge, Hhando Coffee Lodge, Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge, Ngorongoro Rhino Lodge, Ngorongoro Oldeani Mountain Lodge, and many more lodging options can be found in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

How to get to Ngorongoro conservation area.

Both air and road transport are available for getting to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The popular Tanzanian tourist destination of Arusha is located roughly 173 kilometres away from the conservation area. You can take a car from Arusha to Loduare Gate, which is close to Karatu town. On the northern safari tour, there are additional routes to reach the Ngorongoro Conservation Area from locations such as Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, and numerous more locations.

By air, direct flights or locally chartered flights are the two ways to reach Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Direct flights are also available to Kilimanjaro International Airport, which is 46 kilometres distant and serves as the entrance to the town of Arusha. You can fly locally from Kilimanjaro International Airport to the Ngorongoro or Lake Ndutu airstrips. Coastal Aviation, Zan Air, Air Tanzania, Precision Air, Regional Air, Safari Air Link, and Zan Air all provide domestic chartered flights to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.