Serengeti or Ngorongoro Conservation Area which is better?

Serengeti or Ngorongoro Conservation Area which is better?

In northern Tanzania, there are two captivating wildlife sanctuaries – Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. As per our bookings, these two places make the bucket lists of about 70% of Tanzania safari travelers. And there’s a good reason for that. The Serengeti is equally renowned for its age-old ecosystems and heart-stopping events that happen every year. Despite having a similar concentration of wildlife, the two destinations differ in certain aspects. In this article, we compare these two world-famous destinations.

Wildlife

Both have incredible wildlife. But Serengeti takes more credit for its never-ending wildebeest migration. The event features three groups of ungulates – wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles, all moving from the south to the north. And during this journey, they face many challenges that endanger their life, including a variety of predators, such as lions, leopards, hyenas, and Nile crocodiles, diseases, and hunger.

The Serengeti is globally known for its highest density of predators, especially the big cats. It’s a wonderful place to watch these large cats do their patrol on wildebeest and zebra herds. Add to that the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and black rhino). But due to the size and habitat of the Serengeti, seeing a black rhino can be challenging.

The Ngorongoro CA has high animal density compared to the Serengeti. The conservation area is home to the Ngorongoro Crater, a 264-sq-km caldera filled with more than 25,000 animals. And more importantly, there are excellent chances of encountering the Big Five in one day. Apart from the crater (which is a magnet to visitors), the area has many animals, such as giraffes, elephants, lions, and the newly introduced white rhinos.

Although the Serengeti takes more credit for the Great Migration, there’s an overspill into the Ndutu area of the Ngorongoro CA. This region is located just south of the crater, and it’s where the calving season begins. This migration is best experienced from January to March. Expect to see many calves on the fertile Ndutu plains.

To conclude, both Serengeti and Ngorongoro have unique wildlife. The former is wide while the latter is compact. We recommend staying longer, at least three days  in the Serengeti. One day is enough for the Ngorongoro Crater.

Size and habitat

Serengeti spans 14,763 km2, which is almost two times bigger than the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which is 8,292 km2 in size. Wide, stretched savannah plains dominate the Serengeti. These grass-rich plains bear the name of this park: the Maasai named it “siringit,” which means endless plains. Apart from plains, the park also boasts acacia-studded woodlands, rivers, valleys, and rolling hills, especially in the north,

Ngorongoro CA has an array of habitats. The volcanic eruptions left highlands and craters, such as Ngorongoro, Olmoti, and Empakai. Ngorongoro Crater is the largest of all craters in the area and the main drawcard. Empakai is mainly a swampy caldera with a soda lake taking about 75% of its floor. It’s ideal for hiking and watching animals, such as elephants, buffalo, and flamingos. Olmoti is excellent for hiking. Ngorongoro also has fertile plains in the Ndutu area, which border the Serengeti in the south.

Unique features.

The Serengeti is unique for its year-long wildebeest migration. People love it because of its wide-open plains that make wildlife viewing much easier. You can watch lions chasing their prey with less effort – just staring from the window. Another thing is the highest density of predators, which makes the Serengeti unique.

Ngorongoro CA is unique in that you can tick the Big Five in one. Black rhinos are frequently spotted in the crater, usually hiding in fever trees. On top of that, there are Maasai villages within this multiple-use area. These nomadic pastoralists coexist with wildlife, and there’s no problem. They only eat livestock, not wild animals. And they have captivating traditions worth exploring.

Ngorongoro also has several historical sites worth visiting. The Olduvai Gorge, for example, is living evidence that ancient human beings lived here. The Leakeys excavated the remains of ancient human beings dating more than 2 million years ago. Moreover, Laetoli Footprints also display footprints of the earliest bipedal human beings.

Accessibility

Both are highly accessible by flight and road. Serengeti has many flights to and from Arusha and Dar es Salaam. This park has plenty of airstrips – including Seronera, Grumeti, Kogatende, and Fort Ikoma. Alternatively, you can fly into private airstrips found in the private concessions, such as Sasakwa Airstrip, Mwiba Airstrip, and Klein’s Airstrip. Ngorongoro CA has one airstrip – Ndutu Airstrip – in the south that receives flights from entry points like Arusha, Dar es Salaam, and other airstrips within Serengeti National Park.

Regarding travel by road, the Serengeti is very close to Ngorongoro. And if you’re driving from Arusha, you’ll first pass through this culture-rich area before reaching the Naabi Hill Gate. The drive takes about 5 to 6 hours.

Costs

The Serengeti is bigger than the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. As mentioned, the former is approximately two times bigger than the latter. Therefore, you’ll have to stay longer (at least three days), which increases the cost of your Tanzania safari. On the other hand, Ngorongoro CA is more compact compared to the Serengeti. Practically, you need just one or two days to explore this fantastic wildlife expanse. However, a Ngorongoro Crater descent fee of $295 per vehicle is charged.

In conclusion, Ngorongoro Conservation Area is more affordable than the Serengeti because you can explore it in no more than two days. The cost also varies based on the number of days you choose to spend descending into the crater floor.

There’s no winner in this comparison. And by the way, they complement each other—you explore the Serengeti migration for say two days and then the Ngorongoro Crater. Combining them makes a fantastic journey.