Only 75 miles west of Arusha, one of Tanzania’s main cities lies the Ngorongoro Crater, the world's largest inactive, intact and unfilled volcanic caldera. The floor of the caldera measures between 10 and 12 miles across and is surrounded by very steep heavily forested sides that rise up 2,000 feet to the crater’s rim at an elevation of 7,500 feet. Perched on the rim you will find a few safari lodges and camps offering incredible panoramic views of the crater. As you wind down the steep dirt road switchbacks to the crater’s floor you enter a UNESCO World Heritage site which is home to some 25,000 species and the largest concentration of big mammals on the planet. Here you will easily find the Big Five (Rhinos, Leopards, Elephants, Lions, Cape Buffaloes) as well as Wildebeests, Spotted Hyenas, Warthogs, Giraffes, Jackals Hippos, Zebras, Monkeys, Serval cats, Caracals as well many types of Antelopes and birds.

While the caldera’s floor is mostly open grassland there are many discrete ecosystems such as thick forests, swamps, a lake and a shallow soda lake habitat to great flocks of pink Flamingos. With breathtaking scenery and unparalleled wildlife viewing and easy access the Ngorongoro Crater attracts a very large number of tourists every year, the only negative about the Crater. While its makes for a long day when visiting the Crater is best be at the park gates before they open at 6am and stay till they close at 6pm having a bush breakfast and lunch on the Crater floor. A day or two in the crater will leave you with a lifetime of memories.




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