Regarded as the 8th wonder of the world. Granted the status as a World Heritage Site in 1978 and an international biosphere reserve in 1981, it is one of the most diverse and fascinating areas of Tanzania. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) is home of Ngorongoro Crater. It was formed from a volcanic mountain sinking due to inactivity, and is thought to be once higher than Mt Kilimanjaro. The crater has evolved into a unique and integral part of Tanzania's eco-system.
NCA is not a national park, but a conservation authority administered by the government of Tanzania. Due to the diverse nature of the area the conservation authority is attempting to co-ordinate the many needs of the people accessing it. Main conservation projects include wildlife, people and culture, forestry, archaeological and pre-historical, education and obviously tourism. The area is in such demand by all the aforementioned factors, that there a definite need to manage these areas viably. Visitors are therefore requested to respect the rules laid down by authorities to preserve this naturally rich area. Because of the fragile environment inside the crater, overnight stays and walking safaris inside of the crater are prohibited.
Visitors often pay the ultimate compliment to Ngorongoro Crater saying "It's like a zoo". Yes, in the amount of animals and their indifference to safari vehicles it can seem like a zoo although the animals are left entirely on their own for meals and the animals are free to enter and exit the crater. With such a large variety and amount of animals roaming freely in such a relatively small area means the conservation efforts are working, and also indicates that there is no poaching, as animals are not afraid of human activity. Picture taking is easy here since the animals are not timid and the crater wall makes a fantastic backdrop. Regulations allow only half day inside of the crater but this is sufficient since the crater can be easily seen in this span of time.
The crater is actually a caldera, measures 22.5 km across and the rim walls stand 600m high. Views from within and from the rim are breathtaking. The crater houses 30 000 animals, and a large variety of birds, which rarely move from the area due to the availability of water through wet and dry seasons. Black Rhino, which are on the endangered list, can be found scattered throughout the base of the crater. Visitors are almost guaranteed to get a look at one of these spectacular animals. This is also one of the few places where the 'big five' (elephant, buffalo, rhino, lion and cheetah) can be found in a small area. For those who don't know, the big-five were given this name due to the extreme danger and cunning these posed to early hunters. Buffalo for example, have a habit of playing dead after being shot. Once the hunter approaches to see his 'kill' the buffalo rises and mauls the intended killer to death. The main water source for the animals in the crater is Lake Makat. In and around this lake are thousands of lesser flamingos. The lake is pretty much right in the center of the crater.
When we are talking about the Ngorongoro conservation area authority, how we can miss the jewel placed in the crown of Ngorongoro? It’s a deep crater of the volcano which is also the biggest unbroken and un-flooded caldera located in this world. This crater is 600 meters deep and covering an area of 300 sq km. when it comes to Ngorongoro conservation area authority, breathtaking natural scenes appear first in mind!
A short trip down the road and one will encounter the "Shifting Sands". This is volcanic sand formed into a dune, and drifts along in its exact same shape down a large plain forced forward by continuous winds. These sands have religious significance to Maasai, and its progress has been marked back as far as 1969. The beauty of the area cannot be put into words. From ancient volcanic activity, all around one can see hills, mountains, kopjes and plains. From the rim of the crater one can see to the Southeast, Oldeani Mountain. Water collects in the mountain's ragged crater and flows down into Lake Eyasi. On the northern side, one will come across Makarut Mountain, with Sadiman on its shoulder. Makarut can be seen as a landmark from anywhere in the Serengeti plains. Sadiman Mountain is an old volcano whose ash preserved the Laetoli footprints. Another mountain to the north is Olmoti. Rainwater is also caught in here, and feeds the Mandusi Swamp, which in turn feeds Lake Makat, in the center of the Ngorongoro Crater. From the rim of another crater called Empakaai, one can see the striking cone of Tanzania's most recent and still active volcano, Oldoinyo Lengai. The last eruption of the volcano was in 2006. The volcano can be climbed in one day (see the mountain page).
During late November or December through to May / early June, lines of wildebeest (sometimes up to 40km long) can be seen on a journey which can be up to 800 km long. These vast herds of grunting and snorting animals consume a staggering 4000 tones of grass each day. Hot on their heels you will find the ominous and ever present lion, cheetah and hyena. They are particularly interested in the calving season that coincides with the migration off the plains. In a period of only 3 weeks, some 400 000 cows give birth. Unlike most antelopes who seek cover, wildebeest prefer to calve in open terrain, which provides another breathtaking spectacle. These new calves provide easy pickings for larger scavengers and cats. This is the reason why wildebeest calves are able to be up and running within 4 minutes of birth. A wildebeest can delay birth by up to a month in order to time the birthing with the rest of the herd. The short and synchronized mass birthing increases the survival rate of the calves. The best time to witness this is between the end of January to February.
Lava Peaks Adventures is a local company owned by two Tanzanians with broad experience in the tourism industry and related fields. One of the owners, Ramson Swai is an established mountain ..
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