[vc_row bg_type=”image” bg_image_new=”23830″ bg_image_repeat=”no-repeat” bg_override=”full” parallax_content=”parallax_content_value” parallax_content_sense=”70″ fadeout_row=”fadeout_row_value” fadeout_start_effect=”35″ enable_overlay=”enable_overlay_value” overlay_color=”rgba(12,13,13,0.4)” overlay_pattern=”09.png” overlay_pattern_opacity=”16″ overlay_pattern_attachment=”scroll” css=”.vc_custom_1649340398477{padding-top: 200px !important;padding-bottom: 90px !important;}”][vc_column][boc_heading html_element=”h1″ alignment=”center” color=”#ffffff” margin_top=”20px” font_size=”36px” css_classes=”no_text_transform”]Ngorongoro Conservation Area[/boc_heading][boc_divider divider_width=”100px” divider_position=”center” divider_height=”2px” divider_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.2)” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”12px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Ngorongoro Crater is often called as the ‘Africa’s Eden’ and the ’8th Natural Wonder of the World’. It has as well being declared as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa. A visit to
the crater is a main draw card for tourists coming to Tanzania and a definite world-class attraction. Within the crater rim, large herds of zebra and wildebeest graze nearby while sleeping lions laze in the sun. At dawn, the endangered black rhino returns to the thick cover of the crater forests after grazing on dew-laden grass in the morning mist. Just outside the crater’s ridge, tall Maasai herd their cattle and goats over the green pastures through the highland slopes, living alongside the wildlife as they have for centuries
The name Ngoro Ngoro originated from the sound produced by the bell hanged around the cattle’s neck, famous for being a habitation of Human Being (Maasai Tribe), Domestic Animals (Cattles) and Wild Animals.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][boc_heading html_element=”h4″]Highlights of Ngorongoro Conservation Area[/boc_heading][boc_list_item icon=”icon icon-check-circle”]Spectacular game-dense Ngorongoro Crater[/boc_list_item][boc_list_item icon=”icon icon-check-circle”]Striking scenery and exceptional wildlife viewing[/boc_list_item][boc_list_item icon=”icon icon-check-circle”]A variety of activites including Olmoti climb and hiking Empakaai Crater[/boc_list_item][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][boc_heading html_element=”h4″]Perfect for[/boc_heading][boc_list_item icon=”icon icon-check-circle”]Visiting the iconic Ngorongoro Crater[/boc_list_item][boc_list_item icon=”icon icon-check-circle”]Local Maasai cultural experiences[/boc_list_item][boc_list_item icon=”icon icon-check-circle”]Unmatched game viewing opportunities[/boc_list_item][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The NCA is home to the Maasai people who live cheek by jowl with wildlife. Wildlife and cultural tourism provides an alternative, sustainable, means of revenue for them. Your visit makes a positive difference to these enchanting people.The name Ngoro Ngoro originated from the sound produced by the bell hanged around the cattle’s neck, famous for being a habitation of Human Being (Maasai Tribe), Domestic Animals (Cattles) and Wild Animals.

Wildlife

The pristine Ngorongoro Conservation Area is the jewel in Tanzania’s crown for good reason: the greater NCA area contains over 25 000 large animals and a wide range of bird species. The Ngorongoro Crater is undoubtedly the best place in Africa to see the Big Five, and photo opportunities are superb. The mineral-rich floor of the crater is covered in nutritious grasses, attracting great herds of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo and Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle that can even be seen from the crater rim, swarming across the landscape in great columns. Sightings of black rhino hiding among the fevertrees are common, as are opportunities to spot old bull elephants with magnificent tusks around the Gorigor swamps. Populations of predators are extraordinarily high and lion and cheetah roam freely, and elusive leopard can often be spotted darting in and out of the Lerai forest.
The northern flank of the Olmoti volcano offers good wildlife viewing with possibilities including buffalo, zebra, porcupine, hartebeest, bushbuck, hyena, leopard and elephant (at certain times of the year). Nearby Empakaai Crater is a smaller but similarly impressive crater famous for the thousands of pink flamingo that line the shores of the soda lake on the crater floor.
As well as the spectacular wildlife viewing, the NCA is also renowned for its extraordinary flora and fauna. The region is a botanist’s dream, showcasing a landscape of mountain forests, open grass plains and swampy marshland, each with a splendid variety of vegetation and fern species.

Location

Part of the Serengeti ecosystem, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) joins up with Serengeti National Park and the southern Serengeti Plains in the northwest. The south and west of the area are volcanic highlands, including the famous Ngorongoro Crater and the Empakaai Crater. The southern and eastern boundaries follow the rim of the eastern wall of the Rift Valley, which also prevents animal migration in these directions.
The beautiful, incredibly game-rich Ngorongoro Crater is the main feature of the region and is an iconic natural wonder of the world. The enclosed caldera is an ecosystem in itself within the greater Serengeti: the mineral-rich floor of the spectacular bowl is largely flat and covered in nutritious grasses, providing a paradise for herbivores and predators alike. The Big Five can all be found in the area, as well as an extraordinary concentration of predators.
Beyond the Ngorongoro Crater are the pristine and wild Crater Highlands. This striking range of largely extinct volcanoes is home to the Empakaai Crater, a smaller but equally impressive crater, famous for the thousands of pink flamingo that line the shores of the soda lake on the crater floor. Also in the area is the Olmoti volcano, home to abundant wildlife and a variety of exquisite flora and fauna. The NCA also encompasses the archaeological and palaeontological site located at Oldupai Gorge and the early human footprints that were discovered at Alaitole in the Ngarusi area.

Culture & Community

The Maasai first named the region El-Nkoronkoro, meaning ‘gift of life’, when they migrated from Central Africa in search of a permanent settlement. Wildlife and people have coexisted harmoniously in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area since those early
days, which is why the NCA has been awarded World Heritage Site status, as well as being listed as an International Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Reserve Programmes.
Land in the conservation area is multi-use – the only conservation area in Tanzania that protects wildlife while allowing human habitation. Land use is controlled to prevent negative effects on the wildlife population, and cultivation is prohibited except at subsistence levels.
For chances to immerse yourself in the region’s rich cultural heritage, visit a Maasai homestead. Enjoy local hospitality and be entertained by traditional dancers or test your herding skills alongside Maasai herdsmen as you join them to bring the cattle into the boma. As many of The Highlands’ staff members as possible are hired from the local community. Participating in community visits and visiting local markets are a great way to provide direct benefits to local villagers.
Mount Kilimanjaro[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][boc_heading html_element=”h4″]Below is our list of top sightings in and around the Ngorongoro Crater:[/boc_heading][boc_list_item icon=”icon icon-check-circle”]Lions
[/boc_list_item][boc_list_item icon=”icon icon-check-circle”]Elephants[/boc_list_item][boc_list_item icon=”icon icon-check-circle”]Buffaloes[/boc_list_item][boc_list_item icon=”icon icon-check-circle”]Hippopotamus[/boc_list_item][boc_list_item icon=”icon icon-check-circle”]Giraffes[/boc_list_item][boc_list_item icon=”icon icon-check-circle”]Antelopes[/boc_list_item][/vc_column][/vc_row]