Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Overview

A UNESCO protected World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area covering an area of 8292 sq km consists of the Ngorongoro Crater itself, Empakai Crater, Oldupai Gorge, and Ndutu including the short grass plains of the south eastern Serengeti ecosystem. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a pioneering experiment where people (the Maasai), their livestock and wildlife co-exist and share the same protected habitat.

The stunning spectacle of the Ngorongoro Crater, with its steep walls falling some 610 metres to the floor, is undoubtedly one of the highlights of a safari tour in Tanzania. “It is impossible to give a fair description of the size and beauty of the Crater for there is nothing with which one can compare it.

It is one of the Wonders of the World…” once wrote Professor Bernhard Grzimek. The crater floor is home to thousands of plain animals, including the rare black rhino, zebra, wildebeest, gazelles, hippos, eland, elephants, and a large predator population of lions, hyena, and jackal.

Accommodation

Visitors to Ngorongoro can stay in luxury lodges, Simba A public campsite, community campsites, special campsites and permanent tented lodges within Ngorongoro. Camping is permitted at the designated sites such as Ngorongoro crater rim, Ndutu, Lemala and Empakaai crater rim.

Camping fees must be paid for 24 hrs periods. It is best to make booking for established campsites well in advance as they are very popular! There are four lodges situated on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater namely; & Beyond Ngorongoro, Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge, Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge and Ngorongoro Serena Lodge.

Others are Ngorongoro Rhino Lodge, Ndutu Lodge, Oldupai Tented lodge, Tanganyika wilderness camp, Highland camp and Esidai Community Lodge.

In addition, outside the NCA in the nearby town of Karatu there are guest houses, lodges, inns and campsites which are more variable in the facilities they provide. We have included a link on our website which has a handful of reputable tour operators and hoteliers who can help you make the most of your safari in Ngorongoro and indeed in Tanzania

Dining and Other Amenities

Ngorongoro Conservation Area hosts restaurants such as the Ngorongoro WildCamp. It is located in the side of Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the Karatu area. Coming from Arusha, it is about 140 km .

The mobile camp is composed of 20 comfortable tents with capacity to accommodate 2 guest each, and a large dining tent. African cuisines are served in this wildcamp.

Activities

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area offers a wide range of activities which include game drives & wildlife viewing, birding, visiting the maasai and the Tanzania’s last bushmen, hiking the Gol Mountains and many more.