The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest intact and unfilled volcanic caldera and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area’s main tourist attraction. It is the largest and most scenic crater in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with a large concentration of wildlife. It is also one of Africa’s Seven Natural Wonders due to its breathtaking natural features. The Ngorongoro Crater is known as a home to over 25,000 animals, including the big five; elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, lions, and leopards.
Other animals found in this crater include hippos, hyenas, warthogs, zebras, elands, gazelles, and wildebeests, just to name a few. This makes Ngorongoro Crater probably the best site in Tanzania to spot and watch the big five as well as other wild species more easily.
The crater rim and its floor provide the best viewing and photographing opportunities. History records that the crater was the ideal spot on the planet where humans and nature interacted more closely than anywhere else; and today, one can actually glance at the settlements and cemeteries of the area’s earliest occupants.
Geological records show that the cone of the volcanic caldera collapsed inwards, forming what is currently known as a crater. The site is named after a Maasai phrase, ‘orgirra le kkorongorro,’ which means “Big Bowl.” Earlier documentation of the area misspelled the word ‘kkorongorro’ into today’s Ngorongoro with its intricate depth ‘caldera/crater,’ resulting in Ngorongoro Crater.
The Ngorongoro Crater is a peculiar geographical feature with diverse habitats such as grasslands, swamps, rivers, and woodlands; making it uniquely abundant in wildlife and vegetation. It is a natural formation that allows animals to freely wander in and out throughout the year and is well-known for being a better place where local and international tourists can interestingly observe wildlife behavior more easily than any other place.
Geologically, the Ngorongoro Crater was formed approximately 2.5 million years ago when a massive volcano (nearly the size of the present-day Mt. Kilimanjaro) burst and collapsed as a result of continuous tectonic activities and movements. The area covers almost 260 square kilometers, has a diameter of approximately 20 kilometers, and is a massive volcanic caldera that collapsed to a depth of 610 meters.
Game Drive, Filming, Photographic Safaris, Birdwatching, Nature walks, Bush dining, Sun downing
