Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Ngorongoro crater has the highest density of wild animals anywhere in the world. It is also the world’s largest inactive, intact volcanic caldera. Topography is stunning and you can get really close to the animals. We reached Ngorongoro from Serengeti driving through some very nice scenery and coming across giraffes moving between Ngorongoro and Serengeti.

Camel on the road from Serengeti to Ngorongoro, Tanzania
Camel on the road from Serengeti to Ngorongoro, Tanzania
Giraffe on the road from Serengeti to Ngorongoro, Tanzania
Giraffe on the road from Serengeti to Ngorongoro, Tanzania

We arrived to the lodge on the rim of the crater as the sun was starting to go down. Sunset over the Ngorongoro crater was spectacular as we watched clouds pouring over the rim and rays of lights reflecting in the lake at the bottom of the crater.

Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Driving down to Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Driving down to Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania

After very nice breakfast watching the sunrise over the crater we started the game drive. Ngorongoro is a very popular tourist destination and the crater does get quite busy with the vehicles. Animals do not seem to be disturbed by this though and we could get very close to them. We saw herds of wildebeest, zebra, all kind of antelope, wild hogs, buffalo, black-backed and golden jackals.

Wildebeest herd, Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Wildebeest herd, Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Wildebeest, Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Wildebeest, Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Waterhog and buffalos in Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Waterhog and buffalos in Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Zebra in Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Zebra in Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Golden jackal, Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Golden jackal, Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Black backed jackal, Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Black backed jackal, Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania

We were lucky to see caracal though it was a little in a distance. Then we came across a lion on the road walking past parked vehicles. We saw a pride of 8 or 9 lions in a distance and they went hunting wild hogs. Wild hogs got away and looked hilarious running with their tails straight up like antennas. We then saw 3 more lions sleeping. Elephants and hippos are plentiful and we saw a rhino but it was really far away.

Caracal inNgorongoro crater, Tanzania
Caracal inNgorongoro crater, Tanzania
Lion walking past tourist vehicles in Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Lion walking past tourist vehicles in Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Lion in Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Lion in Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Elephants in Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Elephants in Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania

Bird life is very good as well with all the greenery and water.

Grey crowned crane in Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Grey crowned crane in Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Pelicans in Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Pelicans in Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Kingfishers in Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Kingfishers in Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Hoopoe in Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania
Hoopoe in Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania

We had only one day in the Ngorongoro and had to leave the crater by about 1:30 since we had to be out of the park gate by 3pm as we had one 24 hour permit. We overnighted in a hotel not far from the gate outside of the park and then headed past Lake Manyara to Tarangire national park for one more game drive and 4th park on this trip.

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