Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater is a breathtakingly beautiful setting and the best place in East Africa to see the Big Five. It is a great way to start your African safari adventure. However, as one of the world’s most astonishing and renowned natural wonders, the Ngorongoro Crater does get busy, and at times very busy. Due to the crowds we recommend a two-night stay only here, then moving on to the Serengeti for a quieter, more private safari experience.

The Ngorongoro Crater and surrounding highlands together form one of Africa’s most beautiful regions. Volcanic craters form stunning backdrops to some of the most fertile and richest grazing grounds in Africa. The most famous such crater is without question Ngorongoro, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera and home to the highest density of big game in Africa. Ngorongoro is justifiably one of the continent’s most famous safari destinations.

Wildlife in Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater is home to a variety of mammals, including the “big five” (black rhinoceros, elephants, buffaloes, lions, and leopards), large carnivores (hyenas, wild dogs, and cheetahs), herbivores (wildebeest, which are migratory animals found in the Serengeti-Masai Mara ecosystem; Elands, Zebras, Antelopes, and Giraffes), Primates (Velvet monkeys and baboons), Hippopotamus, among others. With the exception of giraffes, the majority of animal species can be found on the crater floor and in other locations nearby.