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The Ngorongoro Crater, at 2,286m
above the sea level, and is the largest unbroken caldera
in the world. Ngorongoro is 199km away from Arusha town,
which is surrounded by very steep walls rising at 600
meters from the crater floor. The crater as been declared
a world Heritage Site. Ngorongoro Crater lies within
the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which covers by Lake
Eyasi in southwest and the Gol Mountains in north. Olduvai
Gorge is located within the Ngorongoro Conservation
Area, it here that Dr Louis Leakey discovered the remains
of Homo habilis or "handy Man" regarded as
mankind's first step on the ladder of human evolution.
The gorge is about 50km long, and at its deepest, close
to where the main archaeological sites, visitors viewing
platform and museum are located. It is about 90km deep.
To the north of this, the gorge becomes shallower. The
best time to visit the crater is throughout the year.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is
a huge area containing active volcanoes, mountains,
archeological sites, rolling plains, forests, lakes,
dunes and of course, Ngorongoro Crater and Olduvai Gorge.
 
The views at the rim of Ngorongoro
Crater are sensational. On the crater floor, grassland
blends into swamps, lakes, rivers, woodland and mountains
- all a heaven for wildlife, including the densest predator
population in Africa. The crater is home to up to 25,000
large mammals, mainly grazers - gazelle, buffalo, eland,
hartebeest and warthog. You will not find giraffe as
there is not much to eat at tree level, or topi, because
the competition with wildebeest is too fierce, nor will
you find impala. The crater elephants are strangely,
mainly bulls. There are a small number of black rhinos
here too. The birdlife is largely seasonal and is also
affected by the ratio of soda to fresh water in Lake
Magadi on the crater floor.
Three Rhinos— Ngorongoro, Tanzania. January, 2007
In the northern, remote part of the
Ngorongoro Conservation Area, you will find Olmoti and
Empakaai Craters, Lake Natron and Oldoinyo Lengai, Mountain
of God, as named by the Maasai. Lake Natron is the only
known breeding ground for East Africa's flamingoes.
The ruins of a terraced stone city
and complex irrigation system lie on the eastern side
of Empakaai - the Engakura Ruins. Their origins are
a mystery as there is no tradition of stone building
in this part of Africa
ITINERARY
CRATER HIGHLANDS 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS
Days
1 and 2. Ngorongoro
Drive to Lake Manyara, famous for its tree-climbing
lions lounging in its scenic acacia trees. Into the
Ngorongoro Crater, the extinct volcanic caldera famous
for its numerous animals - elephants, lions, leopards,
buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and countless bird varieties.
It really is a sight to behold and the views from the
crater rim looking down onto the expanse below are unforgettable.
Camp at a small Maasai village.
Days 3 and 4. The Empakaai Crater
Walk across the Embulbul depression through beautiful
desolate scenery following cattle trails along grasslands
to the Empakaai Crater rim. Again, the views from here
looking down into the crater are stunning with densely
forested walls dropping steeply to the turquoise lake
filling the floor below. Descend into the crater - there
is a good chance of some excellent wildlife spotting
as the Maasai's herds are not allowed to graze here
and the lake is often surrounded by huge flocks of flamingos.
Walk on to Naiyobi, a chance for close contact with
the locals in this isolated village. This is an area
seldom visited with no vehicular access. Continue along
grassy ridges, and rocky escarpments passing remote
Maasai huts through really harsh, wild and beautiful
landscapes to the soda lake, Lake Natron and its colourful
resident birdlife. Plains Zebra drinking, Ngorongoro
Crater
Day 5. Oldoinyo Lengai
Optional climb up Oldoinyo Lengai. For those that feel
fit enough it is an early start (in darkness to avoid
the midday heat) up the challenging, hot climb along
exposed paths and gullies to the ashy rim of the volcano.
The views of the Crater Highlands are awe-inspiring
and the 360 degrees landscape creates a very beautiful
setting. Alternatively, there are some wonderfully refreshing
waterfalls and the whole of the Lake Natron area to
explore.
Days 6.
Homeward
Return to Arusha through further rugged scenery.
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