How to plan a safari in the majestic Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Encompassing the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater, which is the largest caldera in the world, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a UNESCO World Heritage-listed landscape in the Crater Highlands of Tanzania. It’s home to a staggering diversity of wildlife, as well as the “Cradle of Mankind” at the Olduvai Gorge where one of the earliest known specimens of the human genus was discovered.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is one of the world’s first “multi-use areas” where wildlife coexists with semi-nomadic Masai pastoralists who practice traditional livestock grazing. It’s a spectacular destination to visit, with a wide variety of accommodation options ranging from wild camps to luxury lodges, while being within close proximity to the Serengeti National Park, Tarangire National Park and Lake Manyara National Park along what’s been dubbed the “Northern Circuit”

What animals can you see in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area?

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a wildlife hotspot, with the crater alone home to around 25,000 large animals, including the “Big 5” (black rhinoceros, elephants, lions, leopards and Cape buffalo). Because of the natural boundaries created by the crater, the lion population is one of the densest in Africa but also relatively inbred, as few migrating males enter the gene pool.

But there are also immense numbers of blue wildebeest, Grant's zebra and elands, as well as Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelles. If you’re visiting during the wet season, you can expect to see far fewer wildebeest and zebra than in the dry. But in exchange, the buffalo and eland populations increase as these species migrate into the crater’s natural enclosure with the coming of the rains.

While cheetahs and East African wild dogs are present in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, they are rarely seen. Spotted hyenas and servals are sometimes sighted, however, with the help of an experienced guide’s keen eye. The crater is also renowned for its flamingo population, particularly around Lake Magadi in the southwest where thousands of lesser flamingos can be seen feeding in the shallows.

Aside from the crater, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area encompasses the wildlife-rich Ndutu Lake area in the west of the reserve, which is renowned for its sightings of cheetah, hartebeest, spotted hyenas and lions. If you want to see the annual wildebeest migration passing through, plan your visit around December as the herds are moving south or June when they’re heading north towards the Masai Mara. 

Both the Ngorongoro Highlands and the crater offer excellent bird watching, with more than 500 different species recorded. In addition to large birds such as ostrich and crowned cranes, you can also spot white-eyed slaty flycatcher, Livingstone turaco and a range of specialised grassland birds that are resident in the crater. If you visit between November and April, you’ll also witness a number of migratory species who make the long journey from Europe and Asia.

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