Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a park and UNESCO World Heritage site in Northeast Tanzania. It contains an old volcano that has collapsed and formed a crater (caldera). The steep sides of the crater have become a natural enclosure for a wide variety of wildlife.

History
Considered to be "the cradle of humanity".

Landscape
The Ngorongoro Crater is geologically speaking not a crater, but a collapsed volcano. It is a natural "utopia" for East African wildlife, and thus is rich in a wide diversity of animals. Roughly 100 square miles (260 km²) of savanna is completely encircled by a mountainous ring which is covered in dense jungle. Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unbroken caldera in the world, with a diameter of roughly 21 kilometers. The walls of the crater rise on average 600 meters above the floor. The rim of the crater is approximately 2 200 meters above sea level.

The Ngorongoro Crater is located in a highland area, called the Ngorongoro Crater Highlands, and is the largest of three major craters/calderas in this area; the other two are Empakai Crater and Olmoti Crater.

Flora and fauna
Lions are in the highest density in the world in the crater, so there is a good chance of seeing them. There are herds of wildebeest, zebra, and a lot of buffalo and Grants' gazelles too. This is one of the best places in East Africa to see a Black Rhino. Hippos and flamingos are seen in Lake Magadi. Hyenas are a common predator, and cheetahs are frequently seen. Leopards are in the conservation area but rarely seen, along with Wild Dogs. The crater is a special protection area for rhinos.

Climate
Ngorongoro Crater is, due to its altitude, a lot cooler than most areas in northern Tanzania. The rim of the crater experience chilly nights and mornings, especially between May and August and temperatures are moderated through out the year. The floor of the crater can on days with little wind become quite hot in the afternoons, especially in the hot months between October and March. The Ngorongoro Crater has distinct dry and rainy season with the rainy season being from mid-November to mid-May, but a slightly drier period in January and February and the dry season between mid-May and mid-November. The dry season is not entirely dry however, rain does occur. Due to rain patterns in East Africa, where rain mostly comes from the east, there is actually quite a significant difference between the eastern and the western, outer, slopes of the crater, with the western side being noticeably drier. The eastern side is dominated by forests and quite dense vegetation where as the slopes on the western side of the crater is open and quite dry savannah.

Get in
Most people come to Ngorongoro from Arusha on organized safaris. It is, however, cheaper to organize a safari from Karatu, a town 10 km from the gates. Here you can organize a safari with an independent driver. If using an independent driver, the profit will go to an individual Tanzanian instead of a larger safari company, however these vehicles are less reliable and are known to have parts fall off while driving around the crater. That can add or detract from your experience, depending on what you're looking for.

Fees and permits
For foreigners: No credit cards or cash are accepted, payment by prepaid TANAPA card only.
 * US$70.80 per person/day.
 * US$295 per car/day (not a car full of people, just the car.)

For Tanzanians it's Tsh 15,000 per day. Most of the locals believe that the bulk of the park fees go into pockets.