Ngorongoro Crater - the best 1 day safari experience in Africa!

wendy1773
Apr 21
5 min read

I often get asked where I would go if I only had one day for a safari in Africa. The answer is simple—Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania! It is arguably the best one-day all-round safari experience you can have. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a vast and untouched protected area teeming with the densest wildlife populations on earth. It boasts breathtaking landscapes, mountains, the world’s largest unbroken caldera, a rich history of human evolution, and so much more. It is also one of Africa's Seven Natural Wonders due to its stunning natural features. You simply must visit to see and believe it!

Getting There

After breakfast, we were met by our guide, 'Big James,' at our accommodation. James, our gentle giant, was our guide and driver for the next four nights as we travelled from Arusha to the Ngorongoro Crater and then onto the Serengeti National Park. The journey to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area covers approximately 180 kilometres and takes just over three hours, making the Crater an easy drive from the safari capital of Arusha.

Big James with my son who was 10 at the time.

Leaving Arusha behind, we travelled through the little town of Mto Wa Mbu and then past Lake Manyara National Park. Soon, we began the climb up to Karatu and to the edge of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. While James took care of the formalities for the conservation area entry and permits, we enjoyed a wander around the visitor's centre. It was a great opportunity to familiarise ourselves with the history and geological story of Ngorongoro Crater and the broader conservation area.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Jumping back into the vehicle, we continued further up into the highlands. We pulled over at a crater viewpoint—my family's first chance to take in the sight of the crater! To give you an idea of its vastness, the crater has a diameter of approximately 20 kilometres, an area of 260 square kilometres, and a depth of about 600 metres. Formed over 2.5 million years ago, the Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest intact and unfilled volcanic caldera. It is home to over 25,000 animals, including the big five: elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, lions, and leopards. Other animals found in this crater include hippos, hyenas, warthogs, zebras, elands, gazelles, and wildebeests, just to name a few.

A viewpoint on the crater rim affording views of the Ngorongoro Crater floor below

Geological records show that the cone of the volcanic caldera collapsed inwards, forming what is currently known as a crater. The crater takes its name from a Maasai phrase, ‘orgirra le kkorongorro,’ which means “Big Bowl.” A misspelling of the phrase led to the name 'Ngorongoro,' which remains to this day.

Our Accommodation

While there are campgrounds and lodges dotted along sections of the crater rim, there are no accommodation options on the crater floor itself. Some seasonal tented camps exist partway up the crater rim, and it was at one of these tented camps that we spent the night. This allowed us to have an afternoon game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater, followed by a morning game drive the next day.

The view from the front deck of my tent - a beautiful place to greet the morning with a cup of tea!

Our tented camp contained just nine tents, along with a communal dining and lounge tent and an outdoor fire pit. The staff were incredibly welcoming and produced amazing food and memories. One of my favourite amenities of the camp was the 'talking' shower. Each safari tent was equipped with a couch, two large beds, and an ensuite complete with a flushing toilet and a shower. Upon checking into camp, we confirmed our shower time. Right on time, we could hear a voice sing out from behind our tent, "Are you ready for your shower?" When we replied yes, we could hear the camp staff filling our shower bucket with beautiful warm water and hoisting it up into place using chains. From there, the call came back, "Shower is ready!" Turning on the tap inside, we were treated to a lovely warm shower in the middle of the bush. Further calls of "Is the temperature okay?" and "Would you like a longer shower?" ensured we were suitably showered and ready for dinner. Coming back to our tent after dinner, we found our bed had been pre-heated with hot water bottles to ensure we were cozy and warm.

Our tented camp complete with the very luxurious 'talking shower.'

Game Driving

Game driving in Ngorongoro Crater is a surreal experience. It feels like driving through a zoo, but with no fences or enclosures. As the world's largest inactive caldera, there is plenty of room for the 25,000 mammal inhabitants to roam. The soils around the Ngorongoro crater are rich in nutrients, supporting the growth of numerous plants that are for both human and wildlife consumption. This abundance attracts animals, including mammals like zebras and gazelles, to settle in this area. With such an abundant food supply, the predators exist in good numbers too. As there is a reliable water source, even in dry seasons, animals in Ngorongoro do not have to move away from the crater to look for water.

The Ngorongoro Crater has a unique terrain endowed with alkaline lakes, highland areas, and vibrant forests. Each of these habitats supports different species. For example, blue baboons usually live around the forested areas, while flamingos thrive on the algae on the crater rims. The acacia woodlands provide refuge for elephant herds, and the swamps and marshlands are habitats for hippos and buffaloes. Therefore, each habitat in this park contributes to the survival of various species.

Always a plethora of game with the beauty of the crater wall in the background.

While the Ngorongoro Crater has a lot of animals, there are some mammals that you will not find, such as giraffes, impalas, topis, crocodiles, and African wild dogs. The reason for this is the crater itself, which acts as a physical barrier. The crater's terrain is characterized by steep ridges, and because of the open woodlands, animals like impalas don’t prefer staying in such vegetation. Since the Ngorongoro Crater has many wild animals, there’s competition for resources, and animals like the African wild dogs do not settle in this area due to the presence of many predators.

Final Thoughts

Unlike in other national parks where numerous game drives are required to spot the big five, travellers can spot all these animals in just one game drive in Ngorongoro. This is due to the high concentration of most of these animals around the crater floor and the open terrain of the Ngorongoro Crater. All of this is combined with the stunning backdrop of the ever-present crater rim!

If you're looking for an unforgettable experience, I highly recommend visiting Ngorongoro Crater. It’s a place that will stay in your heart long after you leave.