Tanzania > Arusha > Ngorongoro National Park
Ngorongoro National Park
S 3°17.923', E 35°35.547'
2024-08-03
Our rating: 6.60
Overall rating: - Rate this place - 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Ngorongoro is a unique place. In terms of diversity and number of animals, it is certainly inferior to the Serengeti, there are about 25000 animals, compared to millions in the Serengeti, but in Ngorongoro, all the animals live in one place and they are easy to see. It has the highest concentration of predators in all of Africa. Check this link to find who lives here https://www.safaribookings.com/ngorongoro/wildlife . For general information on Tanzania, read this link . Ngorongoro is a huge volcanic caldera, with a lake in the middle. It is 600 meters deep and over the years a unique habitat for animals has formed inside, as most cannot get out. Ngorongoro is at an altitude of more than 2 kilometers. Tourists can spend the night in three places:On the edge of the caldera with a view These are very expensive and good lodges, however there is a nuance. At the top there are often clouds, for example in two days we never visited the viewpoints due to the clouds. As a result, you can be in an expensive lodge but in the fog. Also you won't have to wake up too early and you'll get to the caldera the fastest. And at an altitude over 2 kilometers it is still better to sleep in a lodge than in a tent.Outside the caldera, but at altitude These tent camps are much cheaper, though, since you sleep in tents and not in lodges, in the morning it will be very cold. The descent into the caldera is only 10-20 minutes longer.Down in the valley, for example near Lake Manyara Here you can stay in very nice lodges with swimming pools and for relatively little money. However, you will have to get up very early in the morning and drive more than two hours to the caldera. Plus wasting time in front of the main gate. We spent the night at the Ngorogoro Tortilis Camp and can't say anything bad about it. It is located 20 minutes from the main road, but that is acceptable. It was cold at night, about 10 degrees Celsius.
Ngorogoro Tortilis Camp ©Yuriy Buriak
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
In the morning we got up at 5am, had breakfast and drove to the caldera.
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
While driving, the sky was clear, but above the caldera the sky was already covered with clouds. This is the view we were able to photograph.
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
There are several viewing platforms on the edges of the caldera and if you are luckier you will see this view . In the caldera itself we saw a huge number of zebras and gnu antelope, thousands. In the Serengeti we have not seen such a number of animals, perhaps we would have seen them if we had gone to the Great Migration.
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
There are also a lot of lions in Ngorongoro, saw them 6-7 times during the safari. We did not see leopards, although they are here.
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
Saw buffalo and rhino, which are among the big five.
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
Rhinos were only seen on the big zoom, that's the only way to see them this time of year.
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
Everyone is looking at the rhinos who are walking a kilometer away.
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
Saw zebra cubs, which is unusual, as offspring mostly appear in spring, and we were in August.
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
Nice Pumbaa
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
More animals and birds
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
Ngorongoro National Park ©Yuriy Buriak
Tags, Tanzania: safari Tags, all countries: safari
- Rate this place -
Location : ------------ 1 - Far beyond the settlements, you must spend minimum a day 2 - Near the small town, you need to walk long distance 3 - Can be reached only by car 4 - A small town with a poor public transport 5 - Outside the settlements, but with excellent transport links 6 - A small town with excellent transport links 7 - Medium-size city 8 - Suburb of the capital or major city, the ability to reach by public transport 9 - Big city 10 - Capital
Impressions : ------------ 1 - No point in visiting 2 - Boring, wasted time 3 - You can visit, if you have a lot of free time and nothing better to do 4 - A lot of things, but not so interesting 5 - It seems to be interesting, but hard way to spoil the impression 6 - There is something interesting, but the rest is not worth the attention 7 - Probably interesting, but for everybody 8 - Very cool, but difficult to see everything and long-distance trails 9 - Very cool, but there are similar facilities in other locations 10 - Very cool, this is not anywhere else
Number of tourists (weekend afternoon) : ------------ 1 - Crowds, impossible to see everything normally 2 - A lot of tourists, a long wait 3 - A lot of tourists, the organization is lame 4 - A lot of tourists, but good organization 5 - There are many tourists, but they are concentrated in one place and you can walk freely 6 - Many tourists everywhere, but the large space is compensated 7 - The average number of tourists. To photograph, you must wait 8 - Tourists are, but they do not interfere 9 - There are few tourists 10 - You are alone
State : ------------ 1 - Only title left 2 - Dull ruins 3 - On restoration 4 - The picturesque ruins 5 - Have not been restored, the state is poor 6 - Partially destroyed, but the rest of the normal state 7 - Have not been restored, good condition 8 - OK, but it is possible to make better 9 - Looks good from the outside, partial repair inside or without repair 10 - In excellent condition, well-groomed area
Picturesque (for the photographer) : ------------ 1 - - 2 - - 3 - Horrible background, normal pictures only from the top 4 - wires and cars do not allow make normal photo 5 - Interfere with foreign objects 6 - In the city, but more or less normal photo can be made 7 - Beautiful, but you can take pictures with just one point 8 - Very nice, but you can only shoot at a certain time 9 - Very nice, but hard to get to the good weather or permanently interfere with tourists 10 - Very nice, but occasionally interferes with the weather or tourists
* - Note: Description of the evaluation is not always appropriate for a particular object, it's just a little help
Our rating - 6.60
Location : ------------ 1 - Far beyond the settlements, you must spend minimum a day 2 - Near the small town, you need to walk long distance 3 - Can be reached only by car 4 - A small town with a poor public transport 5 - Outside the settlements, but with excellent transport links 6 - A small town with excellent transport links 7 - Medium-size city 8 - Suburb of the capital or major city, the ability to reach by public transport 9 - Big city 10 - Capital
Impressions : ------------ 1 - No point in visiting 2 - Boring, wasted time 3 - You can visit, if you have a lot of free time and nothing better to do 4 - A lot of things, but not so interesting 5 - It seems to be interesting, but hard way to spoil the impression 6 - There is something interesting, but the rest is not worth the attention 7 - Probably interesting, but for everybody 8 - Very cool, but difficult to see everything and long-distance trails 9 - Very cool, but there are similar facilities in other locations 10 - Very cool, this is not anywhere else
Number of tourists (weekend afternoon) : ------------ 1 - Crowds, impossible to see everything normally 2 - A lot of tourists, a long wait 3 - A lot of tourists, the organization is lame 4 - A lot of tourists, but good organization 5 - There are many tourists, but they are concentrated in one place and you can walk freely 6 - Many tourists everywhere, but the large space is compensated 7 - The average number of tourists. To photograph, you must wait 8 - Tourists are, but they do not interfere 9 - There are few tourists 10 - You are alone
State : ------------ 1 - Only title left 2 - Dull ruins 3 - On restoration 4 - The picturesque ruins 5 - Have not been restored, the state is poor 6 - Partially destroyed, but the rest of the normal state 7 - Have not been restored, good condition 8 - OK, but it is possible to make better 9 - Looks good from the outside, partial repair inside or without repair 10 - In excellent condition, well-groomed area
Picturesque (for the photographer) : ------------ 1 - - 2 - - 3 - Horrible background, normal pictures only from the top 4 - wires and cars do not allow make normal photo 5 - Interfere with foreign objects 6 - In the city, but more or less normal photo can be made 7 - Beautiful, but you can take pictures with just one point 8 - Very nice, but you can only shoot at a certain time 9 - Very nice, but hard to get to the good weather or permanently interfere with tourists 10 - Very nice, but occasionally interferes with the weather or tourists
* - Note: Description of the evaluation is not always appropriate for a particular object, it's just a little help
Visitor's rating - 0.00
Location : ------------ 1 - Far beyond the settlements, you must spend minimum a day 2 - Near the small town, you need to walk long distance 3 - Can be reached only by car 4 - A small town with a poor public transport 5 - Outside the settlements, but with excellent transport links 6 - A small town with excellent transport links 7 - Medium-size city 8 - Suburb of the capital or major city, the ability to reach by public transport 9 - Big city 10 - Capital
Impressions : ------------ 1 - No point in visiting 2 - Boring, wasted time 3 - You can visit, if you have a lot of free time and nothing better to do 4 - A lot of things, but not so interesting 5 - It seems to be interesting, but hard way to spoil the impression 6 - There is something interesting, but the rest is not worth the attention 7 - Probably interesting, but for everybody 8 - Very cool, but difficult to see everything and long-distance trails 9 - Very cool, but there are similar facilities in other locations 10 - Very cool, this is not anywhere else
Number of tourists (weekend afternoon) : ------------ 1 - Crowds, impossible to see everything normally 2 - A lot of tourists, a long wait 3 - A lot of tourists, the organization is lame 4 - A lot of tourists, but good organization 5 - There are many tourists, but they are concentrated in one place and you can walk freely 6 - Many tourists everywhere, but the large space is compensated 7 - The average number of tourists. To photograph, you must wait 8 - Tourists are, but they do not interfere 9 - There are few tourists 10 - You are alone
State : ------------ 1 - Only title left 2 - Dull ruins 3 - On restoration 4 - The picturesque ruins 5 - Have not been restored, the state is poor 6 - Partially destroyed, but the rest of the normal state 7 - Have not been restored, good condition 8 - OK, but it is possible to make better 9 - Looks good from the outside, partial repair inside or without repair 10 - In excellent condition, well-groomed area
Picturesque (for the photographer) : ------------ 1 - - 2 - - 3 - Horrible background, normal pictures only from the top 4 - wires and cars do not allow make normal photo 5 - Interfere with foreign objects 6 - In the city, but more or less normal photo can be made 7 - Beautiful, but you can take pictures with just one point 8 - Very nice, but you can only shoot at a certain time 9 - Very nice, but hard to get to the good weather or permanently interfere with tourists 10 - Very nice, but occasionally interferes with the weather or tourists
* - Note: Description of the evaluation is not always appropriate for a particular object, it's just a little help