Northern Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater in northern Tanzania is understandably regarded as the eight Natural Wonder of the World and quite rightly so. This unique World Heritage Site is the largest intact caldera in the world and with its walls standing proudly at over 2,000 feet it is estimated that its original height would have overshadowed Mount Kilimanjaro.

The floor of the crater covers an area in excess of 100 square miles and provides a sheltered haven for nearly 25,000 animals including all of the Big Five (elephant, buffalo, rhino, lion and leopard). Aside from wildebeest and zebra which migrate away from the crater during the wet season, all of the resident wildlife are more than happy to stay put throughout the year. The only animal notably absent from the Ngorongoro Crater is the giraffe which apparently find the walls too steep to negotiate.

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the Ngorongoro Crater is the fact that man and beast have survived alongside one another here for centuries. The local Maasai often graze their cattle on the fertile crater floor with barely a flicker of the tail from the perilously high concentration of lion which inhabit the open plains.

The Ngorongoro Crater has dramatically increased in popularity over the last two decades and it can be quite a busy place with high numbers of safari vehicles during peak season. Our advice is – don’t be put off as this is a “must see” on any northern Tanzania itinerary and with a good choice of comfortable accommodation in the area, combines perfectly with Tarangire, Lake Manyara and the Serengeti.

Some of our clients’ favourites properties in the Ngorongoro Highlands:

Crater Lodge is undoubtedly the most opulent accommodation in the area and is perched right on the rim of the crater within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The design of the lodge was inspired by the traditional Maasai manyattas and each of the thirty luxurious suites has with spectacular views down into the crater.

Plantation Lodge is located amongst the coffee plantations in the lush green hills around Karatu just outside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. With sixteen individually styled suites, good food and a warm welcome, this is one of the best small lodges in the area.

Gibbs Farm is a characterful working farm located on the slopes of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, mid-way between Lake Manyara and the crater. There are twenty cosy cottages all of which have recently been upgraded to even higher standards than before. One of the features of Gibbs Farm is its “Farm Life” program where guests are given an insight into the interesting history and culture of a working coffee farm.

Crater Lodge

Gibbs Farm

Plantation Lodge

The Infamous Migration

The Migration; over a million Wildebeest, Zebra and Thomson’s Gazelles continually strive for sustenance on the Serengeti Plains. The annual migration of these animals does not follow a set time and route, however an educated guess can lead you to what is considered by many to be the greatest show on earth.

One of the wildebeest’s favourite haunts is the short grassy plains of the southern Serengeti. It is here during February and well into March that several hundred thousand calves are born, an event intensified by the numerous predators that wait in anticipation in the wings. As the area’s resources are gradually exhausted the herds will move away from these hallowed plains as late as they can with plans to return as soon as possible.

The routes taken by the herds are not well worn pathways with last year’s hoof prints to lead the way, they are ever changing. Millions of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle go forwards, backwards, to the sides, they mill around, split up, join forces, walk in a line, in groups, they spread out, and often they just hang around.

One can never predict with certainty where the migration will be and when; the best you can do is draw on past experience.

From May onwards, the short rains subside and the vegetation begins to recede. The southern and eastern area of the Serengeti is no longer the best location for a growing herd, and the exodus starts with a few hundred wildebeest taking their first steps towards the northern and western plains in search of lush pastures and a more dependable water source.

By early July the first wildebeest could already have reached the Mara River, ready to brave the crocodiles laying in waiting for them to cross into Kenya’s Masai Mara National Park. Not all of the herd cross the river. Some remain in the Serengeti. Some cross and – as if tempting fate – re-cross again for no apparent reason. However, the majority of the wildebeest, zebra and gazelle will reside in the Mara until October, when it is inevitably time to head back.

The infamous crossing of the Mara river buy large numbers of the migrating herds is elusive, rapid and unforgettable. The wildebeest almost show a fear of the river, it is clear that they are aware a danger lurks beneath the surface. The herd will mill around and procrastinate contentedly until some subliminal trigger ignites a sudden outbreak of mayhem and a chaotic free for all begins. Hundreds of clambering legs kick out as they stampede, stumble and fall down the banks into the river below.

The majority are lucky and the relative safety of numbers has helped in their plight of the river crossing. They struggle out of the river the other side, wet, relieved and unscathed by the hundreds of crocodiles that decide the fate of many. Others are not so fortunate and will not be returning to their birthing grounds in the south.

The Timeless Plains of the Serengeti National Park

We live in a world where everything changes, everything in our lives, from the jobs we do, to the places we live, the clothes we wear to the language we use.  But there is one area on the planet where the needle of time has worn a circular groove and where it is still possible to walk and wonder at the past. Here obeying ancient biological imperatives, millions of hooves thunder along timeless routes in the greatest of all wildlife spectacles.  This is the Serengeti.  This is how it has always been.

When the dry season begins, over one and a half million wildebeest, 250,000 Thomsom’s gazelles and about 200,000 zebras thunder north to find fresh pastures in the Masia Mara, before then moving southwards for the whole cycle to commence again.  

 

The Wildebeest thunder through a variety of reserves and protected areas and through a variety of habitat.

The Serengeti is justifiably famous for its dense concentrations of wildlife, especially the big cats, as well as being the host of the pathway for the great Migration, the annual race to find enough water and green grass for survival.

 

The Serengeti National Park is formed of three distinct areas, the Seronera Valley and Seronera River, the Western Corridor and the Northern Lobo area that extends northwards to join the Masai Mara.  This immense expanse was discovered in 1913 by Stewart Edward White at a time when great stretches of Africa were unknown to the white man.  A tailor made safaris into the Serengeti allows you to recapture the moment experienced by White all those years ago. 

 

Research your luxury safari and choose from a variety of luxurious camps and lodges and benefit from the most experienced and professional guides.  Wake up and feel like you are the only person for miles, in the safe knowledge that you are also being looked after.