Crater floor
A closed world of wildlife.
CEEKAY VISUALZ — CC BY-SA 4.0 · farmgirl — CC BY 2.0 · Mario Falcetti — CC BY 4.0 · Kishore Rao — CC BY-SA 3.0 igo
A vast volcanic caldera whose summit collapsed millions of years ago, leaving a wide basin ringed by high green walls, with thousands of animals living on its floor as if in a closed world. It is the heart of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Vehicles drive down from the rim to the floor in the morning, into grasslands, an alkaline lake with flamingos and patches of forest. It is one of the best places in Africa to see the rare black rhino, along with lions, elephants, buffalo, wildebeest, zebras and hyenas. Ngorongoro differs from the national parks in that Maasai people live here with their herds, so you see their villages and red-robed herders on the highlands around the crater. The rim is cold in the morning and evening, so bring warm layers. The crater is usually visited for a full day on a safari between Arusha and the Serengeti, and the descent fee is charged per vehicle.
A closed world of wildlife.
And flamingos.
On the highlands.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area, about 180 km west of Arusha
Yes, the crater is one of the best places in Africa to see the rare black rhino, though numbers are small.