The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a UNESCO world heritage site, located just 180Kms west of Arusha. The conservation area is administered by the Ngorongoro Conservation Area authority, a wing of the Tanzanian government. The reason for this piece of paradise being called a conservation area is its multiple land use plans where people, in this case the indigenous Maasai and their cattle, are allowed to live alongside the wild animals in harmony, the first example of its kind in the world! The conservation area, covering an area of 8292 sq. Kms was made a man and biosphere reserve in 1971 and a world heritage site by 1979.
The jewel of the NCA however is the legendary Ngorongoro crater. Formed some 2.5 million years ago from an enormous explosion of magma that caused the once enormous volcano on the western flank of the rift valley to implode under its own weight, the Ngorongoro crater (caldera), at 600 meters deep, 20 kilometers wide and covering an area of 264 sq. kilometers is the largest unbroken, unflooded caldera in the world. With an abundant wildlife population of up to 25,000 to 30,000 large mammals including the rare Black rhinos, huge prides of lions, the elusive leopard and gigantic tuskers, the crater is one of the few places in the country where the big five can all be easily viewed in a day.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a UNESCO world heritage site, located just 180Kms west of Arusha. The conservation area is administered by the Ngorongoro Conservation Area authority, a wing of the Tanzanian government. The reason for this piece of paradise being called a conservation area is its multiple land use plans where people, in this case the indigenous Maasai and their cattle, are allowed to live alongside the wild animals in harmony, the first example of its kind in the world! The conservation area, covering an area of 8292 sq. Kms was made a man and biosphere reserve in 1971 and a world heritage site by 1979.
The jewel of the NCA however is the legendary Ngorongoro crater. Formed some 2.5 million years ago from an enormous explosion of magma that caused the once enormous volcano on the western flank of the rift valley to implode under its own weight, the Ngorongoro crater (caldera), at 600 meters deep, 20 kilometers wide and covering an area of 264 sq. kilometers is the largest unbroken, unflooded caldera in the world. With an abundant wildlife population of up to 25,000 to 30,000 large mammals including the rare Black rhinos, huge prides of lions, the elusive leopard and gigantic tuskers, the crater is one of the few places in the country where the big five can all be easily viewed in a day.
Like the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area experiences two main seasons. The dry season is June – October. The short rainy season is from November – Mid December, and the long rains from March – May. Even during the wet season it seldom rains throughout the day.
Due to the variation in altitude temperatures in the Ngorongoro vary from 3C – 35C. It gets very cold during nights therefore be well prepared. The coldest months are June – August.
The dry season has the added advantage of animals congregating along permanent water sources making them easy to spot whilst the wet season has superb scenery and animals congregate on the short grass plains.
Accessible throughout the year. April and May are the most wet months however it seldom rains throughout the day.
For those interested to visit the parks when they are less crowded, the wet season offers the best scenery with just a handful of tourists. Mega Adventures offers best priced packages for this time of travel. Although it may rain, it will rarely rain for more than a couple of hours during the day. March and Early April can be ideal, sometimes with the rains coming in late it’s a bingo to travel at this time.
November and early December is also ideal if you don’t mind having some showers during the day.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area is accessible from Arusha town by road which is 180kms.
There are several accommodation options, from Camping on the crater rim, Tented Camps and Luxury lodges of different budget levels. All inside the park boundary.
Yasin is an excellent driver and a very experienced guide, who dicovers even the ear of a lion hiding in the grass in a distance of 50 meters. So we have been lucky to see a lot of animals. Therefore our Safari was an awesome experience. We also received lots of information about the animals, the National Parks, the country of Tansania and the people living there. Since he is very humorous guy, we had a lot of fun, too. Thanks Yasin for a very special and fantastic time.
Can’t recommend Yasin highly enough. Endlessly informative with an almost sixth sense of where the animals are likely to be. Also a funny and ever positive travelling companion who contributed much to a family holiday of a lifetime.
We had a three-day safari with Yasin. Yasin gave us a very warm welcome right from the start and made us feel very familiar and friendly. It didn’t feel like a tour with a guide. We felt that we were in good hands and were able to enjoy the safari. We particularly liked the fact that Yasin always involved us in everything. For example, we were able to decide when our day began or ended. Yasin was able to tell us a lot about the wildlife, but also about the culture and the country. He was in constant contact with his colleagues, which gave us a good opportunity to see the BIG5. The moment of our engagement was very special for us. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you once again, dear Yasin. Thank you for your support and the great picnic spot. You were so well prepared, always took care of everything and made our dream come true. We will never forget these moments and we will never forget you. Stay healthy and as cheerful as we got to know you. Kind regards from Bremen (Germany) Jessica & Brian
Wir waren vom 26.7. bis zum 05.8. mit Yassin auf Safari. Alles klappte wunderbar, von der Abholung am Flughafen bis zum Ende der Reise. Wir erfuhren von ihm unglaublich viel über Land und Menschen und Tierwelt. Er kannte sich in allen Themen, zu denen wir neugierig waren, aus. Die Gamedrives in den Naturparks waren perfekt. Wir entdeckten unendlich viele Tiere und er zeigte uns nicht nur die Tiere, die viele Touristen ausschließlich sehen wollen, sondern die so unendlich artenreiche Tierwelt. Die Serengeti war natürlich extrem eindrucksvoll. Vor allem die große Tiermigration, bei der wir Dank Yassin einen Platz in der ersten Reihe hatten. Eindrucksvoll auch die Unterkünfte dort, so nah an der Natur und voller perfekten Service. Das ist wahrer Luxus. Das Auto und auch der Transport in ihm war komfortabel. Kurz zusammengefasst: eine unglaublich eindrucksvolle, sichere, individuelle, sehr inhaltsreiche und unvergessliche Reise. Vielen vielen Dank
My family and I were so lucky that we had Hussein as our guide! He were really passionate about his work, which resulted in us learning so much about the nature we went to, seeing a lot of different animals meanwhile having a truly comfy trip where you felt safe all the timeâ˜ºï¸ I will truly recommend Hussein as a guide for your wildlife adventure ðŸ€
We spend ten days with Yasin in the Serengeti, Taranguire and Ngorongoro Crater. Yasin, our guide, was always optimally prepared and also discovered the animals that were well hidden. He kept the necessary distance and always showed consideration for the animals. We felt safe and in good hands. Thanks to Yasin we experienced a unique Safaritour that we will never forget. Jürgen and Sabine Preuß
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