 NGORONGORO
CONSERVATION AREA Location:
It's close to the Serengeti, North east of Tanzania.
Lake Eyasi marks part of its southern boundary
and the Serengeti National Park lies to the west.
Attractions:
The conversation area encompasses Ngorongoro
Crater, Embagai Crater, Olduvai Gorge - famous
for its palaeontological relics - and Lake Masek.
The Crater is a home to small number of black
rhinoceroses, sustains a huge population of ungulates
and has the most concentrated numbers of lions
know.
However, there are an estimated 30,000 animals
living in the crater. Encounters with animals
are frequent and there is a wide variety of game
in the crater. These include lions, elephants
and rhinos as well as buffaloes, Thompson's gazelles,
wildebeests and zebras. You are also likely to
see ostriches and Lake Magadi, the soda lake at
the floor of the crater, is home to thousands
of flamingos. There are also dive - bombing kites
which are recognized for their skills of snatching
visitors' foods at the Lerai forest, which is
a good place for a picnic lunch.
How to get there:
Ngorongoro is 190 km west of Arusha, 60 km from
Lake Manyara and 145 km from Serengeti and is
reached via the Arusha - Serengeti road. The drive
from Arusha takes about 4 hours and is a splendid
journey with a view of Mt. Kilimanjaro all the
way, arching over the right shoulder of Mt. Meru.
You'll go across the bottom of the Rift Valley
and pass the entrance to the Lake Manyara National
Park on the left of the Great North Road at the
foot of the Great Rift Escarpment.
Just beyond the entrance to the park, the road
climbs very steeply up the escarpment and at the
top, the turning to the Lake Manyara Hotel is
off to the left. From here, the country is hilly
and fertile and you will climb up to the Mbulu
Plateau that is farmed with wheat, maize and coffee.
At Karatu (known as Safari Junction), 25 km from
Manyara, is the turning off to Gibbs Farm, which
is 5 km off the main road. You turn right towards
the park entrance and on the approach to Lodware
Gate as the main altitude increases the temperature
starts to fall. Your first view of the crater
comes at Heroes Point (2'286 m). The road continues
to climb through the forest to the crater rim.
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