Ngorongoro Crater (Conservation Area) – Africa Safari

Overlook on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, Panorama View
Photo at: wikipedia, Creative Commons

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area of Tanzania stretches 8,300 square kilometers and supports a multitude of people, landscapes, and wildlife. Here you will find the Ngorongoro Crater, which is one of the greatest natural spectacles in the world and is considered to be the world’s 8th wonder.
The crater is located on the border of the Serengeti National Park, only a few hours away from Arusha, a town located at the bottom of Mount Meru. Ngorongoro Crater is one of the World Heritage Sites and is the biggest unbroken ancient caldera worldwide. It is almost 3 million years old and is alleged to be a potential location of the Garden of Eden in Africa. Before the Ngorongoro volcano exploded, collapsing 2 million years ago, it was one of the tallest mountains in the world. The crater actually measures 12 million inches diameter and the rim is 2,000 feet above the floor of the crater.
The abundant wildlife and stunning landscapes attract visitors from around the world. The wildlife here consists of wild game, lions, zebras, buffaloes, rhinos, elephants, gazelles, wildebeests, and many more. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is said to have about 30,000 different animals, all of which are protected by the steep walls that ring the crater. The natural landscape offers shelter for the crater’s grasslands, lake, springs, and forests.
Within the conservation area, the Maasai people have made a home around the crater. Visiting these temporary, traditional villages is a highlight of the area for visitors, who can watch while the nomadic warriors and herders create beadwork, fashion bright colored robes, and utilize cattle.