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View of the Ngorongoro crater from atop the mountain
Ngorongoro Crater
Home/Destinations/Africa/Tanzania/Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Overview

Take a trip to Ngorongoro Conservation Area on your Tanzania vacation.

When undertaking a Tanzania safari, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located to the west of Arusha in the Crater Highlands of Tanzania. To the northwest, it adjoins Serengeti National Park and to the south and west are volcanic highlands that include Ngorongoro Crater. Southern and eastern borders run along the Great Rift Valley.

The conservation area was originally part of Serengeti National Park when it was established by the British in 1951. However, after repeated conflicts between the Maasai who lived there and park authorities, the Maasai were evicted to the newly created Ngorongoro Conservation Area in 1959. The area was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1979 because it provided protection for wildlife while allowing human habitation, which was unique in Tanzania.

The most famous part of the conservation area is the Ngorongoro Crater. It was formed when a giant volcano exploded and then collapsed around two to three million years ago. The crater hosts some of the highest densities of lions in the world and is a good place to see the endangered black rhino on a Tanzania safari. Wildebeest, zebra, elands and Grant’s and Thompson’s gazelles also live in the crater. The rim hosts leopards, elephants and buffalo. In total, the crater houses a permanent population of more than 30,000 animals.

The Great Migration, one of the most incredible natural phenomena in the world passes through Ngorongoro, moving south in December and then returning north in Junesometing special to be experienced on a Tanzania vacation.

At a Glance
LanguagesSwahili, English
CurrencyTanzanian Shilling (TZS)
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