Imagine soaring highlands surrounding a vast basin teeming with wildlife - there’s nowhere else quite like the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Everywhere you look there’s a new natural wonder to be amazed by. The area is home to the largest unbroken and unflooded volcanic caldera in the world, as well as the highest density of predators in Africa. The immense walls of Ngorongoro crater offer stunning vistas of emerald landscapes dotted with blue lakes, while down below exhilarating animal encounters await. Lion prides bask in the sun, elephants graze in the grasslands and flamingos wade through the water. It’s no wonder Ngorongoro has UNESCO World Heritage status and is often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world.
But it’s not just animals that occupy this epic natural landscape. The crater is the homeland of the Maasai people, and you’re bound to see them tending to their livestock and selling knick-knacks by the side of the road. In fact, one of the main motives for establishing the Ngorongoro Conservation Area was to protect the land for these communities, and it’s one of the only places in Tanzania where animals and humans live in the same protected area.

There’s something for history buffs too. Ngorongoro crater has long been a source of archaeological interest and within the area lies the famous Olduvai Gorge - one of the world’s most important prehistoric sites. Fossilised footprints, bones and stone tools have been discovered here, which have helped to advance our understanding of evolution. If there’s ever a place to release your inner Indiana Jones, it’s here.
Whether you’ve come for the wildlife, the stunning scenery or the archaeological wonders, Ngorongoro is guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.