The Ngorongoro Crater is situated within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), which was established in 1959. The crater and its surrounding area, that includes natural, cultural and historical attractions, are located between the Serengeti and Lake Manyara, covering a total area of 8,300 square kilometers. It has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its biodiversity.

Ngorongoro is a word of Maasai origin, but its meaning is not clear; for some, it is the name of an old Maasai warrior who used to live in the crater with his cattle, while others say that it refers to warriors of the Datoga group that some 150 years back defeated the Maasai on a cruel battle on the crater’ floor.

Within Ngorongoro Conservation Area there are volcanoes, mountains, plains, rivers, forests, lakes and archaeological sites, being the most unique Ecosystem on Earth.

Only two seasons exist here, wet and dry. From November to May is the wet season, when virtually all the annual rain falls whilst the dry season extends from June to October.

Ngorongoro Crater is a caldera created 3 million years ago when a volcano as high as Kilimanjaro Mountain (5,895 meters) blew its top and left a birth mark on the Earth’ surface that can be seen by astronauts. The crater alone has a diameter of 20 kilometers and an average depth of 600 meters, covering a total area of 264 square kilometers. It is the largest of 9 volcanoes in this conservation area - and one of the largest volcano craters in the world -, Oldoinyo Lengai being the only still active.

The crater, whose floor is covered mostly of grasslands, hosts a high concentration of wildlife: it is home to over 25,000 large grazing animals, boasting also, because of the extraordinary presence of herbivores, the largest concentration of predators found on the planet. Apart from the Big Five – lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo -, the most commonly seen animals are wildebeests, zebras, eland, bushbuck, cheetah, jackals, gazelles and black rhino; pink flamingos and other species of water birds are often seen in the saline lake at the centre of the crater.

The world’s largest unbroken caldera takes the breath away for its scenic grandeur and stunning views. On some mornings, the mist rolls over the crater walls like a giant water fall. Predators hide secretly in the marsh to suddenly ambush animals that come to drink from the river that feeds the lake Makat in the centre of the crater floor, offering the most amazing natural spectacle of animal struggle for survival.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is set of a pioneering experiment in multiple land use, which means the idea of allowing the coexistence of mankind and wildlife in a natural setting; here, traditional pastoralists cooperate with Tanzania’s Government bodies in preserving the natural resources of the area and help to ensure a fantastic experience for visitors.

As the archaeological evidences show, the whole area has been inhabited by human beings for millions of years; the earliest signs come from Laetoli, where hominid footprints are preserved in volcanic rock 3.6 million years old. Nearby is Olduvai Gorge, the cradle of mankind, where exposed deposits show rich fossil fauna, many hominid remains and items belonging to the one of the oldest stone tool technologies, called Olduwan. The time span of the objects recovered date from 2,100,000 to 15,000 years ago.

As for today, the most numerous and recent habitants of the Ngorongoro Area are the Maasai, who arrived about 200 years ago, and number an approximate total of 42,000 individuals, living in traditional Enkaangs or Maasai Villages. These nomadic pastoralist people are well – know for their warriors’ pride; the vision of their elegant figures, dressed in their red traditional clothes, walking with cattle in these magnificent settings are an unforgettable and most romantic image.