Often called "The Eighth Wonder of the World" the ten-mile in diameter volcanic caldera is the land of the Maasai, their cattle, and the wildlife. It is one of the most spectacular places in East Africa to view - up close and personal - gigantic bull elephants, cape buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, hippo, and rafts of flamingos in the crater's Lake Magadi. It is the only place in Tanzania where you can consistently see the indigenous black rhino - of which only about 200 remain in the wild - 20 of them in the Crater.

Ngorongoro is accessible all year round, though during the rainy season (April, May, and November) the tracks can be muddy. There are several private campsites on the rim of the Crater that we use for our Luxury Camping Safaris. On most excursions, however we use the Serena Wildlife Lodge, and sometimes the very up-scale Ngorongoro Crater Lodge. Ngorongoro Crater and nearby Olduvai Gorge are in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area which adjoins the Serengeti National Park and is a key part of the entire Serengeti eco-system.