Serengeti vs Ngorongoro

Serengeti National Park

The Serengeti National Park is situated in the Mara Region and it is Tanzania’s oldest national park. It is famous for its annual migration of over 1.5 million white bearded or brindled wildebeests and over 250,000 zebras and for its numerous crocodiles. It is also known for its wealth in other resident wildlife particularly ‘the Big Five’. Serengeti is believed to hold the largest population of Lions in Africa due to the abundance of prey species. Leopards are commonly seen in the Seronera region but are present throughout the park. The African elephant are recovering from population lows due to poaching in the 1980’s and are largely found in the northern regions of the park. Black Rhinoceros are mainly found around the kopjes in the center of the park. African Buffaloes are still in abundance. The park also boasts of other species including cheetah, gazelles, topi, hyena, impala, eland, African wild dog, waterbuck, baboons, and giraffes. It is also home for about 500 bird species including ostrich, kori bustard, crowned crane, secretary bird, lovebirds, marabou stork, martifal eagle and many other vulture species.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

The crater has one of the densest known populations of lions. On the crater rim are leopards, elephants, mountain reedbuck and buffaloes. The rhinoceros are also found at the crater. From a distance in the large lake in the middle of the crater hundreds of flamingoes form a pink like border to the lake. Animals in the crater include most of the species found in East Africa but there are no topis, giraffes, impalas, oribis or crocodiles. The other major source of water in the crater is Ngoitokitok Spring near the eastern crater wall. There is a picnic site here open to tourists and huge swamp fed by the spring and the area is inhibited by hippopotamus, elephants, lions and many others. Many other small springs can be found around the crater’s floor and they are important water supplies for the animals and local Maasai people.

How the Two Areas Fit Into One Safari

Serengeti and Ngorongoro are commonly combined on northern Tanzania safari itineraries. The Serengeti gives more time in extensive open habitats and different seasonal wildlife areas, while Ngorongoro adds a compact crater-floor game drive and highland scenery. The number of days available determines how much time can be allocated to each area.

• Allow enough driving time between the two areas.
• Choose accommodation according to the route and the next day’s game-drive plan.
• Wildlife sightings remain natural and vary by season, weather and animal movement.

Additional Practical Information

This 3-days safari tour is designed to fit people with short period of time and still want to enjoy the extensive test of African Safari tour. In this tour you will visit Lake Manyara National park, the world famous Ngorongoro crater and the famous African elephants’ home, the Tarangire national park.

After an early breakfast you will have a sort drive to the Ngorongoro entrances and few minutes you start descending to 600m down the crater for game drive. The Ngorongoro Crater is almost 600 m deep, approximately 20 km wide and the massive caldera is home to an amazing variety of animals. On your game drive you have the possibility of seeing all different kinds of mammals ranging from the Big Five – lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard – to Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles and mountain reedbucks. You might also see spotted hyenas, and some of the more than 500 bird species of the area. After a picnic lunch in the crater and some more game viewing, you will leave the crater in the afternoon and travel back to Karatu.

This 5 Day Tanzania Camping Safari tour to Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National park will give you a chance to explore breathtaking wildlife views and landscapes on your holiday in Tanzania. For five days in Tanzania, this tour will take you to the best National parks in the north of Tanzania.

After breakfast you start on your way to Serengeti National Park. A picnic lunch will be provided. On the way you will stop at the Olduvai Gorge where anthropologists Louis and Mary Leakey made many significant discoveries, contributing to the theory that human life originated in Africa. After stopping for your picnic lunch on a kopje (rock outcropping) in Serengeti you will continue further into the park and go on a game drive. Overnight at Seronera Public Campsite at Central Serengeti. All meals included

Halfway through your 5 days camping safari tour in Tanzania. Early morning game drive to see also nocturnal predators returning from hunting and animals waking up in early morning light followed by a day filled with more drives around Serengeti. Depending on the time of year and the migration of the herds you can expect to see wildebeest, lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, monkeys, baboons, hippos, rhinos, antelopes and many birds and other species. Overnight at Seronera Public Campsite at Central Serengeti. All meals included

After breakfast will will proceed to Ngorongoro Conservation Aerea and descend into the crater for a wonderful game drive (with a picnic lunch) inside the Ngorongoro Crater considered as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. As very few animals migrate in and out of the crater with its 2000 ft. high walls the Ngorongoro Crater has the highest wild animal density worldwide. Among the species are lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, hippos, flamingos, jackals, rhinos, antelopes, many birds and other species. You might expect to see the ‘Big Five’ in one day. Overnight at Simba Public Campsite at Ngorongoro. All meals included

In the morning when the morning mist has cleared away (depending on weather) you go on a Nature Walk at the Northern Crater Rim of Ngorongoro Crater inhabited by buffaloes, elephants, baboons, monkeys and different species of birds. Escorted by a ranger or Maasai Guide you follow animal paths through the dense bush Afterwards you return to Arusha with arrival early afternoon to finish your five days safari camping tour. Breakfast and lunchbox included