This morning we set out on an unforgettable game drive as we descend to the floor of magnificent Ngorongoro Crater, a World Heritage Site and, at 100 square miles, the world’s largest intact and perfectly formed volcanic caldera. The unique biosphere here has remained unchanged for eons; towering walls encircle the crater’s floor which represents Africa in microcosm; grassland, swamps, lakes, forests, and some 25,000 large mammals, including elephant, black rhinoceros, lion, hippo, and zebra. Because Ngorongoro has abundant food and water year-round, the animals here do not migrate as they do between Masai Mara and the Serengeti. And because they live within the confines of the steep-walled caldera, Ngorongoro’s animals are less shy and more approachable than those at other reserves. Throughout our explorations we also may see semi-nomadic Maasai tribesmen as they engage in their age-old practice of grazing their cattle alongside the wild animals. (Guests may depart with picnic lunches or return to the lodge for hot lunch late in the afternoon)
Dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge