Dec 24, 20222 min read

Ngorongoro Crater

From the itinerary - 10-13 September: Tanzania’s prehistoric Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Eighth Wonder of the World, has yawned heavenward for millennia. Deep within its immense walls is a breath-taking blue-green landscape dotted with plains, lakes and forests; an eerie, otherworldly “land that time forgot” thick with massive bull elephants, rhinos, wildebeests and the highest concentration of lions in Africa. Nestled high above the plains into the Crater’s jagged rim, cloaked in river stone and indigenous vines, 2,000 feet into the crater. Ngorongoro Crater is the World’s largest intact volcanic caldera. Due to its size and diversity, the crater floor is comprised of several distinct areas, ranging from forest, swamps, lakes and springs, to open grassland and some sandy dunes.

Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge is barely visible to the naked eye. Framed by arched stone passages and timbered decks, its torch-lit walls are adorned with stylized cave paintings. At the stone heart of the lodge burns a glowing fire, which is kept constantly alight. Rooms are looped around the Crater rim. Each has its own rock-enclosed balcony, and all enjoy completely uninterrupted views of the volcanic amphitheatre far below.

This has always been a romaticized destination for me - mysterious and full of flamingos - so was very much looking forward to seeing what was in the crater.

I arrived at the Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge in time for the sunset and dinner. The description of the Lodge really had me excited - perhaps I could watch the game from my balcony.

The sunset was amazing and dinner was great. Fortunately, bunny was with me to share it. I had a wonderful view of the crater, but couldn't see anything particular from my room - too far away. Unfortunately, the lake at the bottom was just about dry.

The best part of the first evening was walking back from dinner and seeing bats flying around the walkway. They are hard to see in these pictures and look like shadows against the wall.

The next day we drove down to the bottom of the crater to see what animals we could see. The biggest disappointment, and why I will never do this again, was how many other jeeps were there and vying to see the small amount of wildlife there was. We didn't see any flamingos - I guess I'll have to come back at another time of year to see more animals....