Accommodation: (a). Gibb’s Farm -Near Ngorongoro Crater. Situated at the entrance to the highlands of northern Tanzania, midway between Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater five kilometers from the village of Karatu, Gibb’s Farm, which is an oasis of green, calm and beauty in a landscape that can often be parched, dry and dusty, has got 20 twin rooms with en-suite bathrooms set among the gardens. Among the facilities are; the sitting room, reading room, dining room (that serves fresh, home-cooked meals), bar and gift shop are located in the farmhouse. On the Gibb’s Farm, coffee is grown, processed and roasted, yet also a large ten-acre fruit and organic vegetable garden offers nearly all the fruit and vegetable to the guests, who wake up to fresh coffee, a multitude of flowers and breath taking views.

Though still with a character of a well-looked after-private house with roaring fires and friendly service, the old-colonial Farmhouse was built by German settlers in the early 20th Century.

It was in 1948, that James Gibb, a British war veteran bought the Farm, which had been neglected through the war years, and he turned it into production. Gibb then married Margaret in 1959, who was born in Tanzania to British parents and she later began a small vegetable and flower garden.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area was established adjacent to the north of Gibb’s Farm in 1960 and yet in 1972, Gibb’s Farm became an accommodation for travellers – in other words, guests could very well stay and sleep here. The Coffee estate except for a small section for use in the lodge was sold in 1978, to the Tanzanian Coffee Board, following the death of James Gibb in 1977. It is important to note that Margaret Gibb together with her husband Per Kullander own Gibb’s Farm until now.

The lodge, which provides 20 twin rooms with en-suite bathrooms set among the gardens, also offers a number of facilities that include; a reading room, sitting room, dining room, bar and gift shop, which are located in the old Farm house.

Two of the rooms are ideal for families due to the fact that they are linked, however, it is important to know and note that all Gibb’s Farm rooms retain the charm of their unique garden setting.

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Serengeti Plains.

From Serengeti National Park, the plains go as far as the western portion of the Ngorongoro around the small Lake Ndutu and Lake Masek to the north of Olduvai Gorge. Wildebeest migration normally makes these plains occupied by the animals, which however leave the area when the long rains arrive and move northward into the Serengeti in May.

Salei Plains.

Stretching westwards from the highland and Craters, the Salei plains which are lower and drier that the Serengeti, remote, harsh and sparsely populated by the Maasai, are only believed to shelter the hardiest and most drought tolerant animals during the dry months because it is always dusty at that moment, it however shelters so many and it comes alive during the rainy season. It is important still to note that the Ngorongoro is made up of a large tract of dry and barren grassland for most of the year, swinging in an arc from Serengeti in the northwest, through the Gol Mountains, to the Salei plains in the northeast.

Around Ngorongoro Crater: Engaruka.

Situated just outside the Ngorongoro at the foot of the eastern escarpment, Engaruka, a mysterious ruined city of about 500 years, is said to be a long abandoned site that includes remnants of an advanced irrigation system, odd rubbed filled platform and terraced stone houses.

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Around Ngorongoro Crater: Lake Natron.

Lake Natron, an extremely alkaline lake is located outside the Ngorongoro to the northeast and it is noted to be the largest breeding ground in East Africa for flamingos which even thrive on the algae that grows there.

Around Ngorongoro Crater: Gol Mountains (Oldonyo Hills).

With their pink granite cliffs, the remote and ecologically fragile Gol Mountains are divided by the grassy pass of Angata kiti. This area lies in the rain shadow on the Ngorongoro highlands and it is believed to be barren and dusty, yet it is exceptionally fertile and only a small amount of moisture produces mineral rich grass that attracts large herds of animals during the shifting period to occupy it.

Around Ngorongoro Crater: Nasera Rock.

Nasera Rock, a granite monolith rising 80 meters above the plains, lies in the shadow of the Gol Mountains and shelters wildebeest that romp across the green grass during the wet season, plus baboons that climb up the steep grass during the wet season, plus baboons that climb up the steep sides of the rock.

Olkarien gorge.

The Salei plains lead to Olkarien Gorge, a spectacular, narrow rocky cut at the eastern edge of the Gol Mountains, and the nesting site of the Ruppel’s griffon vulture.

Northern Highland Forest Reserve:

Located in a wide band along the outer southern and the eastern slopes of the Ngorongoro, the Northern Highland Forest Reserve a montane- (not rain forest) is a very important source of water for the animal life and people of Ngorongoro plus the farmland to the south. It is important to note that many animals like buffalo, elephants, elusive leopard plus many birds do stay in this area.

The Shifting Sands.

The Shfting Sands are black dune, composed of volcanic ash from Oldonyo Lengai, is being blown slowly westwards across the plains at the rate of about 100 metres long in its curvature, it can be found to the north of Olduvai Gorge.

Oldeani Mountain.

Situated in the South West of the Ngorongoro, Oldeani Mountain is the source of the stream that falls into the Ngorongoro Crater and supports the Lerai Forest.

Around Ngorongoro Carter: Acacia Woodlands.

The red acacia covers the north wall of the Ngorongoro Crater that is gradually taking over from the high montane forest in the east. Around this area, you are very likely to spot giraffe, which never risks going into the crater itself, you may also view elephant and steinbok. There is a band of acacia woodland in the south west of the Ngorongoro, between the treeless plains of the Serengeti and the escarpment near Lake Eyasi. This area is well known for supporting giraffe and many other shifting plains game animals, and this is basically because the area is fed by the Kakesio and other small rivers.

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The Ngorongoro Crater: Lake Magadi.

On the Ngorongoro Crater floor is Lake Magadi, an alkaline, caused by deposits of volcanic ash.

The depth, which is never more than 3 meters, changes accordingly during the year, and during the dry season it goes down. Jackals, hyenas plus lions normally are believed to reside at the lake edges.

The Ngorongoro of Maa, which is spoken by the Maasai, Lerai refers to tall yellow barked acacia trees that take a bigger part in the Lerai Forest in the South West of the Ngorongoro Crater. There are many animal and bird species that stay in this area and these include; vultures, vervet monkeys, Eland, Elephant, Eagle, francdin, bushbuck, tree hyrax and saddle-billed.

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The Ngorongoro Crater: Gorigor Swamp.

Rising from Ngoitokitok Springs, large Gorigor swamp, is home of many water birds.

Hippos also are spotted in the deeper parts, while grazing animals also come to quench their thirst.

The Ngorongoro Crater: The Grassland.

Because of the fact that most of Ngorongoro Crater floor is covered by grassland, very many plains, animals and birds come and stay here all year round. Some of these include; Zebra, buffalo, hartebeest, wildebeest, kori bustard, warthog, gazelle, cape rooks, black smith plover, crowned plover, ostriches and crowned cranes.

Around Ngorongoro Crater: Oldonyo Lengai.

In the northeast near Lake Natron outside the Ngorongoro Crater, lies the Oldonyo Lengai, a volcano that has had a major influence on the development of the area.

Oldonyo Lengai, the only active volcano in the area after erupting in 19666 and 1983, has got a name, which means “Mountain of God” in the Maa language of the Maasai. Its ahs has blown westwards onto the plains and helped shape the landscape and ecology.

Around Ngorongoro Crater: Olmoti Crater and Embakaai Crater.

These two craters, which are well known for the beauty and solitude. The floors of both craters are easily accessible on foot but visitors are accompanied by our guides. Though the Olmoti Crater is relatively shallow, its rim is measured at 2700 meters. Bushbuck, buffalo, the Maasai and their livestock like the grassy Caldera. Water flows across the Olmoti Crater to the South side where it pours out through a cleft in a small but spectacular waterfall known as Munge stream.

A very deep soda lake which occupies nearly half the floor of Embakaai Crater is believed to dominate the 300 meter deep-six kilometer wide crater. Its shores are inhabited by water birds like the Cape teal, black winged stilt and flamingo. Much of the 32-kilometer Embakaai crater rim can be walked and provides spectacular views

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Around Ngorongoro Crater: Laetoli and Olduvai Gorge.

The western part of Ngorongoro Crater is where Laetoli lies and at this area, homid footprints were preserved in volcanic rock 3.6 million years ago and represent some of the earliest signs of mankind in the world. Three separate tracks of a small-brained upright-walking early homid, Australopithecus Afarensis, a creature about 1.2 to 1.4 meters high, were found. Imprints of these are shown in the Olduvai Museum.

Further north, is where more advanced descendants of Laetoli’s hominids were found and these were buried in the layers of the 100 meters deep Olduvai Gorge. Excavations mostly by the archaeologist, Louis and Mary Leakey, yielded four different kinds of hominid, showing a gradual rise in the brain size and in the complexity of their stone tools, even still, the first Zinjanthropus’ skull referred to as ‘Nutcracker Man’, who lived about 1.7 million years ago were found here.

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Ngorongoro Crater; Safari and Wildlife Experience.

Ngorongoro Crater, the largest unflooded and unbroken Caldera in the world is 19.2 kilometers in diameter, 610 meters deep and 304 square kilometers in area. A large resident population of wildlife of around 25,000, predominantly grazing animals is said to be supported by the rich pasture and permanent water of the Ngorongoro Crater floor.

Some of these animals are; Gazelle, wildebeest, warthog, zebra, eland, buffalo, and hartebeest. Meanwhile, the swamps and forest offer more resources for reedbuck and bushbuck, hippo, elephant, waterbuck, vervet monkeys as well as baboons. But elephants of the Ngorongoro Crater regularly get down to the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater. The large breeding herds move around throughout the forest rim in quest for suitable food. Jackals thrive in the Crater and bat eared foxes live in the short grass area.

Predatory animals in the Ngorongoro crater move around the Ngorongoro Crater, making their own kills and scavenging from others. Some of these animals include lion, several cats, leopards, cheetah, and large packs of hyena. The crater has got five main crater prides between 10-20 animals, each defending its own territory. African Mecca guests may have a better opportunity of viewing cheetahs on the plains because of the fact that most of them live in the Ngorongoro Crater and sometimes find it hard to defend their kills against the many lions. Leopards, solitary and secretive creatures, are found in the forest and along the Minge stream, but well-trained guides are the ones that can spot them. The black rhino in the Ngorongoro Crater are getting safer and safer each day, no wonder therefore the numbers are also rising with time and these are all works of the anti poaching patrols, thanks to them. The mixture of forest, canyons, grassland plains, lakes plus marshes offered habitats for a wide range of bird life. During the wet months, the Eurasian migrants normally arrive at the open pools. For example; white storks, yellow wagtails, stilts, saddle bill storms, ruff, Ibis and various species of duck.

A few flamingos also fly in to feed from their breeding grounds at lake Natron. There are also grassland birds of Kori bustards, crowned cranes and ostrich that are normally spoted gathering together. Putting Ngorongoro Crater a side, the other parts of the Ngorongoro have got areas, which will reward the keen ornithologist. In final analysis, the Ngorongoro Crater is a dynamic and constantly changing ecosystem and the numbers of some of the animals rise and fall with time.

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The Maasai Community of the Ngorongoro. For many years, a succession of cattle keepers shifted to Ngorongoro area, resided there for a while, but sometimes other tribes forced them out. Around 200 years back, the Maasai reached and have ever since taken control over the area in substantial numbers, with their traditional way of life letting them to stay in peace with the wildlife and environment. These Maasai forced out the Datoga, Nilo-hamitic speaking pastoralists, who settled in this area over 300 years back and they therefore left the Ngorongoro and settled in the Lake Eyasi basin and beyond.

About 42,000 Maasai pastoralists are believed to be staying in the area near the Ngorongoro together with their animals that include; goats, cattle, sheep as well as donkeys. While these people move into the adjacent woodlands and mountain slopes during the dry season, the rainy season makes them move out on to the open plains.

If not for living or cultivation purposes but rather in quest for water and pasture, the Maasai are let to take their animals into the Ngorongoro Crater. Otherwise, they have a right to move freely else where around the Ngorongoro area. Usually, guests stop at the Maasai cultural homestead, one on the road to Serengeti national Park and another close to the Serengeti Sopa Lodge at the Irkeepusi Village.

Maintaining the historic balance of people and nature is a way, which has not been possible in parts of Africa, is what Ngorongoro aims at. The rich biodiversity and ecology of the Serengeti plains and Ngorongoro Highlands, the major palaeontological and archaeological sites and the important water catchment areas are the ones at stake.

For this therefore, man and wildlife need to live in harmony without harming or destroying each other’s habitats. I other words, they need to stay together-they each other.

Tourism is paramount in generating revenue for the area, has been encouraged and developed, with a respect for culture, and without damaging the environment.

Ngorongoro offers a chance to acquire some knowledge about the African contribution to global culture and to understand its values in today’s world, educational visits are encouraged. For over three million years now, man and his ancestors have lived in the Ngorongoro ecosystem yet evidence of a regional hunter-gatherer culture dates back 17,000 years and it is clear that various tribes have shifted in and out of the area, just as they have done in relatively recent times.

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Lodges and hotels around the Ngorongoro Crater.

The crater is located in northern Tanzania, sharing part of the Serengeti plains to the northern west and with the towns of Arusha and Moshi, and Mount Kilimanjaro, to the east and forms part of the unique Serengeti ecosystem. In 1950’s, Dr. Bernhard Grizmek together with his late son carried out a major ecological survey of the Serengeti Reserve, which led to the establishment of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in 1959. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority offered the oversight and management of the Conservation Area. Serengeti National Park was made bigger and extended northwards towards Kenya border, where it joins the Masai Mara National Reserve.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which includes Ngorongoro Crater covers an area of 8292 sq. km, it ranges in altitude from 1020 to 3587 meters (60% of the height of Mount Kilimanjaro at its highest point) and it was awarded World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve status. Ngorongoro terrain has many shelters, from open grasslands to mountain forests, and from scrub bush land to the large open highland covered with grass and other small wild plants.

About 25,000 animals reside in the Ngorongoro Crater all year round, however, if the entire Ngorongoro is considered, the numbers can rise up to 2.5 million depending on the time of the year.

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Ngorongoro Crater’s Climate.

On the rim of the crater, which is 2,235 metres (7,264 feet) above sea level, lie Ngorongoro Safari Lodges. While the downer part of the crater is so hot during the day, it is believed that it is quite fresh in the upper parts and they experience very cold nights in the winter months of June to August.

(a). Dry season.

June to November experiences weather that is usually dry. July is the coldest month and highland temperatures may fall below freezing.

(b). Rainy season.

Although it rains any time from November to May, April to may experiences the longer rains. The amount and pattern of rainfall varies and a dry period in January and February may divide the rainy season into short and long rains. Because of their elevation, the forested eastern slopes get much more rain than arid country to the west. In the name of making the atmosphere clear to reveal good views, rains arrive in stormy showers during afternoons and nights.

Ngorongoro Crater floor.

From Malanja depression on the crater rim to the crater floor, a sheer dirt road slopes. With a small payment, Maasai women and children at the top of the road will let you take their photograph. The grassy and open Malanja depression offers a good place for sighting typical highland antelope, for example; Schalows Wheatear, kirks dik-dik, mountain reedbuck, plus striking auger buzzard. Lake Magadi, a shallow soda lake, which supports large flocks of Flamingo, is the feature dominating the crater. Viewing animals becomes easier due to the fact that much of the crater floor is open grassland, and some of the animals that you can see include; hyena, wildebeest, gazelle, black rhino, zebra, plus lion. The other well-known picnic spot is the Hippo pool near Mandusi Swamp.

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Birdwatching Safaris Ngorongoro Tanzania

Due to the fact that Ngorongoro has both resident birds and migrant birds, then what one views of bird life varies depending mainly on the season of the year. Some of the resident birds that you are likely to spot throughout the year include; bustards, plovers and ostriches, while there are other birds from Europe that shift to this crater during the wet season and these include; White storks, swallows, yellow wag tails among others. Meanwhile, its not only birds from Europe that migrate to the crater, but the local birds too shift to the crater depending on the state of the lake and ponds. Some of the local migrants are the ducks, flamingos plus storks. It is important to note that the migrants pass through from November through May, coinciding with the rains in Africa and the winter in Eurasia.

The carter also shelters so many other birds, for example; Anteater Chat, Fiscal shrike, verreaux’s Eagle, Stonechat, Schalow’s Wheatear, plus Augur Buzzards.

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