Reviews: Safari in Ngorongoro Crater

"Our experience at the Ngorongoro Crater was great but different from that of the Serengeti which was where we came from before visiting the crater.

There were definitely more vehicles around and we generally couldn't get as close to animals as we did in the Serengeti. Binoculars are a must here. The ecosystem inside the crater was so unique and varied from open savannah, to forest, to lakes.

There's definitely a large concentration of wildlife here but the roads, vehicles, picnic areas (that even had Wi-Fi), and toilet facilities kind of took away from the experience of being in the wild. We felt that one day in the crater was the right amount of time there." Read more about this whole safari

"The first sight of the crater is awe-inspiring even if you have seen it in documentaries.

The amount of wildlife you can see is remarkable and although you don't always get as close to it as in the Serengeti we were still close enough to feel like we were part of the action.

From what we heard, the park was still not as crowded as in pre-pandemic days and I can see that if there were much more traffic, it might interfere, however, while we were there, I would say the number of vehicles did not distract from the experience." Read more about this whole safari

"It was definitely very cool from a geography/ scenery perspective, and the density and variety of animals was great; that said, I think I would skip the crater on our next trip.

You lose a whole day getting there - the drive from the airstrip to the lodge area is 3 hours, the road is AWFUL (though apparently they’re fixing it), and due to the hours you can’t do a late afternoon/evening drive.

I was glad we stayed three nights and did two crater drives (shorter second day). Some of the other guests stayed only two nights which meant about a day and a half of travel time for one day in the crater." Read more about this whole safari

"Amazing decent into the crater.

We had the best driver ever. Festo is the besto.

Felt like we entered the cradle of civilization." Read more about this whole safari

"It is an incredible place, full of wildlife in a unique environment.

We were the only vehicle before sunrise and this made the experience as something special.

We spent most of the morning on our own among low clouds and the rays of sun filtering through.

I would have liked to come back a second time in the afternoon but the access policy is quite frustrating." Read more about this whole safari

"A truly amazing experience. This place felt like garden eden.

Once more a solid proof that travelling during Covid becomes a plus in areas which in normal times tend to attract too many visitors. In the early morning hours, we were basically the only car down in the crater and spotted a lovely pride of lions with cups.

The scenery during May was very special with mist rolling over the crater rim and the crater floor being covered by an endless field of golden Bidens flowers.

We were further lucky to get to see the Rhinos grassing between a herd of zebras with some elephants passing in a distance." Read more about this whole safari

"The Ngorongoro was, sadly, a little disappointing because of the rain which didn't stop all day. I suspect that it was due to this that we didn't see as much wildlife as I had expected. On the other hand, there were virtually no other tourists which I understand is very unusual so what animals we did see, we had to ourselves." Read more about this whole safari

"Ngorongoro crater is just unbelievable, both for the landscape and the crater all around you, and because it is packed with animals. In the middle of the crater you are just surrounded by herds of all kinds of wildlife. It is a must see, at least once in life." Read more about this whole safari

"The landscape naturally impressive being inside a crater. Lots of wildlife and weather conditions were great for us. Saw lots of animals in a central area. It is a slightly more popular location with a few cars around, but it did not waste our experience and we found it very impressive." Read more about this whole safari

"A nice day in the crater. We arrived early and avoided the crowds. Unfortunately the roads were in poor condition and we were held up several times waiting for others to be helped out of mud holes. Due to poor road conditions we were unable to drive to some of the more remote areas of the crater.

As we were leaving there was another downpour and the ascending road from the crater was closed. However, we just made it out before a piece of the road was washed away. I love the crater and the beautiful, expansive views and I so appreciate any opportunity to visit.

Each visit is different and each visit is spectacular." Read more about this whole safari