Ngorongoro Crater

The real 'Eden of Africa': truly the 8th wonder of the world.

The Ngorongoro Consevration Area is a huge area containing active volcanoes, mountains, archeological sites, rolling plains, forests, lakes, dunes and of course Ngorongoro Crater (also called 'Eden of Africa: truly the 8th wonder of the world') and Olduvai Gorge. Located in northern Tanzania, west of the Great Rift Valley which runs from the Red Sea to Lake Nyasa in southern Tanzania.

Ngorongoro was once a huge active volcano probably larger than Mount Kilimanjaro, when the volcano errupted some 2 million years ago: its cone collapsed leaving a crater or more accurately a caldera. 
The name Ngorongoro means a big hole (bowl). And some say it came from a maasai word Ilkorongoro: the name given to the age group of maasai warriors who wrested the high land from their predecessor, the Hadzabe. The name IIkorongoro echoed the sound of the battle bell the maasai warriors wore when they first occupied the highland in the year 1800.

The crater lies before the spectator like an amphitheater enclosed by precipitous circular walls. The crater rim is wooded with mountain forest vegetation. It is oval in shape and 19 km in diameter, 610 m. deep and 2.286 meters above sea level. It is blooming in acres of flowers like blue, pink and white lupins, candles with lilies, blue hyacinth and many more.
 Ngorongoro has the densest predator population in Africa. There are about 25.000 large mammals, mainly gazelles, buffaloes, elands, hartebeests and warthogs. Black rhinos are also found at Ngorongoro.