Ngorongoro Crater

From Lake Manyara we drove to a lodge a couple of hours from the crater (it really wasn't that far away, but the roads made it a very long trip). Our preference would have been to stay on the crater rim (the drive to the crater and back is not fun) however, when we were booking 6 months in advance, everyone else had the same idea and beat us to it. The lodge was lovely though and we met a great couple from Las Vegas that we spent some time with in the evenings so in the end it turned out fine.

The Ngorongoro Crater is a world heritage site, the world's largest intact volcanic caldera. It is commonly referred to as the 8th wonder of the world. The crater is approx 10 miles wide and the walls are approx 2,000 feet high. This creates a natural amphitheater for the densest population of large animals anywhere.

The bottom on the crater is mostly savaanah except around the lake, swamp and water holes which are much greener.

Here are some pictures from the crater. Will do another post with more pictures and then next up - the Serengeti.

Heading into the crater

A goshawk (I think)

Grant's Gazelle

black shouldered kite

Kori Bustard (the heaviest bird that can fly) 

Warthogs!

black backed jackal

Wildebeest

Wildebeest and zebra moving through

Hooded vulture

Lappet-faced Vulture

Hippo climbing out of the stream

Very hard to find in the grass

crowned lapwing

helmeted guineafowl

Jakal

Grant's gazelle

Zebra crossing in front of two rhino

two rhino (really stretching the zoom here but these are the only rhino we saw)

Rhinos

Thomson's Gazelle

Hyena looking mean

Hyenas are really nasty looking buggers

Widebeeste (gnu) warily eyeing a Hyena

sacred ibis

heron

Yellow billed stork 

African black crake on hippo

pied kingfisher

egyptian goose

african spoonbill

Egyptian goose

2 birds on Hippo - looking for ticks

Grey crowned crane

Flamingos at the lake

Lesser flamingos (pink) and greater flamingos (white)

grey crowned cranes

yellow billed stork