Arusha National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation

This article shall briefly describe two wonderful safari destinations.  These two places in Tanzania a perfect places for anyone intending on going on an African safari.  The two places are Arusha National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation

The Park contains a diverse resident population of herbivores, primates and predators including black and white colobus monkeys, baboons, elephants, giraffes, buffalos, hippos, leopards, hyenas, waterbucks, wart hogs and a wide range of antelope species. No lions in the park although you can see leopards if you are lucky.

If you wish to walk on the Mount Meru (4566 m) sector of the park through a variety of landscapes, plains, forest moorlands, and a lava desert, it is compulsory to be accompanied by an armed game warden because the wild animals. From the summit of Mount Meru you will have an impressive view of the crater and of the eruption cone 3000 metres below .

Arusha National Park is famous for its 400 species of bird life, both migrant and resident such as red sharks, hamerkops, spurwinged gooses, herons, woodpeckers, grey parrots, secretary birds and many more. The Momela Lakes offer plenty of bird watching opportunities.

The flora and fauna varies with the topography, which ranges from forest to swamp. The best time for visiting is during the dry season from July-March. The best months to climb Mount Meru are June-February (although there are some rains in November). On clear days magnificent views of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru can be seen from almost any part of the park. The best views of Mt. Kilimanjaro are from December-February.

The second wonderful place to visit for gets on African safari packages is the Ngorongoro crater Conservation.  Often referred to as “Africa’s Eden”, the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation area is located in Northern Tanzania, approximately 180kms northwest of Arusha, lying south-east of the Serengeti National Park and just north of Lake Manyara National Park. It is the largest intact crater in the world, being 610 meters deep, 16 kms across and covering an area of 540 sq kms.

The Conservation area is regarded as a natural wonder of the world (the 8th) and is a fine blend of landscapes, people and wildlife. It is one of Africa’s main archaeological sites, and has been declared a World Heritage Site. The Crater teaming with wildlife, with virtually all the big game species found here, including; zebra, wildebeest, black rhino, antelope, giraffe, buffalo, lion, cheetah, leopard, and plenty of monkeys. All the elephants you will see in the Crater are large old bulls. Female breeding elephants are not known to come into the crater as the steep sides are a hindrance to them. The area is also an ornithologists’ paradise, with the thousands of flamingos wading in the shallows of Lake Magadi and hundreds of other species of birdlife.

A safari to Ngorongoro Conservation Area will normally include a visit to Olduvai Gorge, one of the most important prehistoric sites in the world. This is where the Leakeys discovered the hominoid remains of a 1.8 million year old skeleton. Some evacuated fossils also go to show that the area is one of the oldest sites of hominoid habitation in the world.

In conclusion both these two destinations described above are wonderful destinations to visit in Africa.  They are both home to abundant wildlife and beautiful scenery.  They are great African destinations