After a day of exploring the Ngorongoro crater we made our way to the top of the ridge on the opposite side from where we had entered it. Our accommodation for the night was at the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge. This is the only accommodation on the eastern rim of the crater. The pool, restaurants and rooms all face west, giving visitors the best sunset view anywhere on the crater rim. The property has easy access to an alternate descent into the crater. It has less traffic than the main entrance on the other side. The lodge property is gorgeous and the setting at the edge of the crater rim is … [Read more...]
Ngorongoro Crater, Mother Nature’s Way Of Creating A Zoo
On the last day of our safari we left the Serengeti and headed for Ngorongoro Crater National Park. The crater is a must stop on the northern safari circuit in Tanzania. It is a unique natural wonder and one of the few places where it is possible to see the entire Big Five in a single game drive. Over two million years ago the crater was formed when the cone of a large volcano collapsed into itself. It left behind the world's largest intact caldron. It's 20 km's across and takes up a total area of 259 square km's. An unbroken 610 meter high wall provides the protection for a world of … [Read more...]
Lions Of The Serengeti
A group of lions appear more like giant kittens basking in the sun. One of our largest spottings was a group of lioness and their cubs. It was getting quite hot at mid-day so they were lazing by some bushes in the shade. Our timing was just a few seconds too late to witness the take down of a wildebeest. I'm not sure if we would have wanted to witness it anways, but we got a good taste of the event. The group of lions were still running with adrenaline from the kill. The two cubs finally stop running around and settle for a few moments by a tree. They look back at the … [Read more...]
A Photographic Tour Of Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park is an easy two hour drive southwest of Arusha, the capital of Tanzania. It sits on the traditional migration route for several wildlife species. It's not as well known as some of the parks in Tanzania but it makes for a good stop while traveling through the northern circuit on the way to Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. The dry season from June to September has the largest concentration of animals, second only to the Serengeti. Our visit was during December, but we were not disappointed in the amount of wildlife we were able to view. … [Read more...]