About Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Ngorongoro Conservation Area is situated in Tanzania. Ngororongo Conservation Area backpacking tours allow you to experience the game-rich crater which is one of the country's top wildlife destinations.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area Budget Travel

Ngorongoro Conservation Area budget travel is very easy with great value for money backpacking tours and fantastic highlights. Below is useful information on Ngorongoro Conservation Area to help you plan your budget holiday in Ngorongoro Conservation Area. We offer a variety of budget tours and backpacking advice in Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Airports

Nearest Ngorongoro Conservation Area airports include the following:
• Kilimanjaro International Airport
• Manyara airstrip

Birdlife

Ngorongoro Conservation Area birdlife is rich and diverse, with a large number of migratory and endemic species to be found across the area. Some 500 species can be found across key habitats including Embagai Crater, Olduvai Gorge and Lake Masek, as well as the Ngorongoro Crater itself. Species include water bird such as flamingo as well as birds of prey and assorted grasslands species.

Conservation

Ngorongoro Conservation Area conservation and preservation offers the perfect ecosystem within the protected sanctuary of the Ngorongoro Crater. The area is relatively untouched, and with abundant grasses, water supplies and ideal conditions, the area is a haven for vast numbers of game, including 15 of Africa’s last 150 white rhinos.

Culture

Ngorongoro Conservation Area cultures include the following:
• Cattle play a key role in Maasai wealth and status, as well as occupation
• Traditions and rituals are an integral part of the Maasai culture
• Clothing has been a distinctive trait for centuries
• Jewellery is both identification and tradition in tribes
• Gender roles play a key role in social structure

Customs

Ngorongoro Conservation Area customs includes free import of:
• 250g of tobacco, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars
• 1 bottle of alcoholic beverages
• 1 pint of perfume

Health

With the nearest hospital some distance away in Arusha, Ngorongoro Conservation Area health facilities are few and far between. It is best to be prepared, so make sure you take out comprehensive travel insurance before you leave for Tanzania, and ensure that you pack a first aid box with basic supplies such as headache pills, nausea pills, diarrhea pills and bandages, plus malaria medication.

AIDS

Ngoronogoro Conservation Area HIV/AIDS precautions include the following tips:
• Don’t ever share needles or syringes
• Practice safe sex at all times
• Equipment should be sterilized
• If you require self-administered injections, take an adequate supply of your own needles
• Avoid tattoos, acupuncture treatment or body piercing

Vaccinations

The following Ngorongoro Conservation Area inoculations are required:
• Yellow Fever
• Hepatitis A & B
• Typhoid
• Polio
• Rabies

Languages

Ngorongoro Conservation Area languages include the following:
• Maasai
• English
• Swahili

Malaria

Ngorongoro Conservation Area malaria medication includes the following:
• Mefloquine (Lariam)
• Doxycycline
• Atovaquone/proguanil (Malarone)

Money

Ngorongoro Conservation Area money and banking info includes the following:
• Tanzanian shillings, US Dollars and other major currency are all accepted
• Credit cards are accepted at some camps and lodges but not all
• Foreign exchange facilities can be found at the Kilimanjaro International Airport
• Many lodges accept travellers cheques, however it is best to come prepared with cash
• ATMs and banks can be found in the nearest city such as Arusha

People

Ngorongoro Conservation Area people includes the following tribes:
• Maasai

Phrase

Ngorongoro Conservation Area local phrases include the following in Swahili:
• Hello - Jambo
• Can I please have...? - Tafadhali nipatie...?
• Do you speak english? - Unajua kizungu?
• Excuse me ' Samahani
• No problem! - Hakuna matata!

Vaccinations

The following Ngorongoro Conservation Area inoculations are required:
• Yellow Fever
• Hepatitis A & B
• Typhoid
• Polio
• Rabies

Plants

Ngorongoro Conservation Area plants are lush and abundant, spanning from vast open moorland habitats, to montane forest, dry acacia woodlands and lush open grass plains which are virtually uncultivated and support a large number of wildlife species. There are also a number of important wetlands which support marsh vegetation as well as a number of animal and bird species.

Religion

Ngorongoro Conservation Area religion groups include the following:
• Indigenous beliefs
• Christianity

Safety Tips

• Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a relatively safe and secure area for travel
• Wildlife is mostly unfenced, so take basic precautions and do not leave your vehicle on game drives
• Drive slowly and carefully ' especially in high density game areas
• Do not ever attempt to touch or feed any wildlife you see, not only is this dangerous but it also interferes with animals
• Lakes are not for swimming ' there may be crocodiles or hippos in the water, both of which are equally dangerous to humans

Transport

Ngorongoro Conservation Area local transport options include:
• Car
• Plane

Travel Books

Ngorongoro Conservation Area recommended travel books:
• Ngorongoro by Reinhard Kunkel and Benjamin William Mkapa
• The Ngorongoro Story by Tom Lithgow and Hugo Van Lawick
• Ngorongoro's Bird Life: A Checklist of the Birds of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area by R Pickering
• Ngorongoro: The Eighth Wonder by Henry Fosbrooke
• Ngorongoro Conservation Area: The Complete Guidebook by Jeannette Hanby & David Bygott

Visa Requirements

Get more information on visas in Tanzania

What To Buy

• Sleeping bag and camping mattress if you are on an overlanding tour
• Malaria medication and mosquito repellent
• Ngorongoro safari guide and Swahili phrase book, plus a current map
• Good backpack plus a decent moneybag to keep valuables and travel documents
• First aid kit stocked with basic supplies and medicines

What To Pack

Sunglasses, sunscreen and sunhat
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Long skirts or long pants and t-shirts covering shoulders for women
• Loose, lightweight clothing in neutral colours with long sleeves to keep out mosquitoes
• Camera, batteries, spare film or memory cards and binoculars

When To Go

• The annual wildebeest migration passes south into the area in December and moving north in June
• Late June to September offers the coolest, driest weather but this can be the busiest time ' especially during August
• December to February is the hottest time across the country
• Rainy season is generally from March to May, with less tourists
• Christmas and New Years (late December to early January) are busy times

Wildlife

As one of the densest game areas in Africa, Ngorongoro Conservation Area wildlife is extremely abundant, with large numbers of lion, elephant, rhino, giraffe, zebra, antelope, leopard, cheetah and other species to be found. The annual wildebeest migration also passes through the area on route from the Serengeti on route to the Masai Mara in Kenya.