THE Ngorongoro Crater, a key tourist attraction within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in northern Tanzania has won hearts and souls of tourists globally.
Overwhelming reviews from millions of Tripadvisor travellers have placed Ngorongoro Crater on the top of bucket list of allures in the world.
“Ngorongoro Crater is the Tripadvisor travellers’ choice Best of the Best 2023,” the world’s leading travel platform, serving about 400 million tourists per month and organiser of the annual travellers’ choice award says.
Ngorongoro Volcano blew its top millions of years ago, leaving behind the world’s largest intact caldera. Inside the crater—covering more than 100 square miles—is an ecosystem that is home to over 25,000 wildlife animals.
“You’ll have a great chance of spotting lions, as there’s a higher density here than anywhere else on earth, along with leopards. Black rhinos are also a common sight, as are hippos, zebras, hyenas…the list goes on and on,” Tripadvisor writes.
Outside the crater, more than a million wildebeests sweep through during the Great Migration, the statement reads in part, adding that one can also see signs of the first known human ancestor, who walked the plains 1.9 million years ago, at nearby Olduvai Gorge.
“This is the best reward off, all for not only Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority, but also for the entire country, as it puts the nation in the world’s map as one of the premier tourism destinations,” says Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) Conservation Commissioner, Dr Freddy Manongi.
Dr Manongi, who is a renowned conservationist, is extremely proud of his entire team operating in Ngorongoro Conservation Area for working tirelessly to ensure the Ngorongoro Crater remains intact, a move that brings about a huge global recognition.
“The nature of our work is silent. We work behind the scenes within the jungle, we couldn’t imagine the world is watching us and would one day even recognise our efforts as is the case now,” explains the NCAA Chief, expressing his earnest gratitude to the anonymous travellers who voted for the unique destination.
In a big picture, Dr Manongi, who has been recognised by tourism key players as unsung hero in sustainable conservation, sees the recognition going a long way in complementing efforts of the Tanzania President, Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan, of unlocking tourism potential through the Royal Tour film, where Ngorongoro Crater prominently featured.
“Tourism is Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan’s strategic industry for spurring the economy of the country through its multiplier effects”. So, this feat comes at the opportune moment, as it complements our Head of State’s mission,” he explains.
Called the 8th Wonder of the World, and stretching across some 8,300 square kilometres, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) boasts having a blend of landscapes, wildlife, people and archaeology that is unsurpassed in Africa.
The 809,440-hecatre NCA spans vast expanses of highland plains, savanna, savanna woodlands and forests from the plains of the Serengeti National Park in northwest to the eastern arm of the Great Rift Valley.
It includes the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest caldera and Olduvai Gorge, a 14-km-long deep ravine.
