Flying to Ngorongoro Crater is one of the most efficient ways of getting to the conservation area, Ngorongoro crater is a dormant volcano that is said to have erupted over 3 million years ago, a large mountain collapsed resting on its weight it forms the world’s largest Caldera home to abundant wildlife, it was initially one ecosystem together with the Serengeti national park, however later it was separated and gazette as a national conservation area in 1959, it used to be a grazing ground to the neighbouring natives of the Masaai, these are originally pastoralists keeping large herds of cattle.
Flying to Ngorongoro crater begins with first flying to Arusha into one of the international airports, which could be the Kilimanjaro International Airport west of Arusha, airlines that fly to the destination include KLM, British Airways, SwissAir, there are frequent flights to Tanzania, you will be required to have the following documents before flying into the country, a valid passport of at least 6 months to expiry, visa document, yellow fever vaccination.
The closets airports to Ngorongoro crater are situated in Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Nairobi when guests flyinto the Kilimanjaro airstrip, it takes an extra 230-kilometre scenic drive to the conservation, this is one of the longest routes to take, Arusha airport is the smallest airport but the closest to Ngorongoro crater, flights can be arranged by a domestic tour operator there are scheduled or Charter flights in between parks, several carriers can be used for example coastal air, air excel, regional air, safari air link, Auric air, Air Tanzania., precision air to mention a few. The aerial view of the surrounding rolling endless plains of grasslands dotted with small kopjes and mountains is beautiful to see.
The other option is to get to Ngorongoro crater by road, the drive gets interesting when you drive through the northern circuit of the conservation area, it takes 2-3 hours to drive from Arusha to the crater, drives can be on self-drive or with the assistance of a tour operator safari vehicles are the most recommendable to use for drives, for example, 4×4 land cruisers, safari drones, tourist vehicles.
Things to do while in Ngorongoro crater include game drives, which is the major activity of the biodiverse environment, these are done in sessions, beginning at 6:00 am in search of early morning risers, afternoon times until 6:00 pm, guests are expected to have returned from the crater, the drives last for 2-3 hours per sessions or can be conducted all day long with a picnic lunch. Bird watching, there are over 500 species of birds that have been recorded in the ecosystem, it is a rewarding destination for birders. Visit the local Masai people, who are the original inhabitants of the region, they will show you their way of life through dance and songs.
In conclusion, Flying to Ngorongoro crater is best recommended during the dry season between June- September and December –February when the weather is convenient and easy to fly through without resistance and turbulence.