So are you amongst those who have purposely visited Tanzania to see the wildest of the wilds – the Big 5? Frankly speaking, there is no other comparison, in the whole world and that of other parts of Africa, to the exceptional and the richest wildlife experience of the beautiful Ngorongoro Crater! At other places you might require a good luck to spot these nature’s most dangerous carnations, but at the Ngorongoro Crater, you have the highest probability of seeing all five of these at one very place, without much haphazard!
When we are talking about the big 5 safari, we are essentially referring to the 5 most popular, powerful and the cunningly wild animals of the East Africa – the ‘Lions’, the ‘Leopards’, the ‘Black Rhinos’, the ‘Elephants’ and of course the ‘Cape buffaloes’. So, why the Big 5’s have chosen this place? Quite obviously because they can find their food here very easily and due to presence of ample amounts of water! The carnivorous ones love feeding on the raw meat of wildebeests, zebras, buffaloes and others, while the herbivorous ones rather choose to enjoy the luscious green grasses at the Ngorongoro Crater and nearby.
Elephants are one of the easiest to spot amongst the other members of the Big 5’s. On the other hand, spotting a leopard can be one of your greatest challenges of a lifetime, and not to forget that, with great speed and mighty power, they are the most dangerous ones too! The most appropriate time to spot the leopards is usually during the dusk time or early in the morning. The lion is the king of the jungle and has a defined territory. So, spotting a lion is relatively easier and a must for a big 5 safari aspirant.
Unlike the white rhinos, which are found elsewhere in the East Africa, the Ngorongoro Crater is particularly famous for the precious black rhinos. One of the most brutally poached animals of the world, the rhinos can be often spotted in herds, spread across several areas at the crater.
If you thought that the cape buffaloes are just like any other innocent buffalo, then you might be largely mistaken. Nonetheless, and quite aptly, they are often called as the ‘widow maker’ and the ‘black death’. Though they have a tough time with the lions, but because of their socialistic nature, moral power and physical strength, they can run at great speeds, poke their horns and kick their enemies off easily.
Additionally, at the Ngorongoro Crater, you can also get a spectacular view of the flamingos near the soda lake, plus, you cannot miss out on the cute hippo bathing show towards the end of your Ngorongoro tour.
For stay arrangements, you can go for the luxury lodges, safari lodges, luxury tented camps, plantation farm houses or other such terrific arrangements, depending upon your budget and your mood. For safety purposes, spotting the big 5 requires compulsory assistance of a local guide or an armed guard and of course your entire journey should be in a rigid safari vehicle. If you are an amateur and a safari lover, then spotting the Big 5 could be quite dangerous. So, we suggest you to take some prior self-defence training before walking through this dangerous safari. Concerning safety, amateurs should always stay back in the safari vehicle and not consider taking a ‘walking safari’ like the professionals.