Ngorongoro Conservation Area

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is located next to the Serengeti and 180 kilometers away from the city of Arusha. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered one of the top 10 natural wonders of the world. There was a time when it was part of the Serengeti National Park but a decision was made to manage it as a separate wildlife conservation area.

The key feature of the reserve is a large volcanic caldera/crater which acts as a natural enclosure that keeps most of Africa’s famous wildlife together. Because of this protective shield and constant water throughout the year, the animals here do not migrate as much as those of the Serengeti. Visitors can expect to spot them throughout the year. The animals to look out for are lions, black rhino, leopard, elephants, flamingos and buffaloes.

The varied landscape includes forests, bushes, Savannah grasslands, volcanic features and saline lakes. The government has allowed the Masai tribesmen to continue living and taking care of their domestic within the conservation area hence allowing tourists chance encounters with them.

Olduvai Gorge

The Olduvai Gorge is found within the wider Ngoro Ngoro conservation area. It is where some of the first fossils of the earliest humans were found. For this reason, it is sometimes known as the cradle of mankind. The site sites on a collection of fault lines which got exposed due to erosion allowing scientists to excavate fossils that are millions of years old.

The first fossil was discovered in 1911 by a German professor while looking for butterflies in the area. Later, the Leakey family carried out more advanced explorations in the area where they unearthed bones and fragments of skulls believed to be about 2 million years old.

The Leakey’s also unearthed hunting weapons and other tools which are believed to be 1 to 1.5 million years old. Perhaps the greatest discovery where the footprints of a woman, man and child that are believed to be over 1 million years old. These tools and bones are enough evidence to show that some of the oldest known humans lived in Olduvai Gorge and Tanzania for that matter.