Ngorongoro Conservation Area

The views from the 600m (1968ft) tall Ngorongoro Crater rim are spectacular but the real treasure lies on its 20km (12.4mi)-wide floor. It's been compared to Noah's Ark and the Garden of Eden - but has the added advantage of actually existing. Noah might be a bit a disappointed by dwindling animal numbers these days, but he'd have no trouble finding lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and many of the plains herbivores such as wildebeest, Thomson's gazelle, zebra and reedbuck, as well as thousands of flamingo wading in the shallows of Lake Magadi,

Tthe soda lake on the floor of the crater. Local Masai tribespeople have grazing rights here, and you may well come across them tending their cattle. You can reach the crater by private bus from Arusha (on the main highway) at least as far as Karatu but it may be difficult to find anything going beyond there. There are also plenty of trucks as far as Karatu.