The Ngorongoro conservation area has many access areas or gates. These can be used by anyone and none of the gates is exclusive to any groups of people. The park is a wonder and its home to the largest Crater Lake in the world. The Ngorongoro crater is about 610 meters deep and about 264 square Kilometers in Size. The Ngorongoro conservation area is about 8,292 square Kilometers in size and its one of the biggest national park in Tanzania. The area has a variety of animals including the most sought after big five which include: Lions, Elephants, Buffalos, Leopards ad the rare black rhinos. The Ngorongoro conservation area is home to about 25,000 animal species that have been recorded in recent times.
The area is home to over 550 bird species and it’s a birder’s haven. Of this number there are Migratory and resident birds. Some of the unique birds that you will find here are the Ostrich, African Spoonbill, Kori Bustard, Secretary Bird, Capped Wheatear, Ant Eater, Fan-tailed Widowbird, among so many others.
You will need to access the Ngorongoro conservation area using on of the designated gates to enjoy everything this Garden of Eden has to offer. There are however two main entry points to the Ngorongoro conservation area. These gates are Naabi Hill gate situated on the border of Serengeti National Park with the Ngorongoro conservation area and the Lodoare gate south of Ngorongoro Crater. The other smaller gates include the Lemale gate, and Seneto gate.
Lodoare gate
This gate is located in the southern sector of the Ngorongoro conservation area. The gate is most popular among the travelers of the Ngorongoro conservation area who are within the Arusha area. This is because it is within driving distance with the Arusha city. The gate is at the lower base of the Ngorongoro crater which makes it within about 140 kilometers from the Arusha city. This is about less than 2 hours drive. The gate is about 14 kilometers to the Ngorongoro conservation area park headquarters. The gate is close to the hippo pool and Lake Magadi which is a sanctuary of Flamingoes.
While at the Lodoare gate, some of the services you can get include;
- You can pay you park fees for the Ngorongoro conservation area. MasterCard, Visa, credit and debit cards are all accepted.
- You can also collect your park entrance permit here if you paid prior and have receipts.
- This gate also has an information center about the Ngorongoro conservation area and you can get all the information you need.
- There is a canteen and a gift shop for you to buy snack and souvenirs for you to take back home but also support the community.
Naabi Hill Gate
This is another major gate of the Ngorongoro conservation area. This gate is popular since it can access both the Ngorongoro conservation area and the Serengeti national park. Basically this is h point were the Serengeti national park joins with the Ngorongoro conservation area. This gate also hosts the Tanzania park authority offices that operate this entire area. It’s an administrative check point as well.
Naabi hill gate is within distance with the border of Serengeti National Park. Some of the services or facilities you can use while at the Naabi hill gate include;
- You can pay you park fees for the Ngorongoro conservation area. MasterCard, Visa, credit and debit cards are all accepted.
- You can also collect your park entrance permit here if you paid prior and have receipts.
- This gate also has an information center about the Ngorongoro conservation area and you can get all the information you need.
- There is a canteen and a gift shop for you to buy snack and souvenirs for you to take back home but also support the community.
- This gate also has great view of the plains of both the Ngorongoro conservation area and the Serengeti national park.
Lemale Mini Gate
This gate is one of the smaller gates of the Ngorongoro conservation area. It’s smaller than Naabi hill gate and the Lodoare gate but its still will grant you access to the Ngorongoro conservation area. The gate is within the premises of the Ngorongoro conservation area and it can used to both enter and exit the area. The Lemale mini gate is located on the north eastern part of the Ngorongoro conservation area along the trail to the Olmoti Crater. There about an hour between the Lemale mini gate and the Lodoare gate.
While at the Lemale mini gate, some of the services you can get include;
- You can pay you park fees for the Ngorongoro conservation area. MasterCard, Visa, credit and debit cards are all accepted.
- There is inspection of vehicles here to make sure you have adhered to all the requirements.
- This gate also has great view of the plains around the gate.
Seneto Mini Gate
This is also a smaller gate of the Ngorongoro conservation area. Being small doesn’t mean it will limit your accessibility of the Ngorongoro conservation area. The gate is found with the premises of the Ngorongoro conservation area. The gate is located on the western side of the Ngorongoro crater. The gate is within a drive of about 30 minutes from the Lodoare gate. This is on the trail to the Olduvai Gorge. The Gorge is about an hour from this gate. The gate has a ranger post, campsite and other accommodation facilities. There is also an airstrip.
Some of the services and facilities in Seneto mini gate include;
- You can pay you park fees for the Ngorongoro conservation area. MasterCard, Visa, credit and debit cards are all accepted.
- There is inspection of vehicles here to make sure you have adhered to all the requirements.
- This gate also has great view of the plains around the gate.
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