Ngorongoro Travel Forum

Hi! I'm travelling in Sept./Oct. to Tanzania with husband, 5 year old and 8 year old and am curious as to drive times between Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, and Arusha. Also, any good safari companies to recommend? I am now dealing with Royal African Safaris and Unique Safaris. Anyone heard of them and any comments?

You will have a great time in Tanzania, thats for sure. I was there 2002. (see tips on my pages). As for the driving time you need, I cannot give you the time, because they were building a real big road to Lake Manyara from Arusha, which should be finished by now. So this will not take so long as when I was, but after that to Ngorongoro its gravel and real steep, too. I would say maybe 1 1/2 hours from Arusha to Lake Manyara, from the Lake to the Crater maybe 3 hours.
Better not rush in any case.

Hi there, as always I will suggest you get a hold of
eco-resorts out of KENYA. I am using them a 3rd time this SEPT!!
INFO: www.eco-resorts.com
contact: Melinda Rees
e-mail: melinda@eco-resorts.com
She takes care of KENYA, TANZ & UGANDA.
She has been working very hard for me again this time
getting together my SOUTHERN TANZ and my KWS visit in TSAVO EAST.
Just tell her David from the states said to call. If she can't help she will point you in the right direction.Keep me posted.
Good luck, David

Ngorongoro is the biggest "attraction" as the "largest concentration of large land mammals" & "largest concentration of large land predators" & "largest non-drowned intact crater", etc. in the world. I'm not sure that anyone knows it better than "Gipson" Ndoros Solemtara. As local Masai with good spoken English especially, his effort to educate his fellow Masai and support HIV education with partial proceeds from arranging Ngorongoro safaris is worthy by itself. But add in his amazing personal life story, his experience supervising the 120 rangers who guard the crater's few dozen remaining rhinos, his attention to safety, his contacts, and his tremendous knowledge of where to go outside the crater, and going on safari with "Gipson" turned out to be a great move for us in 2003.
By the way, the paved road is currently being extended even further west, climbing beyond the Lake Manyara turnoff (Mtu-wa-mbu) in 2003 toward Ngorongoro. As that is completed, it will reduce travel times for the 48 km from Mtu-wa-mbu to the crater.
Contact "Gipson" at ndorosolemtara@yahoo.com

Hi, I,ve just got back from the most amazing safari with Tontu Safaris. They're a British and Tanzanian outfit and picked me up at the Dar airport, stayed one night and they flew me to Arusha which took about an hour, and was really smooth and easy. Then from Arusha by 4x4 to Ngorongoro crater which was like descending into an untouched paradise. I'll be going back next year and will use Tontu again because they really cared about us every step of the way which is great with two small children in tow. Speak to Ernest at www.tontusafaris.com he knows everything.