One of the more
unforgettable sights of Ngorongoro was the sight of the crater, early in the
morning, being filled with mist.
Of course when you see this after a night under canvas you are cursing because the last thing you want to see on safari is fog. But it is morning mist and from this vantage point on the lip of the crater you can see it ebb away and the immensity of the crater becomes revealed.
This is a public campsite costing only about $30 a night to pitch your tent. It is a favourite of budget safaris and consists of an immense short grass field but with fantastic views across the crater. The safari companies park their land rovers and tow-trucks on this field and use a concrete/wire mesh open building for their cooking. The toilet block is nearby and the vast majority of campers pitch at this end of the field.
We didn’t camp there (our guides didn’t want their provisions pilfered by other companies) but at the far end of the field under a huge baobab tree. There we arranged our single tents, kitchen area and dining table. Despite being so far out the armed wardens would visit to see that we were OK. Near the baobab tree were more modern toilets which were a 40ft away - nerve-wracking walk in the dark. The showers are cold but there is running water. Something not lost on baboons and zebras which use the urinals as water troughs.
Of course when you see this after a night under canvas you are cursing because the last thing you want to see on safari is fog. But it is morning mist and from this vantage point on the lip of the crater you can see it ebb away and the immensity of the crater becomes revealed.
This is a public campsite costing only about $30 a night to pitch your tent. It is a favourite of budget safaris and consists of an immense short grass field but with fantastic views across the crater. The safari companies park their land rovers and tow-trucks on this field and use a concrete/wire mesh open building for their cooking. The toilet block is nearby and the vast majority of campers pitch at this end of the field.
We didn’t camp there (our guides didn’t want their provisions pilfered by other companies) but at the far end of the field under a huge baobab tree. There we arranged our single tents, kitchen area and dining table. Despite being so far out the armed wardens would visit to see that we were OK. Near the baobab tree were more modern toilets which were a 40ft away - nerve-wracking walk in the dark. The showers are cold but there is running water. Something not lost on baboons and zebras which use the urinals as water troughs.
Zebras are one of the visitors to the campsite and we had a group of about six of them crop the grass near to where our tents were pitched. Not far away was the rubbish heap of the camp which was visited by elephants and hyenas. We had a problem with bull elephants entering the camp and making for our provisions truck. It’s quite a sight to see two adult males run back into the bush upon discovery like naughty schoolboys.
Over two nights we were joined by another four sets of campers. Many were up from South Africa and had their own camping trucks. It was good to sit around the campfire and exchange stories about what had been seen during the day. And you know South Africans? Everything is bigger and better in "Serf Aflicka".
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