Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is situated in the unfenced Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area that forms one ecosystem with the Serengeti National Park. The conservation area is the main wet season (November to May) grazing area for the majority of the Serengeti's migratory animal herds.

There can be few places on earth to rival the tremendous diversity of landscapes existing in a region the size of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The turbulence of fracturing, rifting, volcanic activity and ongoing erosion has moulded a contrasting complexity of peaks, craters, valleys, plains and lakes, all co-existing in the same area.

The Ngorongoro Crater is the permanent home of up to 30 000 larger animals, almost half of them being zebra, and wildebeest. Animals resident within this vast intact ecosystem include lion, elephant, black rhino, warthog, hippo, buffalo and many plains herbivores such as wildebeest, Thomson's gazelle, zebra, eland and reedbuck. For those who wish to see the fierce cats of Africa, the crater is a dream come true: an abundance of predators are drawn by the vast herds of antelope. The golden jackal is frequently seen during the day, while the black-backed jackal and bat-eared fox are most active after dark.

The profusion of grass on the Crater floor feeds the multitudes of grazing herbivores. Grant's gazelle, Thomson's gazelle and wildebeest favour short grass; common zebra favour medium length; while buffalo feast on the rank grass near marshes and on the crater slopes. The leafy herbs among the grasses are sought out by the black rhino. A diverse array of wildlife resides in the forests bordering the lodge. Many creatures are confined to the highland forests, but most mammals are rare sights. Bushpig and bushbuck seldom stray from the shadows, while buffalo and elephant are most active after dark. Buffalo, zebra and serval may be encountered within the lodge surrounds.

A small but growing population of black rhino live on the Crater floor, being the most viable concentration of this highly endangered species in Tanzania. Wonderful sightings of black rhino bulls, or mothers and their calves, are commonplace and provide excellent photographic opportunities against the backdrop of the Crater rim. Four powerful lion prides and five cohesive clans of spotted hyena are the super-predators in this ecosystem, often coming to blows over prey. The resident elephant population includes many old and magnificent bulls, sporting huge ivory tusks of record sizes. Breeding herds of females and young keep to the dense forested slopes and are rarely seen.

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About 400 bird species occur in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Interestingly, over 100 species of birds not found in the Serengeti have been spotted in the Crater area.

Birds of the Crater highlands include Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Golden-winged Sunbird, Streaky Seed-eater, Olive Thrush, Baglafecht Weaver and White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher. Some birds of the Crater floor are Rufous-naped Lark, Rufous-tailed Weaver, Northern Wheatear, Capped Wheatear, Superb Starling and Northern Anteater Chat. In the forests that edge the lodge, look out for birds such as Schalow's Turaco, Tacazze Sunbird, Augur Buzzard and Montane White-eye.

Some aquatic birds of Ngorongoro are Lesser Flamingo, Greater Flamingo, Kittlitz's Plover, Chestnut-banded Plover, White Pelican, Three-banded Plover, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet and Red-billed Teal. Thousands of flamingos wade in the shallows of Lake Magadi - the soda lake on the Crater floor.

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Trees around crater lodge include Nuxia, Strangler Fig, Mountain Bersama, Hagenia, Pillarwood and East African Olive. Some smaller plants around crater lodge are Lion's Paw, Stinging Nettle, Blue Cynoglossum, White Delphinium and Bird Flower Crotalaria.

The regular mist, drizzle and rain in the highland forests is ideal for specialised plants called epiphytes that cling to tree branches and trunks. Orchids and ferns absorb oxygen and nutrients through their aerial roots. Most of these orchid species have chains of delicate white flowers. Probably the most common epiphytes in the forest are the lichens, with the hanging drapes of Old Man's Beard creating a fairyland atmosphere.

Fever Tree forests, riverine plants and a scattering of leafy herbs punctuate the grasslands of the Crater floor.

Many powerful plants growing in the Crater Highlands (and elsewhere in the conservation area) are commonly used by the Maasai and other local people for medicinal and other traditional uses.

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The first habitat you will encounter in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is the dense tropical cloud forest blanketing the south-eastern slopes and crater rim. Although not a true rainforest, this verdant zone relies on regular mist and drizzle, receiving the highest rainfall in the region. The forest is characterised by tall, evergreen trees. Their crowns meet to form a closed canopy.

With the exception of Lake Magadi, the crater floor is comprised almost entirely of grassland, with small patches of Fever Tree forest, marshes and riverine streams punctuating the plains. This abundant foliage feeds the multitudes of grazing herbivores.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) is not a national park, but an integrated region that strives to meet the social and developmental needs of the resident Maasai people. The conservation area is also involved in soil, water catchment and wildlife conservation, as well as the sensitive development of ecotourism. Local Maasai people have grazing rights on the NCA plains, and you may well be surprised by the sight of them tending their herds alongside zebra and other wild animals.