Ngorongoro
Fascination
by Stephen
Lelo
Situated in
the northeastern corner of the Ngorongoro
Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) in Northern
Tanzania, the less known Empakaai Crater is a
breathtaking ecological jewel worth visiting by
casual and serious hikers.
Many people
know of the world famous Ngorongoro Crater,
however the Ngorongoro Highlands have two other
smaller craters &endash; Empakaai and Olmoti,
which are just as fascinating as the bowl-like
Ngorongoro Crater. These three distinct
geological features share a common origin in
that they were all once active volcanoes whose
summits collapsed into the underlying
subterranean molten lava (magma) chambers
forming what geologists call "calderas" &endash;
erroneously referred to as
'craters.'
Over
thousands of years, these enormous stone bowls
developed their own unique mosaic of habitats
that vary from caldera to caldera. Although
little or less known than its towering neighbor,
Empakaai Crater is a breathtaking ecological
jewel worth a visit.
Empakaai is
located about 30 km northeast of Ngorongoro
Crater. Its northern and eastern slopes rise
from the floor of the rift valley while its
southern and western slopes are bordered by the
highlands. The area is especially suited for
hiking since there are no vehicle roads into the
caldera.
The caldera
is about 7km in diameter and the floor contains
a saline-alkaline lake that is about 79 m deep
and is fed by several freshwater streams. The
average elevation of the caldera floor at the
shore of the lake is about 2,230 m above sea
level varying from an elevation of about 2,510 m
on the East to about 3,260 m on the West.
The best
hiking trails are situated along the lowest
point of the eastern rim and descend through
forest to the eastern shore of the alkaline
lake. The scenery within the caldera is
spectacular at every point and one can
occasionally see the distant snow cap of Mount
Kilimanjaro on the far eastern side of the Rift
Valley.
The walk
takes a mere 30 minutes to the caldera floor.
Another half an hour of trekking around the
grassy plains brings the hiker to the edge of
two small beautiful ponds. Several species of
large mammals are visible year-round, with the
most common ones being bushbuck, blue monkey and
buffalo.
Walk for Health and
Education
Short hikes
can be organized with tour operators, lodges, or
the NCA headquarters. Empakaai Crater and its
surrounding area offer a unique variety of
experiences to visitors while reducing the
pressure of vehicle congestion in Ngorongoro
Crater.
Empakaai
Crater is best known for its large
concentrations of the pink Lesser flamingoes
that feed on the blue-green algae knows as
Spirulina. Thousands of ducks and other water
birds inhabit the lake and its shores. Myriads
of other colorful and inter-rolling forest and
savanna-dwelling bird species also abound around
the lake.
The best time
for hiking is around 6 a.m. in the morning to 10
a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the evening.
However, since buffalos and lions can
occasionally be dangerous, it is advisable that
visitors be accompanied by an armed ranger.
Throughout
the year, fog is common for most part of each
day. While there are many sunny hours in the
Ngorongoro Highlands, the weather is generally
unpredictable. The eastern part of the caldera
rim is lower in elevation and is therefore
usually below the clouds. Photographing and
animal viewing are especially good between 6:00
a.m. and 7:00 a.m.
In order to
enjoy Empakaai Crater and its surrounding
environs, visitors should plan to spend at least
two or three days in the Conservation Area.
Leaving the NCA headquarters early in the
morning gives visitors ample time to take a
short hike into the caldera and enjoy a picnic
lunch before returning to Ngorongoro.A Pristine
Area
Currently
there are no tourist facilities at Empakaai.
However, public campsites are situated along its
rim. All campsites are situated adjacent to the
road and water can be obtained from local
springs. However, visitors are advised to carry
their own drinking water for health precautions.
The NCAA
plans to diversify attractions available beyond
the Ngorongoro Crater. One of the featured
activities being considered are adventurous
walking safaris in the Ngorongoro
wilderness.
For the
details of walking expeditions in the Ngorongoro
Conservation Area, a walking safari brochure can
be obtained from the Ngorongoro Conservation
Area Authority Information Center in Arusha
Municipal, from prominent tour operators, or by
request from the Conservator of Ngorongoro at
the following email address:
ncafaru@cybernet.co.tz. The Ngorongoro website,
www.ngorongoro-crater-africa.org, also provides
a wealth of information about the Ngorongoro
Conservation Area.Conservation, Conservation
"In all of
the wildlife countries, Tanzania has the
greatest percentage of protected land," said
Peter Mwenguo, Managing Director, Tanzania
Tourist Board (TTB). "Close to 30% of our land
is dedicated to the preservation of wildlife,
flora and fauna." With the addition of Mkomazi
in the North, Tanzania now has 15 National
Parks, 32 Game Reserves and the world famous
Ngorongoro Crater, which is part of its own
unique conservation area. Mkomazi, Tanzania's
15th National Park. Now an exciting new
development for wildlife lovers is
unfolding in northern Tanzania. Added to
Tanzania's 14 National Parks will be the
restructured Mkomazi, a 56 year-old former game
reserve.
Mkomazi
As the
centerpiece of the new National Park, Mkomazi is
joined with the Umba Forest Reserve, and shares
a border with Tsavo National Park. Tanzania's
15th National Park plays a key role within the
greater ecosystem as safe migratory routes and
dispersal areas for herds of elephants, oryx and
zebras during the wet season and as a protected
area for giraffes and many other birds and
animals year round.
The
transformation of Mkomazi into a National Park
has served three major purposes: the re-securing
of its land as a haven for wildlife, including
the reintroduction of the critically endangered
(and once extinct in East Africa) black rhino
and the hunting dogs; the upgrading of the
entire infrastructure of 500 miles of road, an
airfield, and dams and water sources within the
new area; and the introduction of an innovative
outreach program to villagers living in
surrounding areas. Construction of schools and
clinics, new boreholes and water pumps, the
formation of women's groups and a soccer team,
and the introduction of cultural tourism are all
part of the program meant to benefit the people
of Tanzania as well as its
wildlife.
The
South
Whereas
Arusha is the safari capital of the North, Dar
es Salaam, the exotic port city and commercial
capital of Tanzania, is the jumping off point
for the South."Since Tanzania's tourism strategy
is to encourage high quality, low volume
tourism, the Southern Circuit creates more
diversity in the safari circuits and helps avoid
mass tourism," said Amant Macha, Director of
Marketing, TTB.The Selous Game Reserve, at
55,000 square km is the largest in Africa and
larger than the country of Switzerland. It is
also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along the
Rufijii River, Selous offers the tourist
different game viewing experiences, boat
safaris, as well as walking safaris. In addition
to its masses of elephants, hippos, buffalo, it
is the remaining home of the Black Rhino and is
also home to 25% of the continent's wild dog
population.
Ruaha National
Park
will soon be combined with Usangu Game Reserve,
and expected to increase its size by over 15,000
square kilometers; if this expected size remain
the same, it will make Ruaha the largest
National Park in Africa. According to Gerald
Bigurube, Director General, Tanzania National
Parks (TANAPA), one of the aims of the
government in annexing Usangu to Ruaha is in
part to save the biodiversity of that area as
well as to increase tourism to the region. This
can best be accomplished if the area is
administered and marketed by TANAPA". Ruaha,
which boasts 10,000 elephants, the largest
population of any East African national park,
protects a vast tract of the rugged semi-arid
bush country that characterizes central
Tanzania. Its lifeblood is the Great Ruaha River
which courses along the Eastern boundary of the
park.
The Usangu Game
Reserve
includes the Ihefu Wetland, the natural water
reservoir for the Great Ruaha River. Other parks
in the South include Mikumi, set between the
Uluguru Mountains to the north and the Lumango
mountains to the south-east and within a short
flight from Dar es Salaam, Mikumi is teeming
with wildlife and 300 species of
birdlife.Udzungwa Mountains National Park, one
of the world's key biodiversity hot spots, is
especially known for 10 or more species of
primates, including the rare Iringa Red Colobus
and the Sanje Crested Mangabey as well as the
bizarre giant elephant shrew. Its constant
climate has given rise to a range of flora and
fauna, and sometimes called the African
Galapagos. For information e-mail
info@tanzaniaparks.com
