With the world-famous crater at its heart, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area extends over a massive 8 300 square kilometres. It is located within a range of volcanic mountains in northern Tanzania, bounded to the east by the Great Rift Valley and to the north and west by the Serengeti National Park, and it includes several other extinct volcanoes (even an active one) and habitats that range from grasslands, swamps, lakes and rivers to woodlands, forests and desert-like dunes.

In addition to the Ngorongoro Crater, there are other, smaller craters in the Conservation Area to explore, notably Olmoti and Empakaai which are accessible. Empakaai is possibly one of the most scenic locations within these volcanic highlands, with one stunning view down to the deep soda lake that covers about half the crater floor, and others east to the snow-clad peak of Mount Kilimanjaro and north-east to Oldoinyo Lengai. The latter is the active volcano, the Maasai people's 'mountain of God' that still bubbles and belches steam and ash from its top.

Another two volcanoes – extinct ones – are landmark peaks for travellers winding their way down from the Ngorongoro highlands westward to the Serengeti Plains. These are Lemagrut and Sadiman, and it was ash spewed from the latter that preserved the fossil hominid footprints and animal tracks at Laetoli further west and gave modern man an insight into his predecessors and other prehistoric inhabitants of this area. But even more has been learned about early hominids at Oldupai Gorge, at the base of these hills.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area as a whole has much to offer but the jewel in its crown is, without doubt, the eponymous crater. 'It is impossible to give a fair description of the size and beauty of the Crater, for there is nothing with which one can compare it. It is one of the wonders of the world.'

Declared a World Heritage Site in 1978, Ngorongoro Crater is undoubtedly one of the most impressive attractions of Africa, and one of the world's greatest wildlife locations. The view from its rim into the 260-square-kilometre caldera could even rank as the most inspiring in wild Africa – when it can be seen.

The crater floor is home to one of the highest densities of lions in Africa, with numbers estimated to fluctuate between 80 and 100. Black rhinos, many with spectacular horns, and elephants are a common sight here – in fact, this is perhaps the best place in Africa for viewing them in the wild. The leopard, is seen quite frequently in the woodlands of the Lerai Forest, whilst spotted hyenas are both common and numerous. Other predators you are likely to see include serval, black-backed and golden jackals, and bat-eared fox.

Of the large population of wildebeest in the crater, some join the annual migration, but many others remain all year round. Buffalo, topi, reedbuck, Grant's and Thomson's gazelles, Coke's hartebeest (kongoni), zebra and hippo all occur in good numbers, but notably absent from the crater floor are woodland species such as the impala and giraffe.

For bird enthusiasts the opportunities are many, with a large variety of raptors, waterbirds and others present at any time. Keep a lookout for the majestic augur buzzards that are common in these highlands. Lesser and greater flamingos throng the soda waters of Lake Magadi at the heart of the crater floor, creating a colourful spectacle when they are present in large numbers. The flamingos, which breed at nearby Lake Natron, visit Magadi to feed in its nutrient-rich waters.