THE EMPAKAAI CRATER, NGORONGORO

The Empakaai Crater is a collapsed volcanic caldera which is 300 meters high and has a width of 6 km.
The Crater is filled with a deep alkaline lake which occupies about 75% of the Crater's floor and is about 85 meters deep. You can see Oldonio Lengai, Mount Kilimanjaro and the Great Rift Valley from the Crater's rim. Walking down the crater you can also have magnificent view of the Mount Lengai. The Crater's rim offers two special campsites.The Empakaai Crater and the Olmoti Crater have similar vegetation and bird-life but the Empakaai Crater is marvelous for wildlife. Among the animals living in this area are: the Bearded Vulture, the Augur Buzzard, blue Monkeys, Bushbuck, water bucks and buffaloes.