The panoramic image of Ngorongoro Crater from crater ridgeline is about as good a view as one can have of a nature reserve. It's stunning to see the size and scope of the caldera and know that there is a relatively self contained ecosystem below teaming with wildlife. There's nothing new in the park although there is a giant lake with flamingos that we had not seen previously. I initially expected that you could spend a few days at Ngorongoro Crater, especially given the park's reputation, but the park's sites can be covered in a five to six hour drive - you enter the park at one end, drive through the caldera, then exit at another location. We visited in the afternoon after dropping making a stop at the campsite on the ridge above the crater. There's one group campsite that was the busiest place we stayed during our trip.
Ngorongoro Crater has a lake near its center that draws thousands of flamingoes and other wildlife.
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Wildebeest doing their walk in a long line thing.
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We saw many animals have sex while on safari. Seeing a bull elephant, with an erect penis, charging after a female is something I would love to unsee. We saw this poor female lion succumb to a male's desires several times. Apparently male lions aren't exactly the largest cats in the jungle. They both seem unhappy about the overall process.
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We saw this lion enjoying a drink, then sat up, and in one swift motion jumped across the stream.
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There is a little bit of everything in Ngorongoro Crater except for smaller predatory cats like Cheetahs and Leopards that would not be able to compete with the lion prides in the park.
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One other thing that was interesting about this park is that Maasai farm and raise cattle in the park - this was the first time we saw humans and wild animals living side by side - in other areas the villages were slightly outside the park confines
For additional photos see the Ngorongoro Crater Flickr Album.