DAY 2 - Ngorongoro Conservation Area

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After a lovely breakfast (with some really excellent coffee!) we took a 20-minute Cessna Caravan charter from Arusha to Manyara, then got in our jeeps and were transported to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. We spent the day driving around the crater floor, and we saw cape buffalo, zebra, baboons, warthogs, wildebeest, lions, cranes, ostrich, gazelle, eland and hyena. The highlight of the day was finding a wildebeest in a watering hole who was surrounded by hyena. There were over thirty of them and they just kept coming. We hoped for the best but knew the big guy didn’t stand a chance. And he didn’t. It was horrifying to watch, but that’s life on the savanna, all day every day.

For our own lunch we were surprised with a catered affair in the floor of the crater, complete with white tablecloths, open bar and a toilet. Now this is living!

We stayed overnight at the lush and beautiful Gibb’s Farm in Karatu. Located on the forested slopes of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, it reminded us of Hawaii because it was so green and gorgeous. Our room was large and comfortable with a roaring fire and a panoramic view of the property. The meals there were excellent, especially the dinner, with some of the best ratatouille and couscous, also amazing bread pudding. For breakfast I had avocado juice for the first time and it was delicious.

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