Part of the Serengeti ecosystem, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) joins up with Serengeti National Park and the southern Serengeti Plains in the northwest. The south and west of the area are volcanic highlands, including the famous Ngorongoro Crater and the Empakaai Crater. The southern and eastern boundaries follow the rim of the eastern wall of the Rift Valley, which also prevents animal migration in these directions.
The beautiful, incredibly game-rich Ngorongoro Crater is the main feature of the region and is an iconic natural wonder of the world. The enclosed caldera is an ecosystem in itself within the greater Serengeti: the mineral-rich floor of the spectacular bowl is largely flat and covered in nutritious grasses, providing a paradise for herbivores and predators alike. The Big Five can all be found in the area, as well as an extraordinary concentration of predators.