Ngorongoro Crater

2 to 3 million years ago, a volcano bigger than Kilimanjaro imploded; and the magma retreated leaving a vast collapsed hollow. Now in the shadow of 3000ft high crater walls, the resident wildlife is diverse and easily tracked - cheetah, elephant, hyena, hippo, lion, leopard, and a vast array of bird-life, including lesser flamingos. Views from the rim bring flashes of how the planet's first humans must have experienced it.

Beyond, lie Empakai, Olmoti, OlDonyo Lengai: legendary volcanic peaks and valleys for us to explore, absurdly deserted due to the rock stardom of their famous cousin. The adventurer in us absolutely loves these places: a crowded field of Jackson’s Whydah birds all a-pogo, a pair of leopards peering through old man's beard on a pillarwood tree, one elderly Maasai lady tending her pots in a deserted highland village.