Our Team
Our Tour Experts
Heroes and Heroines
Places to stay
Every captivating tailor-made itinerary needs a perfect base. Our team has handpicked this collection of properties to give you luxury options in styles to suit any adventure.
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![Amy Waters snow biking]()
Our Team
Steppes Travel is made by the people who work here. Incredible holidays are made possible because of their vast travel experience and the great enthusiasm they bring to their work.
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![William Dalrymple]()
Our Tour Experts
We carefully select our experts based on their knowledge, companionship and influence, ensuring that you can travel with the most knowledgeable leaders in the field.
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![Liz Bonnin]()
Heroes and Heroines
The people who lead the way when it comes to those things which matter to us: exploration, the environment, women’s empowerment and education.
Ngorongoro Crater
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a conservation area situated west of Arusha in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is part of the Serengeti ecosystem, and to the north-west, it adjoins the Serengeti National Park and is contiguous with the southern Serengeti plains, these plains also extend to the north into unprotected Loliondo division and are kept open to wildlife through trans-human pastoralism practised by Maasai.
The south and west of the area are volcanic highlands, including the famous Ngorongoro Crater and the lesser-known Empakai. The southern and eastern boundaries are approximately defined by the rim of the Great Rift Valley wall, which also prevents animal migration in these directions.
Why visit the Ngorongoro Crater
The region is dominated by the massive Ngorongoro Crater, which has formed the focal point of so many television documentaries. The crater floor itself is alive with game, particularly around Lake Magadi, which is also well known for its flamingo population. Aside from herds of zebras, gazelles, and wildebeests, the crater is home to the Big Five – rhinos, lions, leopards, elephants, and buffalos.
The crater plays host to almost every individual species of wildlife in East Africa, with an estimated 25,000 animals within the crater. Elsewhere on the crater floor, predators roam freely, terrorising the vulnerable plains game that huddles in groups as the dusk settles.
Why visit the crater rim?
The views from the rim are spectacular and the fever tree forest, which characterises the area, is alive with elephants, leopards and buffalos, most of which descend into the crater to feed.
To explore this forest with an armed guide in search of smaller craters, mountain rivers and waterfalls is one of Africa’s real treats.
Experiences
What do you really love doing? We’ll tailor your itinerary to suit you.
Tanzania
The Highlands
Set in the wild landscape of the northern reaches of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, The Highlands hugs the slopes of the Olmoti volcano. Beautiful volcanic terrain surrounds this stylish camp, crisscrossed by ancient Maasai trails that…
Tanzania
Plantation Lodge
Plantation Lodge rests on soft, red-brown hills amidst the vastness and silence of East Africa – about 30 km from the Ngorongoro Crater. The place is very neatly tucked away on a coffee farm in the…
Tanzania
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is perched on the edge of the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater on the eastern edge of the Serengeti in northern Tanzania. Inspired in design by the Maasai mud-and-stick manyatta, it is, without doubt, one…
Idea
Tanzania
Exclusivity in Northern Tanzania’s Private Reserves
Escape the crowds and experience the best that Tanzania has to offer. Explore a pair of private reserves – each one packed with wildlife – on an exclusive safari through the Serengeti, before unwinding at the post-safari paradise of Chem Chem.
Idea
Tanzania
Northern Tanzania including The Great Migration
Journey through northern Tanzania’s safari landscape, staying at a succession of beautiful tented camps. Combine the baobab-dotted valleys of Tarangire with the volcanic vistas of Ngorongoro and the endless plains of the Serengeti.
Idea
Tanzania
Southern Tanzania and the Swahili Coast
Discover southern Tanzania – a land of winding rivers, palm-dotted savannah and hidden beaches. Explore the vast reserves of Ruaha and Selous – packed with wilderness and wildlife – before decompressing on a secluded stretch of the Swahili Coast.
Idea
Tanzania
Wild West: Katavi and Mahale
This unusual safari combines two of Tanzania’s remotest and least visited parks. Spot lions and buffalos on the floodplains of Katavi, before encountering chimpanzees on the forested slopes of the Mahale Mountains, within sight of Lake Tanganyika.
Idea
Tanzania
Exclusivity in Northern Tanzania’s Private Reserves
Escape the crowds and experience the best that Tanzania has to offer. Explore a pair of private reserves – each one packed with wildlife – on an exclusive safari through the Serengeti, before unwinding at the post-safari paradise of Chem…
Idea
Tanzania
Northern Tanzania including The Great Migration
Journey through northern Tanzania’s safari landscape, staying at a succession of beautiful tented camps. Combine the baobab-dotted valleys of Tarangire with the volcanic vistas of Ngorongoro and the endless plains of the Serengeti.
Idea
Tanzania
Southern Tanzania and the Swahili Coast
Discover southern Tanzania – a land of winding rivers, palm-dotted savannah and hidden beaches. Explore the vast reserves of Ruaha and Selous – packed with wilderness and wildlife – before decompressing on a secluded stretch of the Swahili Coast.
Idea
Tanzania
Wild West: Katavi and Mahale
This unusual safari combines two of Tanzania’s remotest and least visited parks. Spot lions and buffalos on the floodplains of Katavi, before encountering chimpanzees on the forested slopes of the Mahale Mountains, within sight of Lake Tanganyika.
Meet our experts
A passion for travel runs right through every one of our experts - meaning they're always ready with first-hand insight about their specialist countries.
Illona Cross
Born in a small South African town, I have always followed my passion for nature and discovery. After studying Nature Conservation in Pretoria, I was one of the first women to complete a very tough cadetship in the Natal Parks Board. It was here where I cut my teeth in African wildlife management.
Talk with our experts
- 01285 880 980
Chris Johnston
25 years ago, my first trip to Africa took on a life of its own. I planned for three months, I stayed for two years. Whilst there, I was mistaken for a priest, attacked by sharks and arrested. Yet the countless, clattering journeys opened my eyes to the beauty of the landscapes and the grace of the people. My recent trips are undoubtedly more comfortable, but the welcome is as warm as ever and the best experiences are still those I never see coming.
Talk with our experts
- 01285 880 980
Explore other regions
Selous and Ruaha
Southern Tanzania features two contrasting landscapes, one a Game Reserve and the other a National Park. The Selous Game Reserve is vast…
Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti National Park is Africa's most famous game park and a Serengeti safari never fails to impress its visitors.
Tarangire and Manyara National Parks
With huge baobabs scattered across its skyline, Tarangire National Park presents an almost surreal picture with many of the trees being rubbed…
Zanzibar
Zanzibar is an archipelago located just off the Tanzanian coastline, consisting of Zanzibar Island, Pemba Islands and several islets all dotted within…
Coast and Islands
Tanzania has over 800km of coastline, most of which are completely ignored by the main tourist trail.
Mahale and Katavi
Although Livingstone and Speke crossed western Tanzania over a hundred years ago, it still remains one of the most unexplored regions of…
Mount Kilimanjaro
Standing proudly just south of the equator is Mount Kilimanjaro and by any name, it is a metaphor for the compelling beauty…
Why Choose Steppes?
Our knowledge and expertise set us apart. So too our curiosity. It is this that drives us to create a journey that is really bespoke to you, all the while ensuring we travel and operate sustainably.
Are you ready to discover extraordinary once again?
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