Yesterday I shared the first batch of photos from our morning in Ngorongoro Crater (which included playful lion cub encounters). And here are the best images from our afternoon drive.

I usually forget about the panorama function on my iPhone, but today I remember to snap a few:

The light in the Crater continues to impress as morning turns into early afternoon. Thanks to the thick cloud cover, a soft and diffused light illuminates the plains. I’m thrilled — this is better for photos than bright sunshine.

The highlight of our afternoon is zebras — we spot hundreds of them.

It’s like someone painted black and white stripes on a herd of horses, right? They are so equine-looking.

Their stripe design is dazzling — I just read about research that suggests zebra patterns are actually a cooling mechanism to regulate body temperature.

Zebra butt.

Throughout Africa, safari guides joke that anytime you want to take a photo of a zebra, they’ll turn their backside to the camera.

Quick story about zebras: the night before we camped at the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, and we were advised to use caution when walking to the ablutions block (toilets / showers) after dark. My first trip to the bathroom was right after sunset and I didn’t think much about it until I was mid-way through a dark field and heard snorting noises… I lifted my flashlight in time to catch a group of zebras stampede off in the other direction. I had frightened them! Thank god it wasn’t a pride of lions. And we found out after dinner that a bachelor elephant passed through camp while everyone was eating. Lesson learned: take extra care at campgrounds that are open to the wild.

Occasionally a zebra will flop onto the ground and roll in the mud / grass, like a big dog might. It cracks me up every time.

Here’s a GIF of the action:

Baby zebras actually have brownish stripes — it’s hard to tell in the photo below, but up close it’s clear that they are brown and white. The stripes turn black as they age.

We make a pit stop near the hippo pool below. After hearing news of hippos attacking tourists in other parks, I’m hesitant to get close, but these hippos stay put while our group moves in closer for photos.

I mentioned this in my Serengeti balloon ride post: hippos rarely get out of the water during daylight because their skin is sensitive to the sun. But since heavy clouds block the sunlight today, these young hippos below are comfortable grazing on the edges of the lake. It’s neat to see them on land.

One in the water pokes its head out to survey tourists on land:

A few days before coming to Ngorongoro, a photo of a baby hippo popped up on my Facebook feed and IT IS THE CUTEST THING EVER:

[image via]

I don’t see a baby hippo up close in Ngorongoro Crater, but is there ever a wrong time to share that photo? (The answer is no.)

Herds of wildebeests roam in the foreground as the Crater walls rise in the distance.

Flamingos frolic in privacy several hundred yards away:

With great reluctance we head out of the Crater.

One last look at the lake below:

On our way out of the park we spot a congress of baboons (that’s the actual term for a group of baboons…).

Those fierce fingernails put Jersey Shore cast members to shame:

On our way back to Arusha, we pause at an overlook near Lake Manyara.

It’s been a remarkable four days / three nights exploring the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. The wildlife was spectacular, with the numerous lion encounters ranking as the coolest part of the tour.

Here are the video highlights from Serengeti and Ngorongoro:

I remember thinking at the time that as incredible as this trip was, four days on safari might not be worth the $700 price tag — remember, this is the most expensive park in Africa and there are cheaper ones with just as impressive wildlife. In hindsight I’m glad I did this because I can’t imagine exploring so much of the African continent and NOT seeing the Serengeti. The Crater was an especially unique landscape, although this could be done as an all-day trip from Arusha for far less money — and for travelers on a strict budget, that is what I recommend. But if you can swing it financially, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater are two very impressive spots.

Thanks to Nomad Tours for discounting my trip in exchange for blogging and photography. Opinions are my own.