On the rim of Ngorongoro the first thing that hits you is the cold. At around 2,300 metres the air is thin and damp, the forest is wrapped in mist most mornings, and the wind whips over the edge of the caldera with a bite that surprises people who think of Africa as hot. Then the mist tears and the floor appears about six hundred metres below, a vast grassy bowl twenty kilometres across, with a lake glinting in the middle and tiny dots of animals scattered over the plain. It is one of the great views on the planet, and it takes a while to understand the scale.
The crater is the remains of a giant volcano that collapsed in on itself two or three million years ago. It is the largest intact caldera in the world, and the walls act like a fence, holding a dense population of wildlife: wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, lions, hyenas, flamingos on the soda lake and some of the last black rhinos in Tanzania. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and part of a conservation area where Maasai herders live alongside the animals, grazing their cattle on the highlands. You will see them walking the road in red robes, carrying sticks, with great dignity.
The road along the rim, from Karatu to Lodoare gate, is a good, smooth climb through cloud forest, with big trees draped in lichen, tight bends and fog. Beyond, the route to Olduvai Gorge and the Serengeti is rougher and drier, with stretches of dust and corrugation. Rules for motorcycles in the conservation area are strict, and entry fees are high, so you must check access, permits and guide requirements in advance. Wildlife can be on the road, and elephants and buffalo have right of way.
Fuel is available at Karatu, a pleasant highland town of about twenty thousand people to the east, and it is wise to be full before climbing, as there is nothing reliable on the rim. Lodges along the edge serve meals and rooms at a price, but a picnic at a viewpoint is fine too.
Olduvai Gorge, further on, is where Mary and Louis Leakey found some of the oldest remains of early humans, and the small museum is worth a visit. Look for the Maasai villages as you ride, and respect their privacy.