The Northern Highland Forest Reserve (NHFR) is a thick forest with an abundance of attractions, including Endoro waterfalls, Elephant caves, flora and birds such as turaco, robin chat, bee-eater, honey guide, warbler, flycatcher, weaver, sunbird, buzzard, cuckoo, hornbill, bulbul, guinea fowl, to name a few. 

The common wild animals in the area include elephant, buffalo, leopard, hyena, duiker, waterbuck, baboon, blue monkey, bushbuck, duiker, bush pig and many more. It is an excellent place for nature walks, hiking, bird-watching, flora identification or research, and game viewing on foot.

Endoro Waterfalls

The Endoro Waterfalls is a fascinating place to be. This beautiful site is situated on the Southern border of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, facing the Karatu Town. The pathway that leads to Endoro waterfall goes through the forest and the Elephant Caves. It takes approximately 2-3 hours of a moderate hike to explore the beauty of this completely untouched forest. Basically, the Endoro entrance gate, which is approximately 6.5 kilometers away from Karatu town, is an ideal access to the waterfalls.

The Endoro River, which flows all year round from the crater rim, is fed by natural water springs in the Crater highlands and cascades over 40 meters from the top to the bottom. The trail through a dense rainforest down the narrow stairway to the waterfall provides good physical exercise and is a perfect way to stretch after several hours of sitting in the car or after bedtime.

The pathway to this waterfall provides a spectacular perspective of the Karatu town and the southern end of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area highlands. The same route is recommended for bird lovers and those interested in huge wild game like elephants, buffaloes, and bush pigs.

Endoro Elephant caves

Endoro Elephant Caves are a few minutes’ walk from Endoro Waterfall. Over the course of many years, elephants dug into the hills to acquire soil rich in minerals essential for their body. The caves were named (the elephant caves) after the elephants who created them by digging through dense rock using their massive tusks to consume fresh soil rich in vital nutritional properties. 

The soil was formed many years ago from volcanic emissions mixed with the organic component of soil, which was formed by the decomposition of leaves and other organic material by soil micro-organisms. 

However, apart from elephants, other animals such as buffaloes, waterbucks, and bushbucks visit the caves to obtain these necessary minerals. These caves are accessible on foot as part of a long hike to nearby waterfalls.