Awesome Tanzania Safari

For the discerning adventure traveler we have crafted a 9-day Tanzania lodge / chalet accommodated safari.

What’s included

  • Transportation in a 4×4 safari vehicle
  • Professional, English-speaking guide
  • Meals according to the itinerary
  • Mineral water (3 litres per person per day)
  • Overnight stays in safari lodges and tented camps as per the itinerary
  • All national park fees

Schedule

Day 1 Airport – Arusha

Our representative will pick you up from Kilamjaro Airport and transfer you to your hotel or lodge. The rest of the day is at your free disposal and you may explore Arusha and its surroundings (taxi/transfer required) or relax at the hotel. You will spend the night at Rivertrees Country Inn. You may also decide to partake in some optional activities such as canoeing, mountain biking or local half day tours.

Accommodation: http://rivertrees.com/

Meal plan:  Dinner

Day 2 Arusha Notional Park

We pick  you  up after breakfast and take you to the Arusha National Park. The park is home to an amazing and impressive  variety of fauna and flora.  Your day trip will include a visit to the Ngurdo Crater, often labelled as the little Ngorongoro and is called the “Little Serengeti”. Buffaloes, waterbuck, giraffes, warthogs, zebras and Guereza can be seen all year round as well as many different bird species.

The elephants are a little shyer than the elephants in the Serengeti but can also be seen at Arusha National Park. Occasionally, you may also spot a leopard. At the Momella Gate, an armed ranger will be waiting for you to accompany you on a walking safari that will give you the chance to experience the wildlife up-close. A walking safari with an armed ranger is one those not to be missed experiences.

You will enjoy lunch at a picnic spot. Afterwards you will continue your guided game drive through the Arusha National Park. After a fascinating day of game viewing we will take you back to Arusha, where you will overnight at the Rivertrees Country Inn.

Meal plan: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner 

Day 3 Tarangire National Park

We collect you in the morning from your hotel and make our way to the Tarangire National Park.  Here giant baobab trees, the savannah and the seasonal marshes add to the marvels of this nature reserve. The Tarangire National Park is considered as one of the best places to view elephants up close, not only because there are so many of them but also because they are not perturbed by the presence of vehicles.

The park is also home to buffaloes, zebras and wildebeest which are always closely followed by various predators including lions.  The elevated vantage point of your open roof safari vehicle allows for best views of the awesome landscape and amazing wildlife. This way you can truly take and enjoy the wide panoramas of open acacia woodland and grass savanna, where huge herds of elephants  and other unique residents, such as fringe-eared Oryx and Lesser Kudu roam free.

In the late afternoon we will leave the park and drive to the Lake Burunge Tented Camp. Here you can relax at the pool side while overlooking the palm-dotted plains.

http://www.tanganyikawildernesscamps.com/camps/lakeburungetentedcamp/

Meal plan: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 4 Tarangire Area – Lake Manyara National Park

After breakfast we will travel from the Tarangire Area to Lake Manyara National Park.

Lake Manyara is a shallow, alkaline lake that is part of the Rift Valley wall; the lake is at the base of this dramatic western escarpment giving it a beautiful and serene setting. In addition to this peaceful setting, Lake Manyara’s main attractions are its rich bird life, tree climbing lions and its hippos, which you can see at a closer range than many other places. Lake Manyara also hosts thousands of flamingos at certain times of the year and has diverse vegetation ranging from savannah, to marshes and acacia woodland, enabling a variety of wildlife habitats including butterflies

The park is known for many bird species, primate-filled forests and grassy plains. A large area of the park is covered by the alkaline Lake Manyara, which is the seasonal breeding grounds for large colonies of flamingos and many other waterfowls. The park is also home to giraffes, hippos, wildebeests, impalas and groups of noisy monkeys and baboons. After an extensive game drive you will travel to the Kirurumu Manyara Lodge, where you will stay overnight.

http://www.kirurumu.net/kirurumu_manyara_lodge.html

Meal plan: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 5 Lake Manyara Area – Serengeti National Park 

After breakfast, you will travel via the cooler highlands towards the southern Serengeti and at midday you will reach the plains of the Serengeti National Park. This park is the largest in Tanzania and has a diversity of habitats and landscapes – short grass plains, savannah, thick bush, swamps and lakes. Bizarre rock formations called kopjes dot the grassy landscape where predators are often seen. The Serengeti is famous for the yearly migration when hundreds of thousands of wildebeests and zebras trek to find fresh grass and water. You will spend the night at the Mapito Tented Camp on the outskirts of the park.

http://www.mapito-camp-serengeti.com/

Meal Plan: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 6 Serengeti National Park

The entire day is dedicated to game viewing in the Serengeti National Park. With a wildebeest population of about 2 million and several other hoofed species (which include zebra, Thomson’s gazelle, impala, topi, Grants gazelle, Kongoni, Eland, Kirk’s dik dik, klipspringer, roan, Oryx, oribi, waterbuck, buffalo, giraffe and warthog), the Serengeti is sure to attract a string of prey such as lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, golden jackals and bat eared foxes.

The areas that you visit will depend upon where the migrating herds are. Predators usually follow closely behind the trekking animals and include lions, leopards (in the acacia trees) and cheetahs. During the short rainy season in November and December the herds move from the hills in the north to the plains in the south. During the longer rainy season from April to June they return up north. As the migration is completely dependent on the yearly rainfalls, the location of the herds may vary from year to year but your guide will know where to locate the animals and where to see them best.

You will spend another night at last night’s camp.

Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 7 Serengeti National Park – Karatu

You will enjoy some more game viewing during our exit drive as we leave the Serengeti National Park in the early afternoon to continue our journey to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. As soon as you reach the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater, you will see the giant caldera below – a breath-taking view. After some breathtaking scnere and photo opportunities we leave the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and drive to the Ngorongoro Farm House in Karatu, where you spend the night.

http://www.tanganyikawildernesscamps.com/camps/ngorongorofarmhouse/

Meal Plan: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 8 Karatu – Ngorongoro Crater – Karatu

Rise and shine! After breakfast at daybreak you travel back to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area before you drive down into the crater. The massive collapsed volcano is home to over 25,000 mammals ranging from the “Big Five” – lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard to spotted hyenas, rare wild dogs and a large variety bird species.

The Ngorongoro crater is the world’s biggest whole volcanic caldera at 8300 sq km and is arguably the most stunning arena. It is frequently described as one of the wonders of the world, not only because of its geological magnificence, but also because it serves as an extraordinary natural sanctuary for some of Africa’s largest populations of large mammals. Ngorongoro and other freestanding mountains are volcanic in origin, formed during the fracturing process that created the Rift valley 15 to 20 million years ago. When it peaked in size 3 million years ago it was a similar height to Mt. Kilimanjaro today.

After an extensive game drive and a picnic for lunch, you will leave the caldera in the afternoon and return to the Ngorongoro Farm House to spend your last night on this amazing safari.

Meal Plan: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 9 Karatu – Arusha / Kilimanjaro Airport

After a leisurely breakfast, you will travel back to Arusha where you will arrive around midday. You will be dropped off at a hotel of your choice or at the airport where the tour officially ends.