A stunning Eight days of wildlife wonders, beginning in Arusha and taking in the ‘classic’ destinations of Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro. Lion and cheetah, elephants and buffalo, as well as fascinating birdlife, all in incredible environments, provide the highlights. With your own private vehicle to enjoy your wonderful experiences, your accommodation on this ‘Basic’ category trip is at public campsites in Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro.
Accomodation: Travelers will be sleeping on public campsites; bathroom facilities are shared with fellow travelers at the camp. Travelers travel together in our own vehicle, with our own driver-guide and a chef who prepares all food.
Today we set out early, collecting you from your Arusha hotel and heading south to stunning Tarangire National Park. We arrive at picnic site by noon, in time for a pleasant lunch. Your afternoon game-drive will reveal all the wonders of Tarangire, a National Park often referred to as the 'Elephant Playground'. Herds of up to 300 of these mighty mammals are sometimes seen in the park.
Serengeti may be better known, but Tarangire in the dry season easily rivals it for animal densities. As well as the herds of elephant Tarangire is home to buffalo, lion, wildebeest, zebra and gazelle while gerenuk and fringe-eared oryx are 'local specialties'. Lake Burungi's marshy shores are the lure for these mammals and the waters attract many beautiful bird species, too. Look out for giant kingfishers, hoopoes and the delightfully-named white-bellied go-away
bird. Tarangire is noted for its splendid baobab trees, rolling savannah and acacia woodland. At the end of an inspiring afternoon amongst the wildlife, we retire to the campsite for an evening meal and some rest.
Accommodation: Migombani Campsite OR Similar
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Picnic lunch box and Dinner
Journey time and Distance: 2 hours, 120 km from Arusha to Tarangire National Park
After our breakfast at the campsite, we collect picnic lunch and Our journey takes to Lake Manyara. Lake Manyara is rightly famous for its tree-climbing lions, but they're far from the only highlight: by the end of an exhilarating afternoon, you could easily have spotted elephant, hippo, wildebeest, buffalo and giraffe, plus many other species. Pink-hued flamingos, one of 400 bird species recorded here, provide a splash of colour. At the end of the afternoon, it's back to your campsite for some relaxation and a delicious dinner.
Accommodation: Migombani Campsite OR Similar
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Picnic lunch box and Dinner
After breakfast, we collect our lunch boxes and leave Lake Manyara National Park. Our journey takes us west and north, our exciting destination being a name familiar to everyone the Serengeti! Along the way, the sheer scale of the territory and the raw beauty of the landscapes reveal themselves and your driver-guide will help you to spot animals and birds. This is just a preview of things to come, for the Serengeti is home to what is possibly the world's greatest gathering of wildlife.
After enjoying a picnic lunch, you'll be eager to pursue some more great wildlife-spotting opportunities in this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Set in the grasslands, savannahs, woods and mountain scenery, which creature will show itself next? These 'endless plains' are home to elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah, hippo and crocodile the adventure has truly begun. At the end of the afternoon, exhausted and exhilarated, it's back to your campsite for dinner and to talk about the many fantastic experiences you've had today.
Accommodation: Seronera Campsite
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Picnic lunch box and Dinner
Journey time and Distance: 4.5 hours, 205 km from Lake Manyara to Serengeti National Park
Waking up in the Serengeti is something really special. Sights, sounds and smells of Africa are all around us, and ahead is a full day of adventure in the world's most famous national park. After breakfast, we start today with the morning section of our game drive in Serengeti National Park, marvelling at the stunning scenery, ever changing light and always entertaining wildlife, all explained to you by your expert driver-guide.
After our picnic lunch, we set off again, searching for wildlife in this awe-inspiring park. Serengeti's wonders evolve subtly as the day progresses. The myriad animals and birds are the 'stars of the show' and Nature's dramas can unfold at any time. Of course, the animals don't work to any schedule, so we may find lion or leopard, elephant and zebra, cheetah and antelope at any time on our drives. At the end of the afternoon, we return to the basic campsite for dinner and some much needed rest.
Note: For those who have booked the Balloon Safari for today, you will be picked up from the camp at 05.00 hours for a 06.00 hours departure. If you wish to book balloon safari, please let us know in advance, The price is $595 per person. After your 60-90 minute (depending on wind condition) aerial adventure, expereince bush breakfast and champagne, thereafter your driver guide will pick you up for your full-day game drive.
Accommodation: Seronera Campsite
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Picnic lunch box and Dinner
The entire day is dedicated to game viewing in the Serengeti National Park. The areas that you will visit will depend upon where the migrating herds are to be found. Predators usually follow closely behind the trekking animals. 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 depends upon the yearly rains, the location of the herds might vary from year to year but your guide will know where to see them best.
Accommodation: Seronera Campsite
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Picnic lunch box and Dinner
With its informative visitor centre, the Seronera area of Central Serengeti is the national park's most popular area. And it is very popular with the wildlife, too. The Seronera river enjoys year-round waterflow, so there is always something of interest to observe. Several game drives can be undertaken here and might reveal lions in sizeable prides, hippo or herds of elephants, whose populations in the park have risen in recent times. Depending on animal movements and sightings, we may choose to call in at the Serengeti Visitor Centre, where there is an excellent explanation of the park's eco-system and a chance to understand the history of conservation in this area. In particular, you will find out about the work of the Frankfurt Zoological Society and of Bernhard Grzimek who had the foresight and vision of preserving the Serengeti's eco-system. Even at this center, you may well find wildlife: populations of hyrax and mongoose, as well as many small bird species.
Accommodation: Seronera Campsite
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Picnic lunch box and Dinner
The exciting sounds of Africa will rouse you from your sleep. We make the
most of the day with a 08:00 start, heading off on our morning game-drive. Later, the adventure will continue when we travel up to Ngorongoro, another African icon.
It's almost impossible to spend too much time in Serengeti and with more than 1.6 million herbivores plus thousands of predators there's always something new and interesting to see. The changing seasons and natural light simply add to the diversity. This morning your driver-guide will help you spot some more of the many species at Serengeti, teaching you about their fascinating habits and habitats.
After a pleasant picnic lunch, it's time to drive eastwards to visit another spectacular setting for Tanzania's wildlife, the famous Ngorongoro Crater. On arrival, settle in at the basic campsite while a tasty, hot dinner is prepared for you. Tomorrow, the wonders of the crater await us.
Accommodation: Simba Campsite
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Picnic lunch box and Dinner
Journey time and Distance: 3.5 hours, 145 km from Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater Tour
Today may be 'departure day', but there will be plenty of time to enjoy another true spectacle, before your thoughts turn to home. Ngorongoro Crater is often referred to as a wonder of the world and your early morning game drive shows you why.
First, there's the volcanic caldera (the world's largest), full of grassland, forest and swamp, a setting of jaw-dropping beauty. Secondly, the permanent water of the crater floor supports a resident population of more than 25,000 large mammals. Here you'll find many of the reasons you chose to come on safari: elephant, lion, leopard, hyena, jackal, wallowing hippo, waterbuck, baboons... even the rare black rhino finds shelter here.
Sharing this awesome space with the animals are the Maasai, grazing their cattle in an area which has been a separate conservation area since 1956 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978. This harmonious co-habitation of man and beast makes Ngorongoro unique in Tanzania and your driver guide will be pleased to explain this incredible co-existence to you.
After your early morning game drive, we have our picnic lunch in the crater before we return to the airport for your flight home. You will drive for 5 hours from Ngorongoro Crater floor to Kilimanjaro International Airport, Read Departure Instructions below
Meal Plan: Breakfast and Picnic lunch box
Journey time and Distance: 5 hours, 245 km from Ngorongoro Crater Tour to Airport
Departure Instructions:
This Tour ends at Kilimanjaro International Airport at 17:30hrs, you can only depart on this day if you have booked a Domestic flight which departs from Kilimanjaro International Airport at 19:40hrs and onwards or an International Flight which departs at 21:00hrs and onwards. Otherwise, you will need to book a post night Accommodation if you are departing with any earlier flight.
Please do not hesitate to contact one of our tours consultants directly, should you require any further assistance or more detailed information, regarding any of our safaris, tours, travel and other trekking packages.
