Details
Overview
This unforgettable African safari tour will take you to the Ngorongoro Crater, featuring one of the highest concentrations of game in Africa. All the way to Lake Manyara National Park, one of Tanzania’s most dramatically located wildlife areas, consisting of a shallow but huge soda lake, at the foot of the Great Rift Valley’s western escarpment. Finally, to the Serengeti National Park, the heart of wild Africa and a massive wilderness of 14500 square km, where every day brings a new landscape and a new adventureThis itinerary combines classic game drives with the thrill of exploring Tanzania on foot, by bike, or from the air. Add some spice to your safari, with a variety of great activities that get you out of the safari vehicle. From a hike on the base of Kilimanjaro to a balloon flight over the endless plains of the Serengeti. This safari is ideal for those looking for a more active safari adventure.
You will be met upon your arrival in JRO; and transfer to Hotel in Arusha. Settle into your accommodation, ready to start your safari journey proper in the morning.
After an early breakfast, you drive to Tarangire National Park with packed lunch for a game drive. This lovely park boasts the largest concentrations of elephants in the world and the highest number of breeding bird species. Especially during the dry season, Tarangire National park is packed with wildlife. Big cats like lions, cheetahs, and leopards, but also the seldom seen Kudu, Oryx, and Gerenuk. The Tarangire River draws huge herds of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, as well as predators that prey upon them. Later in the afternoon, you drive for dinner to Tarangire Safari Lodge. After dinner, you will enjoy a 2-hour night game drive in the park. This is a great opportunity to discover nocturnal animals like porcupines, pangolin, aardvark, and others. Overnight will be at Tarangire safari lodge.
In the early morning, we will collect you from your hotel in Arusha/Kilimanjaro and drive you to Lake Manyara National Park. The park encompasses the northwest bank and part of the alkaline Lake Manyara which itself rests in the Great Rift Valley. The park is perhaps best known for its flamingos, pelicans and cormorants but it is also the home for a few hundred other species of birds; it is therefore a paradise for ornithologists. Next to a great variety of birds, the “Big Game” can also be seen. With a bit of luck you might see elephants in the wooded regions and with even more fortune the tree-climbing lions. Indeed, it was thought for a long time that Lake Manyara National Park is the only place where lions can be found with this atypical behaviour of climbing trees. Baboons and vervet monkeys are also found amongst the forested areas and in the more open spaces, giraffes nibble at the fresh leaves while the various types of antelopes common to the region browse for tasty shoots.After game drive you drive to the farming town Mto wa Mbu for a bike ride to Lake Manyara. Cycle to the lakeshore where there are stunning vistas of the lake, the Rift Valley, and small herds of wildlife Dinner and overnight in Marera view lodge.
After breakfast, you drive to the famous Serengeti National Park. Upon arrival in the Serengeti, you first have a picnic lunch and then continue with a beautiful and exciting game drive in the park. Serengeti is famous for the abundance of lions, leopards, and cheetahs that can usually be seen quite easily. Game viewing in this central area of Serengeti is spectacular all year round. Enjoy the views of endless plains and stunning wildlife like hyenas, jackals, elephants, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, ostrich, aardvark, pangolin, and many more. In the late afternoon, you will continue to Serengeti heritage lodge for dinner and overnight.
Today you will have a full day of game viewing in the Serengeti national park with picnic lunch, with early departure looking for active predators and other wildlife. Enhance your safari experience by flying in a hot air balloon over the Serengeti plains at sunrise. Spot wildlife below when you float over the beautiful African savannah. A magical experience with wonderful panoramic views (this can be arranged at an extra cost). If you want to spot the Big Five – lion, elephant, leopard, rhino, and buffalo- all in one park, then Serengeti is the best place for that. In the late afternoon, you will return to Serengeti heritage tented lodge for dinner and overnight
Be one of only a few fortunate people to glide in a Hot Air Balloon over the Serengeti Plains (available at supplementary cost by pre-arrangement). Floating silently above the awakening bush, while spotting wildlife and enjoying the amazing scenery of Africa, across rivers and over numerous small villages. After breakfast at the lodge, does an early game drive in Serengeti and around afternoon we depart to the Ngorongoro Conservation area. We arrived in time for dinner at Ngorongoro wildlife lodge.
Today you set off towards the Ngorongoro Crater for your last game drive. It shelters close to 30.000 animals including the Big Five. The crater teems with zebras, buffaloes, lions, wildebeest, warthogs, baboons, elephants, flamingos, ostriches, hippos, cheetahs, and a small population of the rare black rhino. The beautiful colors and dancing clouds make the crater almost surreal. Because of its natural beauty, the Ngorongoro Crater is chosen as one of Africa’s Seven Natural Wonders. In the late afternoon, you drive to Marera lodgefor dinner and overnight.
After breakfast, we traverse the rough road to Lake eyasi, another soda lake in the rift valley. We arrived in the afternoon for a cultural interaction with the Tatoga tribe (a very interesting tribe). Our Tatoga guide at the village will lead the tour. We explore the dry and rugged landscape area on foot, which is still inhabited by a small group of Bushmen: the Hadzabe or Watindiga. These tribes still live in bands, hunting with bows and arrows; gathering roots, tubers and wild fruits, just as humans did to survive 10,000 years ago. Another interesting tribe in this area is the Datoga (also called the Barabaig or Mang’ati). Initially, they were exercising a lot of rivalry over grazing land with the Maasai tribe. Later driver to Arusha for dinner and overnight in Tulia lodge
You will be picked up from your hotel in Arusha and transferred to the Marangu Gate of the National Park (approx. 30-40 min drive). For the day trip you will effectively be doing the first day of the total climb- through the lush rainforest ecosystem. From the Marangu gate, accompanied by your professional mountain guide, you will hike to the Mandara Huts, at an altitude of 2700m. You will stop here for lunch and then take a short walk to view the Maundi crater, from where you can see the view of both the Mawenzi peak and Kibo peak (the summit). Later driver back to Arusha for dinner and overnight in Tulia lodge
Natural clean spring water. Ideal for swimming in the warm water and relaxation. The surrounding areas provide stunning views with a great picnic spot and tour into one of the Maasai huts will be worthwhile. The drive from Arusha to Kikuletwa Hot Springs will start on paved road toward Moshi before turning left onto a gravel road about 30 minutes later. The road will take you through gorgeous African countryside past bushland, dry riverbeds, and baobab and acacia trees among many others. You will later have lunch, and then continue to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your departure
