| Starts | Arusha, Tanzania |
|---|---|
| Ends | Arusha, Tanzania |
| Region | Tanzania, United Republic Of |
| Duration | 8 days |
| Tour Operator | Intrepid Travel |
Itinerary
Day 1 - Starting: Arusha & Finishing: Arusha
On arrival in Kilimanjaro Airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel by an Intrepid representative. There will be a trip briefing at the hotel at approximately 6.00pm this evening. The rest of the day will be at your leisure. Please note this is an arrival day and there are no excursions planned, so you may arrive at any time.
Day 2 - Starting: Lake Manyara National Park & Finishing: Lake Manyara National Park
This morning we will visit the village of Tengeru. Walk through the narrow village roads and chat with the locals about their ever day lives. You will hear all about their crops and watch them being farmed. You may even get the opportunity to roast and grind your own coffee. After lunch we head off on a three-hour drive through the village of Mto Wa Mbu and before you climb up part of the Great Rift Valley to your lodge. Keep an eye out for spectacular views of Mt Meru as you leave Arusha and head towards Lake Manyara. Game Drive enroute to our permanent Tented Camp which is tucked away in a quiet corner of acacia forest. Permanent tents are raised on platforms, all with en-suite bathrooms and a private veranda overlooking the lush forest. All the tents are discretely placed around a central glade, offering shade and privacy, but still only a short walk to the restaurant and bar. Lake Manyara National Park is renowned for its black-maned, tree-climbing lions and large herds of buffaloes and elephants, not to mention the flocks of flamingos and pelicans that can be found on the shores of the lake itself.
Day 3 - Starting: Serengeti National Park & Finishing: Serengeti National Park
You will depart Lake Manyara for the wide open plains of the Serengeti. To reach the Serengeti you must travel through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, skirting the Ngorongoro Crater before entering into the Serengeti. You will spend the afternoon on a game drive covering the more southern regions of the Serengeti before reaching your camp site for the evening. Your tented camp for the next 2 nights is set against a backdrop of savannah and skies. Traditional Meru tents, each under thatch have ensuites, and private verandahs overlooking the impressive plains of the Serengeti. The central restaurant and bar area boast a large camp fire – an ideal spot to unwind with a chilled drink after a long days of exciting game viewing. The Camp is ideally situated at the border of the world-renowned Serengeti National Park, along the path of the migrating wildebeests between Kenya and Tanzania.
Day 4 - Starting: Serengeti National Park & Finishing: Serengeti National Park
The seemingly endless Serengeti Plains capture the essence of Africa. They are home to massive numbers of grazing animals and also various predators, and the interaction between the many species often provides some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities in the world. Today you will start around sunrise for a morning game drive and follow that up later on with an afternoon game drive, as the animals tend to be more active in the cooler hours of the day. You will usually return to camp during the hotter hours in the middle of the day, where you will enjoy a hearty meal, relax and maybe take a siesta. Depending on wildlife movements and opportunities for sightings, the drive may continue through lunch and last all day. In this case, you will return to camp in the late afternoon.
Day 5 - Starting: Ngorongoro Conservation Area & Finishing: Ngorongoro Conservation Area
This morning you will have time to further explore the Serengeti and perhaps visit Simba Kopjes, an outcrop of rocks favoured by lion and cheetah, who can often be seen basking in the morning sun. You will spend your time game viewing and will stop for a picnic lunch on the drive from Serengeti National Park back toward the Ngorongoro Conservation area. Accommodation for the next 2 nights is in a small eco-friendly tented camp located on a highland coffee plantation at an altitude of 1800m, directly bordering the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area. Tents are set on raised platforms and offer some magnificent views over the surrounding hills and coffee plantations. Enjoy a sundowner from your veranda, watch wildlife like elephants roaming through the dense forest, and hear the lions roar in the distance.
Day 6 - Starting: Ngorongoro Crater & Finishing: Ngorongoro Crater
Today you will explore the world-renowned Ngorongoro Crater, widely regarded as a microcosm of natural habitats in Africa and often touted as a veritable Garden of Eden. Within this crater lies every type of ecosystem, including riverine forests, open plains, freshwater and alkaline lakes. Ngorongoro Crater is the remnants of an ancient volcano caldera, and within its 300 square kilometres is a remarkable concentration of wildlife. The scenery is spectacular as you descend almost 600 metres down to the crater floor. There is every chance that you will see a considerable variety of wildlife in this compact area, including the highly endangered black rhinoceros. In the afternoon you will leave the crater and return to camp for a second night. (National park regulations stipulate that vehicles are only allowed a maximum of six hours in Ngorongoro Crater.) The late afternoon can be spent relaxing at the camp, soaking up the wonderful scenery.
Day 7 - Starting: Tarangire National Park & Finishing: Tarangire National Park
Head to Tarangire National Park passing through Mto Wa Mbu before reaching - your final Tanzanian national park. Tarangire National Park lies to the south of the Masailands and is defined by large open savannahs dotted with acacia woodland and large baobab trees. With the presence of the Tarangire River, this park forms a refuge during the dry season for many migratory animals, ensuring that Tarangire's wildlife concentration is second only to that of Ngorongoro Crater. At Tarangire you will enjoy an afternoon game drive en route to your tented camp set in a typical African thorn-tree bush landscape, right next to the Kwakuchinja Wildlife Corridor. The corridor is used by the animals to migrate from Tarangire to Lake Manyara in search of water and grasses. During the migration periods, you may be lucky enough to witness the migration of zebras, wildebeest and elephants right from the veranda of your tent. Canvas tents with permanent thatched ramadas have ensuite bathrooms with each shower being fed by 15L tank filled manually by lodge staff. This is the real African bush experience!
Day 8 - Starting: Arusha & Finishing: Arusha
Enjoy an early morning game drive in Tarangire National Park before returning to Arusha in time for lunch. It is then time for fond farewells. A departure transfer can be booked, at an additional expense, to either Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport (ARK). Please esnure you do not book flights to depart prior to 5pm.
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