Day 1 : Arusha - Karatu
Meet in Arusha. After lunch, drive through the Iraqw tribe farmlands to your lodge
situated in Karatu just outside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The crater covers
over 300 square kilometers of land and is the home of the rare black rhino, prides
of lion, elephant, cheetah and great herds of buffalo, antelope and wildebeest.
Dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Farm House
Ngorongoro Crater
A UNESCO protected World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve, the
Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a pioneering experiment in multi-purpose land use
where people (the Maasai), their livestock and wildlife coexist and share the same
protected habitat. The craters of Ngorongoro and Empakai are reserved exclusively
for wildlife, while the rest of the Conservation Area is shared by wildlife, people
and livestock. The Maasai, the main residents of Ngorongoro, are pastoralists who
move widely with their herds of cattle, sheep, goat and donkeys in search of pasture
and water. In recent years the Maasai have been encouraged to work on the land and
supplement their traditional diet of milk and meat. The Ngorongoro Crater, which
is the central attraction in the area, is the largest Caldera in the world that
has its walls intact. The Ngorongoro Crater floor, a sheer drop of 610 metres below
the crater rim, has an area of about 300 square kilometres, with a diameter of 19
kilometres. The sight of the Ngorongoro Crater is simply stunning. “There is nothing
with which to compare. It is one of the wonders of the world....” once wrote Professor
Bernard Grzimek. The crater floor is home to tens of thousands of plains animals,
including wildebeest, zebra, gazelles, elands, and a large predator population of
lions, hyena and jackal which can all be viewed at close quarters. The rare black
rhino can be viewed here, and if you are lucky you can see cheetah and leopard.
The rain season is between November and May. The altitude at the crater rim is about
2286 metres above sea level, and temperatures can get quite chilly in the evening,
especially between May to September.
Day 2 :Karatu - Ngorongoro Crater - Karatu
Today you will drive to Ngorongoro Conservation Area and descend over 600 meters
to the floor of the crater for a day crater tour. Explore the forest areas that
are inhabited by monkey and elephant, the lake area, where you may see the flamingos
and the open savannah where the lions hunt for food. Picnic lunches will be served
in the crater. Late afternoon drive back to Ngorongoro Farm House for dinner and
overnight.
Day 3 : Karatu – Serengeti
After breakfast drive to Oldupai Gorge, site of Louis and Mary Leakey’s renowned
archaeological discoveries. Their findings include some of the man’s earliest known
ancestral remains. Continue to Serengeti National Park in time for lunch. This enormous
park supports every variety of animal imaginable - from large predators such as
lion, leopard and cheetah to the smaller herbivores they prey on. Afternoon game
drive. Overnight at a lodge in Serengeti
Serengeti National Park
A World Heritage Site and recently proclaimed a World Wide Wonder, Serengeti National
Park is undoubtedly one of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries in the world. The
park is located some 320 km to the northwest of Arusha, lying in a high plateau
between the Ngorongoro highlands and the Kenya/ Tanzania border, and extending almost
to Lake Victoria to the west, covering a total area of 14,763 square kilometres.
Aptly named “endless plains” by the Maasai people, you immediately experience this
vastness as you enter the southeastern plains of the park from Ngorongoro.
Declared a protected area in 1921 and gazetted as National Park in 1951 Serengeti
is the oldest National Park in Tanzania. The principal features of the Serengeti
are the short and long grass plains in the south and east, the acacia Savannah in
the central areas, the hilly and densely wooded areas in the north and the extensive
woodland in the west. There is a variety of scenery, which include the plains, lakes,
hills and the rock outcrops called kopjes. The main game drive areas in the Serengeti
are the Seronera Valley, the Western Corridor, and northern Serengeti. The Seronera
valley in central Serengeti, endowed with permanent surface water, attract a large
concentration of wildlife throughout the year. Common animals that can be seen here
are lions, buffaloes, impalas, hippos, waterbucks, elephants, cheetahs, the leopard,
and over 400 species of birds. Serengeti provides sanctuary to the highest concentration
of plains animals in the world.
Day 4 : Serengeti
Today you spend the whole day on game drive in this National Park, which is rich
with all different species of animals. To maximize game viewing you will carry a
picnic lunch with you and spend the full day in the Serengeti National Park.
Dinner and overnight at a lodge in Serengeti.
Day 5 : Serengeti – Manyara
Breakfast at your lodge. Drive to Lake Manyara, a soda lake lying in the Rift Valley.
Lunch at Kirurumu Tented Lodge. In the afternoon game drive in Lake Manyara National
Park, home of the tree-climbing lions. Apart from the varied types of landscape
including jungle, swamp and savanna, there are also a large variety of animals including
Giraffe, Zebra, Elephant, Gazelle, hippos, monkeys and about 400 different species
of birds. Dinner and overnight in Kirurumu Tented Lodge
Lake Manyara National Park
Located 125 km west of Arusha town, on the foot of the wall of the Great Rift Valley,
Lake Manyara National Park is one of the oldest and most popular sanctuaries in
East Africa. The park has a large variety of habitats, making it possible to support
a wealth of wildlife in its small area. The main habitats include the shallow soda
lake itself which occupies 77% of the National Park total area of 330 square kilometres,
the ground water forest, open grassland, acacia woodland and the rift wall. The
most famous spectacle in the park is the treeclimbing lions, which are occasionally
seen along branches of acacia trees. Other animals found in the park include buffalo,
elephants, leopards, baboons, impala, giraffes, zebra, wildebeest, ostrich and hippos.
Popularly referred to as an ornithologist's paradise, Lake Manyara National Park
contains over 400 bird species found in most savanna and river habitats in East
Africa. Common water birds to be seen here are pelicans, spoonbills, Egyptian geese
and the migratory flamingoes, which arrive in hundreds of thousands creating one
of Africa's great natural sights over the soda lake.
Day 6 : Manyara – Arusha
After breakfast drive to Arusha
Lunch in a restaurant
End our services
Includes:
- Accommodation and meals as per the itinerary
- Ground transportation in a 8 seater or 6 seater 4x4 safari vehicle with English
speaking Driver guide:-
- 8 Seater Safari Vehicle has 6 window seats (in the passenger cabin) and 1 window
seat next to the driver (in front)
- 6 Seater Safari Vehicle has 4 window seats (in the passenger cabin) and 1 window
seat next to the driver (in front)
- Game drives and park entry fees
Optional Activity
Serengeti Balloon (Hot Air Balloon ride) – Optional package includes:
Transport from client’s lodge or camp to launch site, balloon flight (approx. one
hour), champagne, full English breakfast in the bust, return road transfer to Seronera
and a flight certificate.
No special rate for children.
Children below 7 years are not allowed.
Children 7 between 12 years are carried on request only.