Day One: Tarangire National Park (B, L, D)
After breakfast you will drive to the Tarangire National Park for a full day game drive. Tarangire is one of Africa’s little-known gems and should be on the itinerary of all lovers of wilderness and solitude. Its name originates from the Tarangire River that crosses through the park and is the only source of water during the dry season.
Tarangire’s landscape is incredibly diverse with a mix that is not found anywhere else on the northern safari circuit. It is dotted with ancient baobab trees, which the Maasai people believe are the first tree in creation, and large termite mounds. The dry season sees the harsh sun suck the moisture from the landscape, baking the earth a dusty red while the wet season brings dense bush and luscious high grasses.
Famous for its large elephant population, it is also home to zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, waterbuck, baboons, dwarf mongoose, impala, buffalo, antelope and fringe-eared oryx. Predators include lion, cheetah and leopard. The swamps are shared by flocks of birds; green wood hoopoes, lovebirds, tallish herons, white bellied go-away birds and giant kingfishers. On drier ground you will find the kori bustard and the heaviest of the flying birds; the ostrich.
Overnight – Eileen’s Trees Inn, Karatu
Or
Full Service camping – Tarangire National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day Two: Serengeti National Park (B, L, D)
Today you will drive to the Serengeti National Park which is one of Africa’s premier game parks. Driving through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area toward the Serengeti National Park you will begin to experience the vastness of this territory and marvel at the multitude of animal and bird life while cruising through this acacia spotted savannah.
You will visit a Maasai Village in the Ngorongoro Highlands (optional) where you will meet the Elders, Warriors, women and children and learn about the culture, beliefs and traditions of Tanzania’s last nomadic tribe.
The Serengeti is Tanzania's oldest and most popular national park and is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Serengeti is a year-round destination and each season has its own special highlight with the most famous being the annual wildebeest migration, a once in a lifetime experience.
You will game drive enroute before arriving into the Serengeti in time for a half day game drive.
Overnight – Mbugani Tented Camp, Serengeti National Park
Or
Full Service camping – Serengeti National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day Three: Serengeti National Park (B, L, D)
Today you will venture deeper into the world-famous Serengeti on a full day game drive.
In the late afternoon you will drive to Ngorongoro Rhino Safari lodge where you will stay for the night
Overnight – Ngorongoro Rhino lodge
Or
Full Service camping – Ngorongoro Crater rim
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day Four: Ngorongoro Crater (B, L,D)
Today you will be woken up for an early morning tea or coffee around 6:00am. Then you will head out with your guide who should be waiting for you at the lounge area. As you are bumping along the wilderness in semi-darkness, you will see the sun creeping up, about to light up the amazing land. You start seeing things clearly. The wildebeests, the hidden elephant, the birds, the flowers, all ready to be captured in your soul. For photographers both professional and amateur these are the moments that will become your memory makers.
This is generally the best time to spot the wildlife, as the temperature is cool and the animals are still very active, including the big cats, which will be returning from a night of hunting.
You will be rewarded with a full day game drive in the stunning Ngorongoro Crater which became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979 and is one of the only places on earth where mankind and wild animals co-exist is harmony. The Ngorongoro Crater is famous for Africa’s best game viewing as there is an ever present abundance of wildlife due to the permanent water supply on the crater floor.
Overnight – Eileen’s Trees Inn, Karatu
Or
Full Service camping- Karatu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day Five: Manyara National Park
After breakfast, today's destinations Lake Manyara, we’ll enter the park through the remote southern gate for a crowd free game drive. Manyara Park offers a wilderness experience in diverse habitats, from its Rift Valley soda lake to dense woodlands and steep mountainsides. Apart from a spectacular rift valley setting, the park is famous for its tree-climbing lions and the vast elephant herds. The shores of the lake, encrusted with pink flamingo, attract more than 400 species of birds, many of them waterfowl or migrants. Large herds of buffalo, cheetah, Maasai giraffe and impala roam the lake shores and the forested valley slopes. Unique features include underground water forest and hot springs.
Late in afternoon we'll drive to your accommodation for dinner overnight in Arusha
Overnight - Green Mountain Hotel in Arusha
Meals: Breakfast