Day 1 ARUSHA – LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK
1400 hrs: Collected from Arusha Town Centre and driven to Lake Manyara National Park (130 kms, 2.5 hrs)
The 330 sq. km Lake Manyara National Park stretches for 50km along the base of the rusty-gold 600-metre high Rift Valley escarpment, a scenic gem, with a setting extolled by Ernest Hemingway as “the loveliest I had seen in Africa”.
From the entrance, the road winds through an lush jungle-like groundwater forest where hundred-strong baboon troops lounge, blue monkeys scamper between ancient mahogany trees, bushbuck tread warily through the shadows, and outsized forest hornbills honk in the high canopy.
The grassy floodplain with its expansive views across the alkaline lake to the volcanic peaks that rise from the endless Maasai Steppes contrasts sharply with the forest. Large buffalo, wildebeest and zebra herds, giraffes and other mammals congregate on these grassy plains.
A narrow belt of acacia woodland is the haunt of Lake Manyara’s famous tree-climbing lions and elephants.
Lake Manyara is the perfect introduction to Tanzania’s birdlife with more than 400 species recorded. Other highlights include thousands of pink flamingos on their perpetual migration, as well as other large waterbirds such as pelicans, cormorants and storks.
You arrive at Kirurumu Tented camp www.kirurumu.com in time for dinner.
Kirurumu Tented Camp in Lake Manyara sits on the edge of The Great Rift Valley overlooking the simmering waters of the Lake Manyara below. The 20 en-suite tents are tents are simple, comfortable and un-pretentious in line with the camps philosophy of non-interference with nature: Tent bases are made of local volcanic stone and the tent roof-shades are of local grass. Being outside the park, the camp offers other activities including walks in the Manyara wilderness, horseback riding and mountain biking in the neighborhood.
Overnight Kirurumu Tented Camp
Day 2 LAKE MANYARA – SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, descend to Lake Manyara National Park for a morning game viewing drive.
Return to lodge for lunch.
After lunch, you will drive to Serengeti National Park (205 kms/3 hrs)
The 14,763 sq km Serengeti National Park is Tanzania’s oldest and most famous national park. Here, from late December to June each year, the annual wildebeest migration takes place when more than a million wildebeest are joined by over 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Gazelle in wildebeests’ trek for fresh grazing from southern Serengeti to Kenya’s Maasai Mara in the north. But even when the migration is not on, Serengeti offers scintillating game-viewing with its resident game with great herds of buffalo, groups of elephant and giraffe, thousands of eland, topi, kongoni, impala and Grant’s gazelle.
Golden-maned lion prides feast on the abundance of plain grazers. Solitary leopards haunt the acacia trees lining the Seronera River, while a high density of cheetahs prowls the southeastern plains. Almost uniquely, all three African jackal species occur here, alongside the spotted hyena and a host of more elusive small predators, ranging from the insectivorous aardwolf to the beautiful serval cat.
With game viewing en-route, you will arrive at Serengeti Sopa Lodge www.sopalodges.com time for dinner.
Serengeti Sopa Lodge comprises of 79 unusually large rooms fitted with two queen sized beds each and views across the ‘endless plains’ of Serengeti National Park. This hillside Lodge is a clever blend of modern and traditional Maasai styles. The lodge also boasts a huge swimming pool, conference centre, coffee shop and boutique, giant murals, and a selection of bars. Other room amenities included high quality rags, tiled bathrooms, lounges with mini-bars and floor-to-ceiling glass doors which afford magnificent views over the Serengeti plains.
Overnight Serengeti Sopa Lodge
Day 3 SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
The entire day is spent in Serengeti’s endless plains on morning and afternoon game drives.
Overnight Serengeti Sopa Lodge
Day 4 SERENGETI – NGORONGORO CRATER CONSERVATION AREA
After breakfast, you will take picnic lunches and exit Serengeti with a game viewing drive en-route as you drive south east to the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area (180 kms/4 hrs).
Called the eighth wonder of the world and stretching across some 8,300 sq km, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in northern Tanzania boasts a blend of landscapes, wildlife, people and archaeology that is unsurpassed in Africa. The volcanoes, grasslands, waterfalls and mountain forests are home to an abundance of animals and to the Maasai. Ngorongoro Crater is one of the world’s greatest natural spectacles.
En-route, you will pass by Ol Duvai Gorge.
This “Cradle of Mankind”, a treasure trove of archaeological sites filled with fossil, settlement remains and stone artifacts is the world famous site of Dr&Mrs. LSB Leakey’s discovery of the hominid skull, Zinjanthropus bosei. The Gorge was discovered in 1911 by Professor Kattwinkle a German butterfly collector. Dr. Mary Leakey unearthed the Zinj skull believed to be 1.8 million years old in 1959. Enjoy a short talk from one of the Deputies of Antiquities on hand, who will explain to you what has been done and what continues to happen.
You arrive at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge www.sopalodges.com in time for dinner.
Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge is built on the eastern rim of the fame Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. The lodge comprises the 92 large rooms designed in traditional African hut (rondavel) style. All the en-suite rooms are fitted with two queen sized beds, and enjoy lounges looking across the Ngorongoro Crater. Other lodge facilities include a huge curved dining rooms, a bar, a gift shop and a swimming pool right on the edge of the crater.
- 0800 hrs Depart Serengeti
- 1200 hrs Picnic lunches at Ol Duvai Gorge
- 1600 hrs Arrive at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge
Overnight Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge
Day 5 NGORONGORO CRATER
After breakfast, descend to the crater floor for a game viewing drive with picnic lunches.
After lunch you drive out of the crater and to your lodge for an afternoon spent at leisure.
Overnight Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge
Day 6 NGORONGORO – ARUSHA – END
After breakfast at the lodge, you will drive to Arusha (215 kms/3.5 hrs).
- 0700 hrs: Breakfast at the Lodge
- 0830 hrs: Depart for Nairobi.
- 1230 hrs: Arrive at Arusha
You will be dropped off in the Arusha Town Centre or at your directly booked hotel
Above costs include
- Full board accommodation on safari Bed & Breakfast
- Park entrance fees
- Game viewing drives as shown
- All transfers as shown
- Porterage of 2 pieces of luggage per person
- Government taxes and levies
Above costs exclude
- International airfare
- International airport departure taxes
- All expenses of a personal nature such as all drinks, laundry, telephone calls,
- Tips and gratuities for Driver/guide, hotel staff etc
- Entry visa fees
- Travel and medical insurance
SEE MORE RELATED SAFARI PACKAGES BELOW!
- JEA32: Ngorongoro Crater – (2 nights)
- JEA33: Lake Manyara National Park/ Ngorongoro Crater – (3 nights)
- JEA34: Lake Manyara National Park/Serengeti NP/ Ngorongoro Crater – (5 nights)
- JEA35: Tarangire National Park – (3 nights)
- JEA36: Tarangire NP/Lake Manyara NP/Serengeti NP/Ngorongoro Crater
- JEA38: Southern Tanzania “Paws and Claws”
- JEA39: Northern Tanzania Short tour
- JEA40: Northern Tanzania Longer tour
- JEA41: Northern Tanzania and Zanzibar
