Trip Highlights:
- Witness the elephants and centenaries old baobab trees of Tarangire
- Visit the wild, remote and hauntingly beautiful Lake Natron
- Experience the vastness of the world-famous Serengeti
- Meet the Maasai and learn about this nomadic tribe’s beliefs and traditions
- Search for the elusive Big 5 in the Ngorongoro Crater
- Spot the tree climbing lions of Lake Manyara
- Enjoy the comforts of a lodge in the heart of the Tanzanian bush
Full Itinerary
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be met by an African Ambition tours representative and transferred to your hotel where the remainder of the day is at leisure – rest in your room, enjoy a swim in the pool or explore Arusha and the surrounding areas on one of our day tours, the choice is yours.
Accommodation:
Tulia Boutique
Meals & Drinks:
- Breakfast & Dinner included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Marangu Gate 1,860m – Mandara hut (2,715m)
After breakfast you will depart Arusha and drive to Moshi, then on to the Kilimanjaro National Park gate. The journey passes through the village of Marangu, which is located on the lower slopes of the mountain. Once you reach the park gate, all hikers are requested to sign in at the Park office and make their final preparations for the climb.
You now leave the park gate and ascend on a cleared ridge trail through the rain forest. The forest, suffused with mist and dripping with beards of moss, is also where most of Kilimanjaro animals are found.
Mandara hut 2,715m – Maundi Crater 3,000m
From Mandara Hut the trail passes through a short stretch of forest, skirts the base on the Maundi Crater and then emerges into a transition from rainforest to moorland. It is well worth the short detour to hike up the rim of the Maundi Crater for your first really impressive view of the Kibo Crater. On a clear day, Kibo will glimmer in the distance, showing off her majestic glaciers in the morning sun. Once you are in the open moorland you will get the chance to see some of Kilimanjaro’s most spectacular plants including the endemic giant lobelia which grows up the 3m in height. After a 3-hour descent you will arrive at the gate you will sign your name in the register You will be met at the gate and driven back to Arusha where you can enjoy some much-needed rest.
Accommodation:
Tulia Boutique
Meals & Drinks:
- Breakfast, Lunch & dinner
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Today after breakfast you will drive to Tarangire National Park with lunch boxes. The drive to Tarangire National Park is about 110 Km and takes about 2 hours from Arusha
Tarangire National Park is a huge park best known for its large herds of elephants, but it’s also great for lion and leopard — wonderful for bird life — great variety of landscape and wildlife. The gorgeous Silale Swamp, towards the south of the park, is magnificent — and almost always rich in wildlife taking advantage of this reliable water source. The park provides water not only from the swamp, but also from the Tarangire River — and during the dry season it’s the primary source of water for animals from the entire area, making for fantastic viewing.
You will have your lunch in the park (your driver guide will pick a picnic site in the park where you can your lunch and thereafter continue with the game drive. Parks normally the parks open at 6:00 am to 6:00 pm – you will be at your next lodge in time for dinner.
Accommodation:
Burunge Tented Lodge
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Today after breakfast you will travel to the wild and remote Lake Natron which is off the beaten path and away from the crowded places. Located at the base of Africa’s only active volcano (Oldonyo Lengai) and between Ngorongoro Highlands and Serengeti plains, Lake Natron lies in a dry and desolated area also inhabited by the Maasai.
This lake is one of the most alkaline lakes in the world and a special shelter to millions of tiny crustaceans, attracting literally thousands of lesser flamingos. You will trek to the local waterfalls where you will have the opportunity to swim. Beautiful and surrounded by lush vegetation, these waterfalls break the yellow-coloured pattern found in the savannah
Accommodation:
Africa Safari Lake Natron
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
In the morning your guide will take you for an adventurous walk at shores of the Lake. Being on the shore of Lake Natron as the sun rises is something you will never forget. Lake Natron is often described as having a lunar beauty. The lake gets its reddish colour from salt-loving organisms and algae. Amazingly, 2.5 million flamingos make Lake Natron their home and it is one of their only breeding grounds.
You will have a chance to experience these incredible birds and then return to camp for breakfast before driving to Karatu where you will stay for the night.
Accommodation:
Marera Valley Lodge
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Today after breakfast and you will travel to Serengeti and one of Africa’s premier game parks. The drive takes about 3 to 4 hours, (game on route) driving through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area
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.
Game drives are especially spectacular when the herds of the Great Migration are on the plains. All six cat species reside here year-round; leopard, lion, cheetah, caracal, serval and African wildcat
Accommodation:
Suenos De AfricaTented Camp
Mid-range tented camp located inside Central Serengeti
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Today you will enjoy another full day game drive in Central Serengeti, what is special about Central Serengeti is the wide open spaces, driving through the miles and miles of animals as far as the eye can see, riverine forest and leopard. There is nice chance of seeing leopard along the river valleys also the wildebeest spread over a large area.
Accommodation:
Suenos De AfricaTented Camp
- Mid-range tented camp located inside Central Serengeti
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Today you will visit the amazingly beautiful Ngorongoro Crater. This Crater is the world’s largest intact collapsed caldera (volcano) which is a self-contained ecosystem with its own unique population of wildlife in a confined area of amazing variety.
The crater boasts lots of lions, hyena, fantastic bird-life, serval, Cape buffalo, zebra and gorgeous landscapes – Also there is an added advantage of seeing Rhino’s, if you are lucky.
You will have your lunch in the crater and then continue with the game drive till sunset hours and then drive to the rim where you will be led by a professional walking guide along the crater rim for a walk of about 2 hours. Here, a wealth of information can be gleaned from the smallest of tracks, including which animals have passed by recently, and whether they could still be in the area. The natural setting of the bush gives a thrilling aspect to the sightings, much more than a usual vehicle safari. In the late afternoon you will drive to Marera Valley lodge where you will spend the night
Accommodation:
Marera Valley Lodge
- Mid-range lodge located at Karatu town
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Lake Manyara National Park is the oldest and most popular sanctuaries in East Africa. The main habitats include the shallow soda lake itself which occupies 70% of the National Park total area of 320 sq km, the ground water forest, open grassland, acacia woodland and the rift wall.
The most famous spectacle in the park is the tree-climbing 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.
After the game drive you will be driven to Arusha for your final safari night
Accommodation:
Tulia Boutique
Meals & Drinks:
- Lunch & dinner (Breakfast included)
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Today is your final safari day. You will enjoy breakfast at the hotel and then you will be driven to the Airport for your onward flight
