“Karibu!” – welcome in Swahili. Looking for a new adventure? Have you dreamed of seeing wildlife in its native habitat? Do you desire to learn about new cultures? If so, this tour through Tanzania is the vacation for you. Admire herds of elephant as they thunder across the savannah grasslands, see a pride of lions lounging in the sun, and witness the free spirit of the birds flying overhead.Highlights on this tour include Tarangire National Park, with the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem. With its permanent water source, it’s a great place to see elephant, eland, zebra, Cape buffalo, wildebeest, and more. Lake Manyara National Park is home to the world’s largest concentration of baboons and over 400 species of birds. Also visit Serengeti National Park, Tanzania’s largest park and home to the “Big 5”—lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and Cape buffalo. Ngorongoro Crater, which is technically a caldera, offers you the best possibility of seeing the rare black rhinoceros. This trip offers you not only amazing opportunities to see wildlife, it also gives you a chance to get an insight into the local culture. Visit a local Maasai village to learn about this semi-nomadic tribe. Take a walk with a Maasai healer to learn about many species of plants used for medicinal purposes through the centuries. You will also get an up-close view of daily life in Mt wa Mbu as you visit a local home, farm, and school. This is a tour like no other, and it’s not to be missed. So grab your camera and get ready for a thrill of a lifetime!
Itinerary:
Day #1 Arrive in Arusha, Tanzania. Welcome to Africa! Check in to your hotel and prepare for your safari experience!
Day #2 Arusha-Tarangire National Park. Today, drive south to TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK, where the savannah grasslands are dotted with baobab and acacia trees. Enjoy a GAME DRIVE en route to your lodge. (B,L,D)
Day #3 Tarangire. Today features MORNING & AFTERNOON GAME DRIVES. Due to the Tarangire River, the park has a permanent water source, which makes for great game viewing year round. This is highlighted by a large population of elephants. You can also see wildebeest, eland, zebra, and Cape buffalo congregate around water holes. Enjoy time to relax at your lodge during the middle of the day. (B,L,D)
Day #4 Tarangire-Lake Manyara National Park. One last GAME DRIVE in Tarangire before heading to the village of Mto wa Mbu. Here, a Local Guide who grew up in the village will take you on a [LF] WALKING TOUR for an up-close view of daily life. Along the way you will visit a LOCAL HOME, FARM, and a SCHOOL. You will also walk through the colorful LOCAL MARKET. After lunch at your lodge, continue on to LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK at the base of the Rift Valley escarpment. This small park is ecologically diverse, with groundwater forests, grassy plains, and alkaline Lake Manyara itself. Enjoy a GAME DRIVE, with the chance to see elephant, giraffe, zebra, and Cape buffalo. The park is also home to world’s largest concentration of baboons. (B,L,D)
Day #5 Lake Manyara-Gibb's Farm-Ngorongoro Crater. Enjoy another GAME DRIVE in Lake Manyara National Park before heading to Gibb’s Farm. After lunch, a quick COFFEE DEMONSTRATION shows you the traditional cultivation and roasting methods used locally. Then, take an [LF] INDIGENOUS MEDICINE WALK through the Ngorongoro Forest with a Maasai healer. Along the way, learn about many species of plants that have been used for medicinal purposes through the centuries. Continue on to the rim of NGORONGORO CRATER, which is part of the larger Ngorongoro Conservation Area. (B,L,D)
Day #6 Ngorongoro. Descend into the crater for a full-day GAME DRIVE, including a picnic lunch. Ngorongoro Crater is technically a caldera—the world’s largest unflooded one, in fact, at over 2,000 feet deep with a floor covering over 102 square miles. Game viewing here is fantastic, as most of the animals stay in this area year round. You can see lion, Cape buffalo, hippo, elephant, and flamingo. This is also your best chance to see the rare black rhinoceros. Views from the rim are stunning, especially at sunrise and sunset! (B,L,D)
Day #7 Ngorongoro-Serengeti National Park. This morning, depart Ngorongoro Crater and visit a [LF] LOCAL MAASAI VILLAGE, where you will learn about this semi-nomadic tribe, famous for herding cattle and their distinctive red clothing. Afterward, continue on to SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK, Tanzania’s largest and most famous park. Home to the annual wildebeest migration, it attracts visitors from around the world and is great for game viewing year round. Enjoy lunch at your lodge before an afternoon GAME DRIVE. (B,L,D)
Day #8 Serengeti. Enjoy MORNING & AFTERNOON GAME DRIVES both days. The Serengeti is home to all of the “Big 5”—lion, leopard, Cape buffalo, elephant, and rhino—as well as myriad other animals, including cheetah, giraffe, gazelle, and eland. On one of your morning game drives a [LF] BUSH BREAKFAST has been arranged for you. Sip on a mimosa as you savor every moment of this memorable experience. (B,L,D daily)
Day #9 Serengeti. Enjoy MORNING & AFTERNOON GAME DRIVES both days. The Serengeti is home to all of the “Big 5”—lion, leopard, Cape buffalo, elephant, and rhino—as well as myriad other animals, including cheetah, giraffe, gazelle, and eland. On one of your morning game drives a [LF] BUSH BREAKFAST has been arranged for you. Sip on a mimosa as you savor every moment of this memorable experience. (B,L,D daily)
Day #10 Serengeti-Arusha-Homebound Flight. This morning, enjoy one last GAME DRIVE en route to the airstrip for your flight back to Arusha, where your tour ends with lunch. We have secured a day room for you at the Mount Meru Hotel, before a transfer to the airport for your late-evening flight. Book homebound flights after 5 pm. (B,L)
Hotels:
ARUSHA Mount Meru Hotel (F)
TARANGIRE Tarangire Sopa Lodge (F)
LAKE MANYARA Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge (F)
NGORONGORO CRATER Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge (F)
SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK Serengeti Sopa Lodge (F)