Overview
Showcasing Tanzania’s famous northern reserves, this 5-day safari delivers both wildlife and scenery in equal portions. Sit back and watch the Serengeti’s wildlife ebb and flow across the savannah; you also have Big 5 game viewing in the stunning Ngorongoro Crater to look forward to as well as Tanzania’s biggest elephant herds in Tarangire, a wild game park studded with giant baobab trees. And, depending on the time of year you travel, you may have nature’s greatest spectacle to witness: the incomparable Wildebeest Migration.
You are in the professional hands of a registered guide who takes care of the driving and shares their knowledge of the environment with you. Travelling between accommodations gives you time to absorb the Tanzanian landscape: Maasai villages and red-robed herdsmen mingle with views of Rift Valley mountains and giant long-dead volcanic craters. Your accommodation – a mix of tented camps and a farmhouse-style lodge – is all en suite and very welcome after a long day on safari. You sit down to candle-lit suppers with cold drinks in a cheery, communal atmosphere, and will have time to recharge your camera batteries and electrical gadgets.
Ideal for first-time travellers to Africa, this tour delivers a comprehensive and very diverse safari. Given its relatively short duration, it is perfect for those constrained by time or for travellers who want to add on a beach holiday in Zanzibar after their safari.
Highlights
- Tanzania’s classic northern reserves: the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire
- See the Big 5 in Ngorongoro and enjoy wonderful birding
- Seasonal viewing of the annual Wildebeest Migration
- Excellent year-round game viewing
- Beautiful scenery and endless photographic opportunities
- Very comfortable en suite safari accommodation throughout
Itinerary
Day 1: To the Tarangire | 1 Night
Your safari begins with a morning pick-up from your Arusha hotel and a briefing by your guide before you leave. Then, the open road beckons and you head for Tarangire National Park, home to large elephant herds and a host of other animals including its tree-climbing lions. Once you enter the park, the roof of the 4X4 vehicle comes down and you spend the rest of the day watching wildlife, and enjoying a packed lunch in the shade. Your accommodation tonight – Lake Burunge Tented Camp – is set outside the park and welcomes you with a panoramic sunset and plenty of comforts including a swimming pool and Wi-Fi.
Day 2-3: Under Canvas in the Serengeti | 2 Nights
After breakfast, you travel through a Rift Valley landscape and into the cooler climate of the crater highlands. You have lunch on the way and make time to stop and gaze down into the giant Ngorongoro Crater from a viewing platform; you will be coming back to explore Ngorongoro properly later but first you have one of Africa’s greatest wildlife reserves before you: the Serengeti.
The Serengeti is an excellent year-round destination for wildlife. Still, it is when the Wildebeest Migration arrives – from about November to June – that you can expect some of its most iconic imagery. Your accommodation for the next two nights depends on the time of year: your tented camp is mobile and follows the rhythm of the Migration, almost guaranteeing you front-row seats to all the action. Your full day here is spent out on the Serengeti, taking advantage of your game-rich location and expert guide to enjoy amazing game sightings and plenty to talk about around the campfire later.
Day 4: Into the Crater | 1 Night
It is an early start this morning as you drive back to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and its showpiece – the Ngorongoro Crater. The remains of a gigantic volcanic explosion millions of years ago, it is now home to Africa’s densest concentration of big animals. Descending into the Crater, you begin to pick out the familiar shapes of elephant and buffalo on the crater floor, mingled with zebra, wildebeest and gazelles. It is also one of Africa’s greatest concentrations of big predators and lions, leopards and hyenas are regularly seen, and you may see flamingos and hippos in the Crater’s lakes. Leaving on a different road, you travel to the town of Karatu and your final accommodation, Ngorongoro Farmhouse, a stylish lodge set on a working coffee plantation. Complete with a swimming pool, lovely gardens and a massage therapist, it makes a very comfortable way to finish your safari.
Day 5: The Journey Ends
You can linger over breakfast today as it is an easy drive back to Arusha. You stop for lunch on the way and arrive in town around noon where you will be taken to your hotel or airport – either from the local Arusha Airport or Kilimanjaro International Airport – for your onward connection.
Safari costs
Includes the following:
- A 4×4 safari jeep with a pop-up roof, which enable you to spot wildlife easier
- All park entry fees.
- All Accommodation.
- A professional English-speaking driver guide.
- All meals.
- Mineral water, soft drinks, beer, and wine (on Jeep).
- Daily tour briefing (to keep you aware and help you be prepared for the next day).
- Activities as per the itinerary above.
Excludes the following:
- Flights.
- Optional activities.
- Visa fees.
- Alcoholic and soft drinks.
- Travel insurance.
- Tipping.
- Personal spending money for souvenirs, etc.