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| DAY 1
- ARUSHA
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Upon arrival into Kilimanjaro International Airport and after clearing customs and immigration, you will be met by and transferred to the Kigongoni Lodge. This beautiful small lodge is located on an historic 70-acre coffee farm near Arusha, amid natural forest. Set upon a hilltop with lush gardens, the lodge offers breathtaking views of Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru. Tucked between the trees are fourteen cottages, built in traditional African styles and materials. The rooms, cocktail lounge, and restaurant - all with fireplaces – are furnished in an intimate and comfortable manner, maximizing the site’s unique views and natural features. Relax for the evening before beginning your safari the next morning.
Overnight
- Kigongoni Lodge |
| DAY 2
- ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK
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After breakfast you will be met by your private safari guide and depart for Arusha National Park for your first game drive. Set between the slopes of Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro this small park is one of Tanzania’s hidden gems and one of the few places where you will have a good chance to see the rare Black & White Colobus monkeys, which inhabit the Ngurdoto Forest. The parks contains a series of shimmering alkaline lakes, which attract large flocks of flamingo’s and a variety of birds, along with elephant, buffalo, zebra, gazelle, wart hog, hippo and an amazing number of giraffe. The rare black rhino is also found here. One of the highlights of today’s game drive is a short walk to a viewing area overlooking the miniature Ngurdoto Crater, which is completely reserved for the animals, so no one is allowed to go down into it. From high above the tiny dots that appear on the crater floor are actually huge Buffalo, that feed in the marsh grasses.
Overnight
- Kigongoni Lodge (all meals & activities) |
| DAYS 3/4
- TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
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This morning after breakfast you will depart for Tarangire National Park, Tanzania’s third largest. Here you’ll find a geologic landscape as diverse as the wildlife, with nine distinct vegetation zones ranging from grassland to woodland, from deep gully vegetation to scattered rocky hilltops. Ancient Baobab trees dot the landscape dwarfing the animals that feed beneath them. The Tarangire River, that meanders through the park attracts an abundance of wildlife, from elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, zebra, giraffe and numerous antelope to a variety of colorful birds.Your accommodations for the next two nights will be at Maramboi Camp. This is a small luxury camp set on a 2,000 acre private wildlife concession in the migratory corridor between Lake Manyara and Tarangire – just 20 minutes drive from the entry gate. The 10 large walk-in tents are set on wooden platforms and there is a dining boma. Each tent has full ensuite facilities and 24hr, 22Volt solar power and a swimming pool. Activities include wildlife viewing in the park and walking with Maasai guides and visiting nearby Datoga and Maasai villages. After lunch you will enjoy an afternoon game drive or walk followed by drinks around the fire before dinner.
Overnight
- Maramboi Camp (all meals & activities)
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| DAY 5
- LAKE MANYARA / NGORONGORO HIGHLANDS
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After breakfast you will depart across the Great Rift Valley to Lake Manyara National Park. Although only 205 sq. miles in size this enchanting park is one of the most popular and attractive wildlife sanctuaries in East Africa. It is noted for its beauty and incredibly lush acacia forest of giant fig and mahogany trees, which are home to troops of baboons and blue monkeys. The park is also home to large numbers of buffalo, giraffe, elephant, hippo, impala and of course it’s famous tree climbing lions. Other highlights include the Hippo Pool, where large numbers usually gather. Well known for its birds (over 400 species), Lake Manyara is one of the few places you will see the comical Ground Hornbill and the Crested Eagle.
After several hours of wildlife viewing in the park you’ll continue to the Ngorongoro Farm House. The Ngorongoro Farm house is a luxury lodge facing the Oldeani Volcano, set on a 500 acre coffee farm located only 3 miles from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area gate. Three separate and intimate camps contain a total of 40 comfortable bungalows. The huge main building, covered with an elegant thatched roof, contains the reception, bar, dining area, library and lounge with a fireplace where guests can enjoy a rest during the cool evenings in the highlands. Guest areas are completed by a swimming pool with superb views of Oldeani Volcano and a craft shop. There is also an organic vegetable and flower garden.
After lunch at the farm , you can relax on your private verandah, take a swim in the salt water pool or if you wish, visit a local school.
Overnight
- Ngorongoro Farm House (all meals & activities) |
| DAY 6
- NGORONGORO CRATER
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This morning enjoy a hearty breakfast before driving the short distance to the "eighth wonder of the world", the Ngorongoro Crater. Driving up the slopes of the lush green mountain and arriving at the rim of the crater , the first glimpse takes your breath away. The floor of this collapsed volcano spreads for 102 sq. miles and the walls are 2000 feet high, a truly awesome sight. The crater floor is a virtual "Noah's Ark", inhabited by almost every species of wildlife indigenous to East Africa. It contains a river, several swamps, a soda lake - complete with flamingoes, a forest and open plains.
Descend to the crater floor for a day of wildlife viewing with a box lunch. In the afternoon return to the rim and check in at your lodge. Relax and take in the view before dinner or enjoy a drink in the lounge before dinner.
Overnight
- Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge (all meals & activities)
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| DAY 7
- SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
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This morning after breakfast and a final glimpse of the crater, you’re off to the famous Serengeti National Park, the symbol of Africa's wildlife. The word Serengeti comes from the Maasai language meaning "endless plains". The 6,900 sq. mile (18,000 sq. km) park is inhabited by more than 2 large million animals including more than a million wildebeest, hundreds of thousands of plains zebras, and Thomson’s gazelles. Large predators including lions, cheetahs, and hyenas are drawn to the area by this abundance of prey which migrate throughout the park. Many smaller animals – rock hyrax, bat eared foxes, mongoose, honey badger, jackals, monkeys, baboon and African hare inhabit the area along with nearly 500 species of birds. Off road you’ll find the "Kopjes", massive boulder islands of granite standing in a sea of grass, provide shelter to a great variety of plants and animals, from the elusive leopard to the tiny dik dik.
Along the way to the Serengeti you will stop at the famous “Oldupai Gorge”, where Dr. Louis and Mary Leakey made their discovery of early man.
Afterwards you will continue into the park, spotting wildlife on the way to your lodge. Depending on the season and the movement of the migration you will stay at one of four safari lodges:
Ndutu Safari Lodge (late November – March). During this time the migration is settled in the southern Serengeti in an area that includes the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the wooded Ndutu Lakes, and the vast plains and kopje’s where you can venture off-track. It is also calving season. Ndutu Safari Lodge is near the shore of Lake Ndutu and is surrounded by Acacia forest. The thirty four cottages, which are built of local materials, have a private verandahs facing Lake Ndutu. The main building houses the dinning room and there is a large open air lounge area and fire pit.
Mbalageti Serengeti Lodge (April – mid June). Once the heavy rains of April arrive the migration moves westward slowly, feeding on the fresh grasses before heading north in June. This luxury lodge is situated in the southwest area in the Mwamyeni hills. It offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the Serengeti plains and the Mbalageti River. The 24 chalets are made of local rock, wood and canvas. Each has a private veranda and full ensuite facilities. There is also a restaurant, bar, lounge and gift shop in the main building and the swimming is set on the edge of the hill - with a 360 degree view of Serengeti.
Ikoma Bush Camp (mid June – August) The Ikoma Bush Camp, is a permanent tented camp set in the migratory corridor of the “great migration” during June and July. It is also in close proximity to the Grumeti river - home to the infamous wildebeest-eating giant crocodiles. There is no better place to take in one of the world's greatest wildlife spectacles. Ikoma Bush Camp has recently been refurbished and consists of31 traditional meru safari tents each under thatch. Each as its own en-suite bathroom, modern furnishings and a private veranda. The central restaurant and bar area boast a large camp fire - an ideal spot to unwind with a drink after a long days exciting game viewing.
Lobo Wildlife Lodge (October – late November) This lodge is located in the Northeastern part of the park, just 15 miles from the bordering Maasai Mara Reserve in Kenya. Here you will see the migration has it heads back into the Serengeti after spending several months in the Mara. The lodge is set inside an enormous volcanic rocky outcrop. A waterhole below the Lodge attracts a variety of wild visitors during the day and is lit each evening revealing an interesting array of nocturnal animals. Each of the 75 guestrooms have views of the Serengeti swimming pool is situated on the very edge of the rock, offering uninterrupted views of the horizon.
Relax this afternoon or go on a game drive if time allows, returning to the lodge before dark.
Overnight
- Serengeti Lodge (all meals & activities) |
| DAYS 8/9
- SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
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During your stay in the Serengeti, you can decide with your guide how you would like to spend your days. On most mornings you’ll be awakened early and after coffee or tea depart on an early morning game drive in the amazing Serengeti. The early mornings are magical in the Serengeti, when the wildlife is just waking up to greet the days. After returning to camp for a hearty breakfast you can depart on a late morning game drive returning to camp for lunch or you may want to depart with a picnic lunch so that you can spend the whole day wildlife viewing. Off road, across the Serengeti plains, you’ll find "Kopjes" - massive boulder islands, standing in a sea of grass. The kopjes were formed by volcanic activity and provide shelter to a great variety of plants and animals, from the elusive leopard to the tiny dik dik. After a days activities you return to camp for sundowners around the fire and dinner.
Overnight
- Serengeti Lodge (all meals & activities) |
| DAY 10
- SERENGETI / ARUSHA - DEPART
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After breakfast you will leave the Serengeti, spotting wildlife on the way. You will arrive back in Arusha in the afternoon and be taken to the KIA Lodge, where you will have the use of a dayroom until your evening transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport.
Dayroom – KIA Lodge (Breakfast, Lunch)
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| NOTE
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Optional flight available out of Serengeti to Arusha or Kilimanjaro (to avoid long drive out of Serengeti, 4 to 8 hours depending on location). - $200 per person
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