Best of Northern Tanzania

Pick up from Arusha and drive to Mto wa Mbu for morning cultural tour with hot local lunch and then afternoon game drive into Lake Manyara National Park.The park’s varied habitat attracts a wide variety of animals, including one of Africa’s largest concentrations of elephants, Lake Manyara’s unique tree-climbing lions, as well as large flocks of flamingos attracted by the algae in the lake.

After breakfast, drive towards the Serengeti National Park via the beautiful high lying farmland of Karatu and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Leaving the highlands behind, you will proceed into the heart of wild Africa –You will drive into the central park area known as the Seronera area, one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park, featuring the Seronera River, which provides a valuable water source to this area and therefore attracts wildlife well representative of most of the Serengeti’s species. You will arrive in time for picnic lunch and enjoy an afternoon game drive in the Serengeti National Park

After breakfast, game viewing drive along the Sogore River Circuit, which loops into the plains south of the Seronera River, and which is good for possible Lion, Thomson gazelle, topi, ostrich and cheetah sightings. The Visitor Centre close to the Serengeti Seronera Lodge and public campsites is well worth a visit after the morning’s game drive.</p> <p>In the afternoon, you will follow the Kopjes Circuit, which goes anti-clockwise around the Masai Kopjes, which usually attract a number of lion and some formidably large cobras. Kopjes are weathered granite outcrops, scattered around the plains, most of which are miniature ecosystems, providing shade and drinking water in pools left in the rock after the rains. This makes the kopjes particularly good for spotting wildlife in the dry seasons – including lions, which like to lie in wait for animals coming to drink.

On this day will offer you an ideal opportunity to do an optional but unforgettable Hot Air Balloon flight, followed by a delightful champagne breakfast (available at a supplementary cost, but can be booked in advance). After breakfast you will be heading to the south-eastern side of the park, visiting the Barafu Kopjes and the Ngare Nanyuki River area, for your morning and afternoon game drives. Apart from the lion prides you find in the area, the Barafu Kopjes is the place to visit for possible cheetah sightings. The Ngare Nanyuki River area is also well known for being packed with game.

Today is your last day in the park, and once again you will visit some kopjes on your way out of the park and you will do a morning game drive in the Simba Kopjes area. The kopjes are named after the lions, which frequently use these kopjes to just lie and bath in the sun. You may also see baboon, giraffe and some interesting birds in this area.</p> <p>From there you will be heading to Lake Ndutu, which is alkaline, like most of the other Rift lakes, however still drinkable and used by a wide array of local wildlife. You will do an afternoon game drive in the lake area, which offers quite a change from the vast open plains of the Serengeti. The area is usually heavily populated with elephant and birds as well as resident plains game. The Ndutu Lodge is a charming small safari lodge, which is used as a base by many wildlife film crews

You will depart after breakfast from Ndutu Area with picnic lunch for a morning game drive in the Naabi Hill area before heading towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority via the famed Olduvai Gorge, also known as “the cradle of mankind”. The Gorge lies on the site of an ancient lake, covered by thick layers of volcanic ash, which carefully preserved the world’s earliest records of mankind and which was unearthed by the dedicated Leakey family. The museum displays some of these fascinating discoveries and remarkable finds. From there you will be heading for the magnificent NCAA, one of the most densely crowded game areas in the world, which is home to an estimated 30,000 animals, you will arrive in time for leisure.

After an early breakfast, you will descend 600m into this stunning crater to view wildlife for a fullday crater tour. You will witness an unforgettable spectacle of African wildlife – a world teeming with animals. Supported by year-round water supply and fodder, the area supports a vast variety of animals, which include herds of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippo, giant elephants and a small population of black rhino. Another big draw to this picturesque conservation area is its dense population of predators, which include lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs and the ever-elusive leopard, which sometimes requires a trained eye to spot.

After breakfast, you will depart for Arusha/Moshi and end your safari adventure with a farewell lunch at the Arusha Coffee Lodge before you travel to Arusha Airport/Moshi.