ITINERARY IN BRIEF:
DATE | Location | Accommodation | Meal Plan |
DAY 1 | Tarangire | Heart & Soul Manyara | Breakfast |
DAY 2 | Ngorongoro | Bougainvillea Safari Lodge | Full Board |
DAY 3 | Serengeti | Kenzan Serengeti Camp | Full Board |
DAY 4 | Serengeti | Kenzan Serengeti Camp | Full Board |
DAY 5 | Ngorongoro/Depart |
|
Safari inclusions
- Accommodation as stipulated in the itinerary.
- Transportation in a chauffeur driven safari 4 x 4 land cruiser with a pop-up roof for easy game viewing & photography.
- Services of a French/English/Spanish speaking driver-guide, unlimited game viewing drives and parks entrance fees as indicated in the itinerary.
- All Government taxes and levies.
- Complimentary and soft drinks in the safari vehicle.
- All meet and greet services.
- All arrival and departure transfers.
- 24 hours stand-by contact number.
- Meals as indicated in the itinerary.
- Guaranteed window seat in each vehicle per passenger.
- Two-way long-range high frequency radio communication in each vehicle.
- On safari accessories in each vehicle: – First-aid kit, wildlife books, a pair of binoculars, cool box and fire extinguisher.
- Flying doctors’ coverage which covers you within East Africa for a period of 14 days. In the eventuality of a medical emergency, you will be airlifted to Nairobi where you will be taken to a good hospital. Hospital bills are born by the patient.
Safari exclusions
- All items of personal nature e.g. telephone call bills, fax/email bills etc.
- Tips and gratuities to hotel, lodges, camp staff and driver- guide(s). Budget approx. $ 2.00 – $ 4.00 per person per day for lodge and hotel staff, $ 1.00 per bag for porters and $ 15.00 – $ 20.00 per person per day for driver-guides).
- Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
- Any local or international flight and departure taxes.
- Laundry services.
- Any other item(s) not included in our itinerary.
- Visa fees
YOUR DETAILED ITINERARY :
DAY 1: DRIVE TO TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport in, you will be met by Classic Journeys Africa Customer Care Representative who will brief you on your program ahead and introduce the Driver Guide who will be with you throughout the safari. You will begin your journey with a drive to Tarangire National Park, passing through the semi-arid savannah landscapes of the Great Rift Valley floor with picnic lunch box. Discover the Tarangire National Park. Old hunting grounds declared a National Park in 1970, Tarangire is the sixth largest park in the country. Its name comes from the Tarangire River, which runs through the park from south to north. Covering an area of 2600 km2, Tarangire has an amazing diversity of plants (sausage trees, acacias tortelli) but is best known for the huge baobab trees dotting its rocky slopes. The park also offers a very diverse fauna. Many birds have been identified including lapwings, African hoopoe, kingfishers, ostriches, Kori bustards, secretary birds, vultures and marabou storks.
The north of the park is the most visited area where the perennial Tarangire River meanders across the landscape, while the south consists of a series of vast swamps that transform into verdant plains during the dry season. During your game viewing, you can expect to see plenty of elephant and lion, the most renowned residents of the park, as well as in excess of 400 species of birds. Admire the rising sun shimmering across the grassy savannahs and the dappled light that filters through the branches of epic baobab trees while large herds of buffalo and zebra graze peacefully on the plains. The savannah of the Tarangire National Park is also home to many animals. Thus, although the park is best known for hosting one of the largest concentrations of African elephants, Lions, leopards and cheetahs are also present but are harder to see because of the tall grass. it also houses many other residents. Impala, waterbuck croissant, buffalo, hartebeest, Cape eland, kudu and hyraxes live there. Check in in your lodge in time for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Heart & Soul Manyara
Meal Plan: Full Board
DAY 2: DRIVE TO MANYARA NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, you shall drive overland to Lake Manyara National Park. Nestling at the base of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, a beautiful park, Lake Manyara contains a diverse range of habitats and topographical features ranging from the rift wall, ground water forest, acacia woodlands and open grasslands to the shores of Lake Manyara and the lake itself. You will have a stop-over at Mto wa Mbu town for a cultural experience and a local hot lunch. Dive deeper into Tanzania culture and explore the green, fertile lands of the small town of Mto wa Mbu, which lies on the edge of Lake Manyara National Park famous for its red bananas.
Proceed with your afternoon game viewing in the park searching for the diverse flora and fauna of the park. There are some 350 different bird species in the park. The park provides sanctuary to a variety of animals such as the gazelle, impala, buffalo, wildebeest, hyena, baboon, giraffe, hippo and the famous tree-climbing lions that are unique to the Lake. The park is generally recognized for its incredible beauty. Dinner and overnight at the lodge
Accommodation: Bougainvillea Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Board
DAY 3: DRIVE TO SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, you will depart for Serengeti national park with picnic lunch boxes. Serengeti is Africa’s most famous and Tanzania’s largest park covering 14,736 sq km and is adjoining with the Masai Mara National reserve in Kenya. With a wildebeest population of about 2 million and several other hoofed species (which include zebra, Thomson’s gazelle, impala, topi, Grants gazelle, Kongoni, Eland, Kirk’s dik, klipspringer, roan, Oryx, oribi, waterbuck, buffalo, giraffe and warthog), the Serengeti is sure to attract a string of prey such as lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, golden jackals and bat eared foxes. Elephants are relatively scarce and the few remaining black rhinoceros are restricted to the Moru Koppies area. Serengeti also offers rewarding bird viewing with ostrich and Kori bustard being common, a variety of larks, finches, and raptors can be seen but the most distinctive small bird is the lilac breasted roller.
Accommodation: Kenzan Serengeti Camp
Meal Plan: Full Board
DAY 4: FULL DAY EXPLORING SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
This morning you will depart for the balloon safari which is charged at an extra cost, alternatively enjoy an early morning game drive through the park to see the nocturnal predators returning from their nightly hunt and very active animals waking up in the early morning light. Depending on the time of year and the migration of the herds, you can expect to see wildebeest, lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, monkeys, baboons, hippos, rhinos, antelopes, birds and other species.
You will get to enjoy morning and afternoon game viewing drives on the vast Serengeti plains. In the early morning and evening light, the Serengeti landscape is stunningly beautiful. The Serengeti ecosystem supports the greatest remaining concentration of plains game in Africa, including more than three million large mammals. The park is one that can never disappoint. One is spoilt by the variety of bird and wildlife species in this game reserve.
Depending with wildlife movement, we can have hot lunch at the camp or enjoy picnic lunch packets.
Overnight at the camp.
Accommodation: Kenzan Serengeti Camp
Meal Plan: Full Board
DAY 5: DRIVE TO NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA/DEPART
After breakfast, you will journey to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The area was founded in 1959, following a conflict between the National Parks and the Maasai, as a nature reserve to protect a unique wildlife but also as a haven for the Maasai. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area covers approximately 8288 km2, 890 km2 of which is montane forest covering part of the crater wall. Ngorongoro offers a wide range of habitats: wetlands, grasslands, forests, streams and savannas. The crater itself covers about 260 km2. A World Heritage Site, it is in fact a caldera, caused by the collapse of a massive volcano nearly 2.5 million years ago. Have your game viewing at the crater while enjoying a spectacularly panoramic view of the interior of the crater. The crater boasts the largest animal density in Africa with some 20,000 animals including around 55 species of mammals, ostriches, Kori bustards, dwarf flamingos, crowned cranes, zebras, gazelles, warthogs, wildebeest, hartebeest all are present. Eland, jackal, black rhino and some servals are also among the principal inhabitants.
The Ngorongoro Crater is further home to many predators such as hyenas, lions and leopards. Cheetahs, giraffes, hartebeest and impala, however are missing. Enjoy a picnic lunch at the crater floor while viewing the game around. You will then proceed with your drive to Arusha, do some last minute shopping before being dropped off at Kilimanjaro International Airport to board your flight back home.
Say good bye to the wonderful country and promise to join us on another expedition!
TYPICAL DAY ON SAFARI
Our professional guides are there to assist you every step of the way. Even though there is a general outline of your safari, your guide will talk with you regarding mach day’s plans. He will tell you about the country you are visiting, its history, traditions, the area you are visiting, what you see ; he will take you to the lovélies places, look after any formalities or négociations with the local people, and take care of your safety and comfort. They all are proficient in bush craft, and can also tell you about the local traditions, wildlife, identify the birds, and help you learn more about the world around you. All our guides speak English as well as their local language and some speak French and Spanish as well. Days will vary depending on your specific schedule, road conditions, and what you would like to do. A typical day may unfold like this ;
You will get up before dawn when hot coffee and tea are served. The air is cold as the sun rises and shimmers on the open plains. This is the best time to see the wildlife. Your camera is ready to go and you have layered your clothing to keep you warm. Head into the bush and search for lions, elephant, giraffe and plains game. Each turn will offer something unique – a lioness and her cubs, a herd of elephant moving to a waterhole, a cheetah stalking a gazelle. Your morning game drive lasts about two hours, depending on what you see. Return to the lodge for a delicious breakfast. After breakfast there is time to relax from being up at sunrise or now is the time to participate in any additional activities that the lodge may offer – such as walks, village visits, or bike rides.
Lunch is usually served in camp/lodge, unless you are out for a full day’s game drive, when they will have a picnic lunch. You will head out again in the afternoon ; searching for the special species that may have eluded you. As the sun sets, return to camp for a hot shower. Then indulge in a delicious dinner and after dinner drinks in the lounge. There may also be a chance to sit around the campfire exchanging tales of the bush. Everyone retires early with great anticipation of the next day’s adventure !
When you are out on safari your schedule is flexible at most locations ; however, some locations have set times for game drives or walks. You can always talk with the hosts of the camps/lodge to adjust schedules and they will try to accommodate you. The restriction will be to stay within park rules and travel times required to get you to your destination. Your guides will always give their recommendations but are there to listen to your needs.