Lake Manyara

Lake Manyara National Park is situated between Lake Manyara and the Great rift Valley covering an area of about 325sq km. This shallow soda lake takes up much of the park, leaving a strip of land running along its shores where the game concentrates. The shores of the lake, encrusted with pink flamingo, attract more than 350 species of birds, many of them waterfowl or migrants.

This varied habitat features a ground-water forest, acacia woodland and hot springs called Maji Moto that attracts a wide variety of wildlife animals, including one of Africa’s largest concentrations of elephants, large flocks of flamingos and birds of prey.

The park is famous for tree-climbing lions, an amazing phenomenon to see a pride relaxing on the branches of an acacia tree. It is also a host to other wildlife like buffalo, antelope, zebra and giraffe among others.

Day 1: Arusha - Tarangire

Pick up from Arusha and proceed to Tarangire National Park. The Tarangire River has shriveled to a shadow of its wet season self. But it is choked with wildlife. Thirsty nomads have wandered hundreds of parched kilometers knowing that here, always, there is water. Herds of up to 300 elephants scratch the dry river bed for underground streams, while migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle and eland crowd the shrinking lagoons. It's the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem - a smorgasbord for predators – and the one place in Tanzania where dry-country antelope such as the stately fringe-eared oryx and peculiar long-necked Gerenuk are seen here. Enjoy your afternoon game drive till late evening.

Accommodation: Full board at Lake Burunge Tented Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 2: Tarangire - Serengeti

Transfer after your morning breakfast for Serengeti National Park. Serengeti National Park is easily Tanzania’s most famous national park, and it’s also the largest, at 14,763 sq km of protected area that borders Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Park. Its far-reaching plains of endless grass, tinged with the twisted shadows of acacia trees, have made it the quintessential image of a wild and untarnished Africa. Its large stone Skopje is home to rich ecosystems and the sheer magnitude and scale of life that the plains support is staggering. Enjoy your en-route game drive at Serengeti National Park.

Accommodation: Full board at Serengeti Katikati Tented Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Serengeti National Park

According to season, the camp moves to the scenically and outstandingly beautiful Moru Kopjes in June. Moru is the unique location for the Serengeti Rhino project and also by virtue of permanent water in the area boasts a large population of Lion with densities approaching the Seronera area but unlike Seronera the area is not congested and it is much more remote and private. The resident game is plentiful and is the reason the Lion population is high.

From late December to the end of March the camp moves to the Ndutu area of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The Ndutu 2 campsite area offers access to the Serengeti short grass plains for the great migration and specifically when the wildebeests are carving around mid-February to early March. The lakes over essential water and which brings the game in from the surrounding planes for excellent wildlife viewing. The area is also very good for lion, cheetah and excellent plains game along with the migration.

Accommodation: Full board at Serengeti Katikati Tented Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Serengeti - Ngorongoro

Depart after your morning breakfast with your picnic lunch boxes via the Olduvai gorge where it is believed the cradle of mankind began. Ngorongoro Crater is often called Africa’s Eden and the 8th Natural Wonder of the World, a visit to the crater is the main drawcard for tourists coming to Tanzania and a definite world-class attraction. Within the crater rim, large herds of zebra and wildebeest graze nearby while sleeping lions laze in the sun. At dawn, the endangered black rhino returns to the thick cover of the crater forests after grazing on dew-laden grass in the morning mist. Just outside the crater’s ridge, tall Masai herds their cattle and goats over green pastures through the highland slopes, living alongside the wildlife as they have for centuries. Descend to the rim of the crater for your game drive.

Accommodation: Full board at Rhino Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Ngorongoro - Lake Manyara

Pick up after your morning breakfast for Lake Manyara National Park. Located beneath the cliffs of the Manyara Escarpment, on the edge of the Rift Valley, Lake Manyara National Park offers varied ecosystems, incredible birdlife, and breathtaking views. Located on the way to Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, Lake Manyara National Park is well worth a stop in its own right. Its ground water forests, bush plains, baobab strewn cliffs, and algae-streaked hot springs offer incredible ecological variety in a small area, rich in wildlife and incredible numbers of birds. Enjoy your game till late evening.

Accommodation: Full board at Lake Burunge Tented Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Manyara - Arusha - Kilimanjaro

Enjoy your game drive at Lake Manyara National Park. Thereafter transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport for your flight back home.

Tanzania Safaris