At arrival at the airport you will be met by your guide. After a short briefing you will travel in a south-westerly direction to Lake Manyara National Park. The park stretches along the 600 m high Rift Valley Escarpment and is dominated by the shallow and alkaline Lake Manyara which attracts thousands of birds, including huge flocks of flamingos. Other animals in the park include buffaloes, elephants, hippos and Masai giraffes as well as troops of boisterous baboons and monkeys in the forests. The park once became famous for tree climbing lions and if you are lucky to spot them you will be amused by the site of these animals lounging on branches in the acacia trees. After extensive game viewing, you will climb up the escarpment and stay at the luxurious Escarpment Lodge with breathtaking views.
After breakfast pack up and make your way to the Serengeti National Park. You will travel through Karatu and the cooler highlands towards the southern Serengeti and at midday you will reach the plains of the Serengeti National Park. This park is the largest in Tanzania and has a diversity of habitats and landscapes – short grass plains, savannah, thick bush, swamps and lakes. Bizarre rock formations called kopjes dot the grassy landscape where predators are often seen. The Serengeti is famous for the yearly migration when hundreds of thousands of wildebeests and zebras trek to find fresh grass and water, which you will see at this time of the year. Check-in at Lemala Ewanjan Lodge, have a dip in the pool and then go out again on your first afternoon safari drive in the Serengeti.
After breakfast leave the Serengeti on a safari drive out of the park. You will back through the highlands, enter Ngorongoro National park and climb up the carter rim. As soon as you reach the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater, you will see the giant caldera below – a breath-taking view. Head further into the forest area of the crater, where you will stay for 1 night at Lemala Ngorongoro tented Camp.
Rise and shine! After breakfast at daybreak you will drive down into the crater. The massive collapsed volcano is home to over 25,000 mammals ranging from the Big Five – lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard – to spotted hyenas, rare wild dogs and some of the more than 500 bird species of the area. After an extensive game drive and a picnic for lunch, head on to Tarangire National Park, about a 3 hour drive away. Giant baobab trees, bush savannah and the seasonal marshes add to the wonder of this nature reserve. The Tarangire National Park is considered as one of the best places to view elephants up close. The park is also home to buffaloes, zebras and wildebeests which are always closely followed by a range of predators such as lions. Leopards are seen now and then but cheetahs are rarely spotted. You go on a short game drive to your lodge and then unwind before dinner.
Go on a morning safari drive if time allows (if not we can arrange for you to have a longer afternoon safari drive on day 5) and then pack-up and head back to the airport, where your safari ends.
Morning safari drive and drop-off at the airport.
