TO TANZANIA Day 1
Cape Town clients will have an early start, as we collect you from home and take you to the airport for your flight to Johannesburg, where we meet as a group. We fly on to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam, arriving in the early evening. Our Tanzanian team will be there to meet and transport us to our hotel in Arusha - the town which is the main starting point for tours to the Serengeti - set on the slopes of Mount Meru, which at 4600 meters is the fifth highest mountain in Africa. After a pleasant dinner we can rest up in our comfortable hotel for the adventure that lies ahead.
ARUSHA TO TARANGIRE Day 2
We start our day with a short tour of vibrant Arusha. We learn about the turbulent early history of the area and marvel at the constant buzz of people going about their daily business. There will be time to pick up some supplies and exchange Rands for the local currency, Tanzanian Shilling. Later we head east towards the Great Rift Valley, through scenic farming country highlighted by the bright robes of the Maasai.
We check into our lodge in Tarangire National Park by lunch time. There is time to settle in and relax before an afternoon game drive in the park. Tarangire is the 6th largest national park in Tanzania, with an incredibly diverse landscape and vegetation. Tonight we enjoy a pleasant dinner at the lodge.
TARANGIRE TO SOUTHERN SERENGETI Day 3
Tarangire is famous for its huge number of elephants, baobab trees and tree climbing lions. Apart from fine game viewing, there is an enormous variety of birdlife with 550 species recorded. We do some further exploration in the park before setting off for the Ngorongoro Conservation area (NCA). This area was originally part of the Serengeti National Park but later became a contractual conservation area in which the Maasai people live. Our destination is Ndutu Lodge, a firm favourite with guests and guides alike. We enjoy sun downers around the fire before dinner in the open boma style restaurant.
NDUTU Day 4
Day break is announced by a joyful chorus of birds in the acacia forest around the lodge. We spend the day in the Ndutu area with game drives and outings to the nearby lakes and marshy areas, which attract a variety of wildlife. This is one of the areas where the wildebeest amass in the late rainy season before the annual migration starts. Depending on the rains, we might still find them here. There is a chance of finding the resident pride of lions or small groups of cheetah and other predators that still roam this area. We use the lodge as our base today, to return for tea and lunch stops and rest up between outings. We spend another night here in the heart of the wilds to enjoy the night sounds and thrill of being surrounded by nature.
CENTRAL SERENGETI Day 5 & 6
We head northwards after breakfast to the open grassland and hills of the Serengeti National Park. Any drive here soon becomes a game drive, and we're in no hurry! In a typical year's pattern, this area will feature the start and build up of the Great Migration during April and May. We are heading for the Seronera area, named after the Seronera River, which flows westward through the area towards Lake Victoria. This is classic lion and cheetah country, and an ideal base for game drives and seeing migratory hordes. The scenery is varied with hills, koppies, grassy plains and riverine forest. We stay in this area for two nights, and adapt our game drives according to local conditions and the wildebeest migration. An optional extra is a balloon safari at daybreak.
OLDUPAI GORGE Day 7
We leave the Seronera valley and head east, diverting for game viewing at various points. The nature of the plains changes from grass to semi-arid veld - the Serengeti is full of surprises - as we approach the famous Oldupai (commonly Olduvai) Gorge, the site of Louis and Mary Leakey's paleontological discoveries. Between Olduvai and Ngorongoro one encounters a fascinating kaleidoscope of contrasting scenery. We arrive at the rain forests of the Ngorongoro crater walls to sights of breath taking beauty, as we view the famous crater. Our lodge is set on the edge of the crater, and you can sip your wine this evening from the view sites looking down on the vast crater floor.
NGORONGORO CRATER Day 8
Today we will descend to the 20 kilometer wide crater floor for an extensive game drive. We enjoy the abundance of wildlife: lion, spotted hyena, topi, Thomson's and Grant's gazelle, elephant, rhino, wildebeest, Grevy's zebra, waterbuck, bushbuck, eland, leopard, jackal, and more, along with prolific birdlife. Ngorongoro is reputed to have the highest concentration of predators in the world, with a very good chance of seeing lion up close. The scenery itself is fascinating, incorporating swamp, forest, grassland, lakes and minor craters, all set against the dramatic background of the dark crater walls, rearing hundreds of meters above one's head.
SHOPPING AND CULTURE Day 9
We leave the crater to descend through the glorious forests that hide the outer slopes. We pass by old coffee plantations on the foothills of the crater, and descend the Rift escarpment through Maasai country. We'll take those who wish to explore the local shops to do a spot of browsing for souvenirs, gifts, maps, etc. Jewelery lovers will be interested to know that Tanzanite is mined exclusively in the Arusha area. A highlight on the way is lunch at a spectacular gallery near Arusha, housing the best collection of African art in East Africa. We check into our hotel with time to relax and partake of a 'Serengeti' or 'Kilimanjaro' beer. Tonight we will have our last dinner together, and chance to reminisce about the safari.
HEADING HOME Day 10
After breakfast we transfer from our lodge to the nearby Kilimanjaro airport to catch our mid morning flight. From the plane windows we might be lucky enough to glimpse Africa's highest mountain rising through the clouds. As before, we change planes in Dar es Salaam and will be back in Johannesburg by early evening. Cape Town travelers will fly on to arrive in Cape Town later that night. As always, you will be met by a Landscape representative and delivered safely to your doorstep.
HOMEWARD BOUND…
