Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, and after completing the

customs and immigration checks, we will be greeted by a representatives

from our local safari company. They will transport us to a nearby hotel to

freshen up from our long flights before heading to bed to get a good night’s

sleep. 

Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge

Days 2 & 3, Dec. 10th & 11th: Drive to Tarangire National Park

After Breakfast, we will load the luggage into our safari vehicle and drive south to the city of Arusha where we will stop at the Cultural Heritage Center and explore Tanzania’s rich art, history and Culture. This is a great place to do some souvenir shopping as well.

From there we will embark on a scenic drive to the prehistoric-looking Tarangire National Park, arriving at our safari lodge in time for lunch. We will spend the next two nights at the lodge and enjoy game viewing on a landscape dotted with baobab trees and umbrella-thorn acacias, also visiting the Silalei Swamp. Tarangire River is the centerpiece of this park, which is famous for some of the largest herds of elephants in Africa. In the dry season large numbers of animals congregate along the life-giving river. Here we may see lion, leopard, kudu, cape buffalo, oryx, eland, giraffe, and zebra. In addition to the animal species, the park is famous for its century-old baobab trees and over 300 species of birds.

We will start our day with a morning game drive in Tarangire N.P. before making our way to the village of Mto wa Mbu, located along the picturesque Mto wa Mbu River. We will have a delicious local lunch, savoring the authentic flavors of the region while engaging in meaningful conversations with a local family.

After lunch we will make our way to the Ngorongoro Highlands, where rolling hills and sweeping landscapes create a stunning backdrop for our journey, arriving at Embalakai Ngorongoro Camp where we will spend the next two nights.

We will have a very early start, collecting boxed breakfasts and lunches before making our way to the gate of Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will descend into the crater for an in-depth exploration of this distinctive eco-system. This drive provides one of the best opportunities in Africa to view Black Rhino in the wild, which tend to spend their time on the crater floor. Ngorongoro Crater is one of the world’s greatest natural spectacles; its magical setting and abundant wildlife never fail to enthrall visitors. Another big draw to this picturesque caldera is its dense population of predators, which include lions, leopards, hyenas, jackals, and, if lucky, a chance to see the smaller cats like the rare caracal and serval as well as the African wild cat, which sometimes requires a trained eye to spot. Areas we visit will be the hippo pool near the Mandusi Swamp, Lake Magadi, a large but shallow alkaline lake in the southwestern corner of the crater which is one of its main features. We will also visit the Lerai Forest as well as other beautiful locations. Late afternoon we will make our way back out of the crater and back to camp for dinner.

After breakfast at the camp we will set off on a scenic drive towards the Eastern/Central Serengeti. En route we will travel through the striking Gol Kopjes, a series of granite outcrops scattered across the plains. Often referred to as “the Serengeti’s hidden paradise,” where cheetahs and lions use the kopjes as lookout points and shady resting spots. The landscape here is both rugged and serene, offering unique photographic opportunities and a sense of untamed wilderness. We will continue making our way to our next camp, with plenty of chances for wildlife encounters along the way. We will arrive at our next camp in time to enjoy a delicious dinner, and soak in the sounds of the African savannah.

The eastern Serengeti links the Southern plains of Serengeti and Central Serengeti which is a fragile habitat consisting of ethereal kopjes and short grass plains. Driving through the Gol kopjes is always a breathtaking experience with a view of vast open plains and amazing wildlife. This is gazelle country; and where there are gazelles, there are always cheetahs. Areas that we will be visiting are the Eastern Serengeti Plains as well as Gol & Barafu kopjes.

In the Central Serengeti we will be exploring its vastness and its endless plains. Areas we visit are the hippo pools, Maasai and Sametu kopjes and plains, as well as Moru and Simba kopjes. The Central Serengeti and Seronera River valley are home to a great diversity of wildlife due to its unique ecological niche as a transition zone where two distinctly different habitats, the plains and the woodlands, merge, and various species of wildlife from both habitats coexist. Due to these unique ecological features, Central Serengeti supports a much greater diversity of wildlife including elephant, giraffe, impala, waterbuck, hippo, topi, reedbuck, cape buffalo, baboon, and vervet monkey. The attendant predators such as lion, leopard, hyena, jackal, and cheetah are to be found amongst the many kopjes scattered across the plain.

After an early breakfast at our camp, we will begin our journey southward toward southern Serengeti and the Ndutu region, passing through the stunning Gol Kopjes along the way. This stretch is not only scenic but also rich in wildlife—so keep your eyes peeled.

We will arrive at our next camp in time for lunch and a little rest before heading out on an afternoon game drive in the Ndutu area.

Southern Serengeti and Ndutu Forest area, which is home to the enormous migratory herds of wildebeest and zebra during the wet season. The wildebeest migrations can be found across the green plains of Ngorongoro conservation area and the southern Serengeti from December to April. We can anticipate exploring Lake Masek, Lake Ndutu, Hidden Valley, Kusini Valley and the Kakesio plains during our game drives. In addition to the large migratory herds, predators will be abundant and easily seen. Cheetah densities will be at the highest as many have followed the migratory Thomson’s gazelles onto the southern plains. Lions should be easily visible, both resident prides and the nomads which have followed the wildebeest and zebra onto the plains.

After an early breakfast at the camp, enjoy a final morning game drive through Ndutu’s vast plains and forest before heading to the Ndutu Airstrip. We will take a bush plane to Arusha. We will then make our way to the lodge for a dayroom. We will have time to shower, repack and relax before having an early dinner. We will then make our way to the airport for our flight back home.

*Please note that accommodations and itinerary may change.