5 days
unlimited
3+
Lake Manyara National Park is known for the flamingos that inhabit the lake. Ngorongoro is famous for the annual migration of wildebeest, zebra, gazelles, and other animals into the northern plains. And the Serengeti is famous for its annual migration of over 1.5 million white bearded (or brindled) wildebeest and 250,000 zebra and its numerous Nile crocodile and honey badger.
In the morning, transfer to Tarangire National Park - a gorgeous reserve celebrated for its millions of ancient baobab trees, creating one of the most dramatic landscapes imaginable. And with a permanent water source, Tarangire is virtually guaranteed excellent game viewing at all times, including lion (some tree-climbing!), leopard, and a herd of 3,500 elephants. We stay at Tarangire Sopa Lodge, a tranquil oasis overlooking the rolling plains.
The morning brings a change of ecosystems as we drive to the ancient soda lake of Manyara and check into the Lake Manyara Serena Lodge, standing high on a bluff above a flamingo-frosted expanse of gleaming water. The game in this petite park is plentiful, and the magnificent bird watching will make a devotee out of even the most reluctant. It is also one of the very few places in Africa to see tree-climbing lions, which we may declare our day's quest, being so thoroughly sated with the big herds of preceding parks. Manyara's great shock of pink flamingoes will also delight.
After breakfast, you will leave the camp drive to Serengeti National Park via Ngorongoro conservation area; This will take four hours. On arrival at Nabi hill gate, you will stop for lunch while your guide collects the permit. Thereafter you will continue with game-drive through the vast Serengeti National Park towards the central area. The park is home to the greatest concentration of large mammals on earth. The land is characterized by vast stretches of open plains, punctuated by kopjes, rock formations that have survived from the Pre-Cambrian period, and more rolling, hilly, mixed savannah woodland cut by seasonal streams and rivers that nurture a huge tree. Late evening you will drive to Serengeti Seronera campsite located in the center of Serengeti Park. Your stay will include meals and accommodation on a full board basis.
After breakfast, we proceed with a game drive in Serengeti National Park. After lunch, we depart for Ngorongoro Crater visiting the Olduvai Gorge on our way. The Great Rift Valley is called the "Cradle of Mankind," thanks in part to the Leakey family's discoveries at Olduvai Gorge, where human fossils date back almost two million years. We explore this remarkable site before continuing to the next remarkable site, Ngorongoro Crater.
Unofficially the "eighth wonder of the natural world," this ancient amphitheater forms a unique haven for wildlife with over 20,000 animals thriving in its near-perfect conditions. We stay at the Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge, a triumph of ecological and architectural fusion hugging the crater's rim with vast vistas over its shimmering reaches.
This morning we descend 2,000 feet into the giant caldera of this extinct volcano. This magnificent natural amphitheater contains the largest concentration of animals in all of Africa. Pride of lion, black rhino, and elephant share this land with the legendary Masai tribesmen. Because the grasses are short, the game is easily spotted and can be approached quite closely. We spend a splendid morning on the crater floor observing wildlife in this ageless World Heritage Site. After a picnic lunch inside the crater, we depart and drive back to Arusha, arriving in the evening.
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