Detailed itinerary

 

Day 1  Arusha, Tanzania
15 July

 

Arrive Kilimanjaro International Airport where you will be met and transferred to your accommodation in Arusha. Get a good rest that night in preparation for departure the following morning.

 

Accommodation, African Tulip Hotel

Transfer, bed and breakfast included

Dinner and drinks for own account.

 

Day 2, 3 Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
16, 17 July

 

Today the safari starts with a drive out of Arusha, west towards the Ngorongoro Highlands. Stopping on the way for game drives and lunch in Lake Manyara National Park, where flamingoes line the lake and elephants and buffalo roam the forests surrounding the lake. From Lake Manyara you begin the gentle ascent toward the Ngorongoro and arrive late afternoon on the rim of the crater where we enjoy dinner in the cosy restaurant.

 

 

Day 3 is a full day safari drive in the Ngorongoro Crater with a picnic lunch. The Ngorongoro Crater and surrounding highlands together form one of Africa's most beautiful regions. Volcanic craters form stunning backdrops to some of the most fertile and richest grazing grounds in Africa. The most famous such crater is without question Ngorongoro, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera and home to the highest density of big game in Africa, including all the big five and plenty of predators. Ngorongoro is justifiably one of the continent's most famous safari destinations.

 

The Crater is the best place in Tanzania to see 'The Big Five', with a healthy population of black rhino and some of the largest tusker elephants left in Africa today, but the crater is also home to good populations of lion, leopard and hyena along with healthy herds of wildebeest, buffalo and zebra. Other wildlife here includes serval cat, cheetah, jackal, Grant's and Thompson's gazelle, flamingo and bat-eared foxes, as well as approximately 400 species of bird.

 

Accommodation at Rhino Lodge (this is not a tented camp but a good value, medium size lodge)

Safari activities and entrance fees are included

Breakfast, lunch & dinners included as well as drinking water in the vehicle

Lodge drinks for own account

 

Day 4, 5 Central Serengeti, Tanzania
18, 19 July

 

After departing the Ngorongoro Crater, you descend the highlands onto the plains of the Serengeti and enter the National Park. This is one of the most scenic routes on our trip and we may have an opportunity to visit a Maasai Village en-route - we do not stop at any of the commercially orientated tourist villages but at a suitable, authentic village, if they will allow us a peak into their everyday lives. Most are proud to be Maasai and show you their village and sell their crafts and beadwork. Typically they charge $30 per person to view their village. The central Serengeti region is one of the richest parts of the park, thanks to nutritious soils and permanent water. Aside from that, these are some of the most beautiful landscapes in Africa, with typical flat-topped acacias and very good general game - along with elephants and predators. Our camp is scenically located on the Grumeti River and we do morning and afternoon game drives, sometimes full day game drives in the park.

 

The migration may be anywhere from the central Serengeti spread out into the northern Serengeti and the Mara (Kenya), so depending on rainfall the herds may be in this vicinity. Part of the planning of this trip is to cover all the areas where the migration may be, to maximize the viewing opportunities.

 

Accommodation at Banagi Camp

Safari activities and entrance fees are included

Breakfast, lunch & dinners included as well as drinking water in the vehicle

Lodge drinks for own account

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Day 6, 7, 8 Northern Serengeti, Tanzania
20, 21, 22 July

 

From the central Serengeti it is an easy drive north through the plains and rocky outcrops to reach the northern Serengeti woodlands. This is the area where we expect to see the migration and with a bit of luck, we may see some dramatic river crossings. Interestingly, more of the Mara River is in Tanzania than Kenya and it forms something of a boundary on the eastern side. The wildebeest and zebra that take on the circuitous journey often cross back and forth from one side of the river to the other (they don't use GPS!) - so there is a very good chance we will see some of the famous crossings at some time on our journey. We do morning and afternoon game drives, sometimes full day game drives in the park, exploring different areas, habitats and looking for new species.

 

Accommodation at Kogatende Camp

Safari activities and entrance fees are included

Breakfast, lunch & dinners included as well as drinking water in the vehicle

Lodge drinks for own account

 

Day 9, 10, 11 Maasai Mara, Kenya
23, 24, 25 July

 

From the central Serengeti, we are transferred to Kogatende Airstrip and from there we fly to Tarime airstrip in Tanzania. We are driven across the border and enter Kenya at a small town called Isebania. From there we are driven to Migori airstrip and we fly to Ol Kiombo in the Mara for the last 3 days of our trip. It is a bit of a 'travel day' but it is still the best way to get into Kenya from Tanzania and we will still enjoy game drive activities in the morning and afternoon.

 

If we have not seen the migration by now, we are sure to see it here. Hopefully more amazing river crossings but if not, the Mara is one of Africa's richest wildlife regions and game viewing is excellent year-round. Cheetah, lion and many other big cats have thrived here and been the subject of numerous documentaries and books. It is a storybook end to our trip, with our camp located on another scenic spot overlooking the Talek River - famous for wildebeest crossings. Each day is filled with morning and afternoon game drives, sometimes full day game drives in the park with a picnic lunch. 

 

Accommodation at Julia's River Camp

Safari activities and entrance fees are included

Breakfast, lunch & dinners included as well as drinking water in the vehicle

Lodge drinks for own account

 

Day 12, Nairobi departure
26 July

 

On the final day, we should have time for a last game drive, before departing camp for the airstrip and flying on to Wilson Airport in Nairobi. From there we transfer across to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for departing flights.

 

Safari activities, breakfast, flight and transfers are included

Lodge drinks for own account