Transfer to the Arusha Airport early afternoon to catch the scheduled flight from Arusha to the Serengeti. Upon arrival you will be met at the airstrip by your guide and you’ll spend the remainder of the day on a game drive arriving at camp as the sun sets. When you arrive into camp, the fire will be lit and you’ll be able to enjoy a nice warm shower before settling down to a relaxing evening taking in the night sounds of the bush. 2x Overnights at Serengeti Migration Camp on a full board basis.

The camp location along the bank of the Grumeti River is raised up on the side of an impressive kopje known as Poacher's Lookout, with broad views north over the undulating Serengeti hills and beyond to the plains of the Maasai Mara.

Migration Camp is fundamentally a traditional tented safari camp, but with some elements of a more modern design and cuisine. Our intention is to provide very comfortable surroundings, but without losing contact with the environment. We believe in eating outdoors under the stars and sleeping under canvas, listening to the sounds of the bush.

 

Day 3 -  Serengeti Sopa Lodge - Serengeti

Every year, after the south’s short November rains, wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, eland, topi and hartebeest gather in their thousands on the Serengeti’s southern plains and the Ngorongoro Highlands. Then, around April, they head towards the western corridor of the Serengeti, where many overflow into the Masai Mara around July/August. They remain here until late October/November, when Tanzania’s new rains prompt the move south again, towards Lake Ndutu and Lagaja. This yearly phenomenon also affects the lives of hundreds of thousands of other species, who rely on the migratory herds for their survival. These include predators, gazelles, birds and lowly insects, not to mention the grasses and trees that are fertilised by droppings. Another of the highlights here, is the early morning balloon safari.

After breakfast you depart for Ngorongoro Crater, viewing game across the vast Serengeti plains and stopping off at Olduvai Gorge en route. The Gorge acquired its name from the Sansevieria bush that grows profusely in the area, named Olduvai by the Maasai. The Gorge is about 50km long and in some places around 90m deep and is found between the Crater and the Serengeti. It was first discovered by a German entomologist named Professor Kattwinkel, who instigated an expedition just before the First World War. Later, the exploration was continued by Dr Louis Leakey and his wife, who in 1959 found humanoid remains of Zinjanthropus, later renamed Australapithicus Boisei, an early form of man.

You will have time to walk through the simple small museum at the gorge, where you can view copy displays of some of the finds as well as pictures of what life was like for the gorge’s earliest inhabitants. After a picnic lunch you continue on to your lodge high on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater. Overnight at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge on a full board basis.

Day 5               Ngorongoro Crater

A highlight awaits you this morning as you depart by 4x4 to explore what is commonly referred to as the World’s largest wildlife zoo. After breakfast, you’ll descend through the early morning mists and 2,000 feet into the crater for a 1/2 day of game viewing with lunch at the lodge. Ngorongoro Crater is the World’s largest intact volcanic caldera and is also one of the World’s seven natural wonders. Afternoon Masai village visit or nature walk.

Due to its size and diversity, the crater floor is comprised of several distinct habitats, ranging from forest, swamps, lakes and springs, to open grassland and some sandy dunes. It’s an awesome wildlife experience. Late afternoon you leave the Crater and drive back to the lodge for the evening. Overnight at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge on a full board basis.

Day 6      Ngorongoro Crater – Lake Eysasi

Depart early from the Ngorongoro Crater for a day’s excursion and hike of Olmoti Crater, with a picnic lunch, followed by a visit to a remote Masai village. From here, continue to Kisima Ngeda Tented Camp in the late afternoon.

Olmoti Crater

This sunken caldera lies near the village of Nainokanoka. From here a small track leads you via a ranger post and ½ an hour further on, walking through montane forest, you’ll reach the rim of the Olmoti Crater. It’s a shallow crater that’s covered in grass and offers excellent grazing for both the Masai herds of cattle and free-ranging plains game. From the rim of the crater you can also walk to a pretty waterfall where the Munge River departs the crater.

Day 7

Up early this morning to enjoy a walking trip with the Hadzape hunter-gatherers and the Mangati people, to gain an insight into these two fascinating tribes who are similar to the San Bushmen of Southern Africa.

From your lodge in the highlands you will head east, down the fascinating escarpment towards the village of Makuyuni. From here, you’ll join the main Arusha – Dodoma road and head south west, with the gates to Tarangire being only a short distance away. From the gate, you continue the journey to the lodge viewing game en route. Deriving its name from the Tarangire River which winds its way through the park, Tarangire is a complex mixture of grasslands, flood plains and scenic river, as well as thousands of baobab trees. After lunch, enjoy an afternoon game drive. After diner there is a night gamedrive to see the many nocturnal species found here. Overnight Tarangire Treetops.

Day 9         Tarangire

Early morning walking safari followed by a full day in the park, with a picnic lunch. A night game drive ends the day. Overnight Tarangire Treetops.

Following a relaxing breakfast you’ll depart for Arusha. This afternoon enjoy an excursion to N'Giresi Cultural Village. Overnight at Arusha Coffee Lodge.

Day 11        

This morning you’ll depart for a full-days excursion to Arusha National Park with a picnic lunch. In the afternoon there will be a canoe safari on the beautiful Lake Momella in the hope of spotting buffalo, hippo, bushbuck and some splendid birds. You’ll return back to the lodge late afternoon. Overnight at Arusha Coffee Lodge.

Just half an hour from town, this relatively small park covers an area of 137 sq km. It consists of three ‘zones’: Ngurdoto Crater, the Momella Lakes and Mount Meru. Altitudes range from 1,500m to 4,615m at the summit of Meru. Vegetation varies from a primeval forest on the crater slopes to swampy edges on the floor. In the forest, duikers, bushbuck, buffalo and black and white colobus monkeys can be spotted. Around the lakes, thousands of flamingo and other aquatic birds are found as well as reedbuck, waterbuck, hippo and giraffe. Gentle walking safaris and canoeing trips are great options here.