Tanzania Wildlife Safari

Upon arrival transfer to the hotel. Evening on own.

Spend today exploring Arusha National Park. We make our first stop at the ranger post, where we'll receive an introduction to the park and its history. Learn about a section of the park known as "Little Serengeti," as well as nearby Mt. Meru, Africa's fourth highest mountain. Depart from the ranger post for a walk in the foothills of Mt. Meru accompanied by an armed ranger. Pass through Buffalo Swamp and arrive at a lookout point with views of the park and impressive Mt. Kilimanjaro in the distance. Continue to a waterfall and then open grasslands dotted with giraffes, warthogs, antelopes, flamingos, and a variety of other bird species. Set out into a wooded area in search of colobus monkeys before returning to the ranger post. A boxed lunch will be provided in the park. Return to the lodge in the late afternoon.

After checking out of the hotel and loading the safari vehicles, begin the drive to Tarangire National Park, often overlooked due to its proximity to the more famous Serengeti National Park. But despite its "forgotten" status, Tarangire is second only to the Serengeti in terms of concentration of wildlife in Tanzania, offering a spectacular safari experience often with less visitor traffic. Wildlife will travel long distances to arrive at Tarangire River, which snakes through the park, as it’s the area’s only permanent river. With protected lands covering 1,096-square miles, the park is home to a large variety of game such as wildebeests, elephants, zebras, gazelles, elands, gerenuks, lions, and leopards. Extensive grasslands dotted with the occasional acacia or baobab tree provide the optimum conditions for viewing wild animals. Spend the day exploring the park, from Silalei Swamp to Little Serengeti and the Tarangire River bed, to view the resident and migratory wildlife. Game drive and lunch in the park.

Today enjoy a full day safari through Tarangire National Park. The 1,096 square miles of protected lands are home to a large variety of game, such as wildebeests, elephants, zebras, gazelles, lions and leopards. Extensive grasslands provide the optimum conditions for viewing wild animals.

This morning, visit a Maasai Village for an introduction to the community and learn about the Maasai culture and way of life. Then, visit the town of Mto wa Mbu to meet with its residents and experience their diversity of cultures and communities here. Enjoy a cooking demonstration and lunch. Afterwards drive to Lake Manyara National Park. The area is excellent for bird watching; look for flamingos, pelicans, heron, spoonbill, ibis, eagles, mousebirds, hornbills, kingfishers, barbets, woodpeckers, swallows, flycatchers, starlings, sunbirds, weavers, and rollers. As well, keep your cameras ready to spot elephant, and the potential excitement of spotting a legendary Lake Manyara tree-climbing lion. After your day in the park, you will continue with your transfer to Ngorongoro Crater.

After an early breakfast, you will journey to Ngorongoro Crater. World Heritage Site and often called the 8th Wonder of the World, Ngorongoro is a sunken caldera, 10 by 12 miles in diameter. Animals are found throughout the year due to the permanent availability of grass and water. Ngorongoro is one of the most spectacular wildlife viewing areas in Africa, and contains an impressive variety of wildlife including black mane lion, the highly endangered black rhino, herds of wildebeest, zebra, elephant, and hippo, as well as numerous bird species. You'll have a bush lunch at the crater to make the most of your day, not returning to your lodge until late afternoon.

After breakfast you'll check out and depart for Olduvai Gorge. Nicknamed the "Cradle of Mankind," this famous anthropological site is located on a steep-sided ravine, approximately 30 miles long and 295 feet deep. During an informative on-site lecture, discover the accomplishments of Drs. Louis and Mary Leakey, archaeologists who excavated key hominid fossils that provided significant understanding of the course of human evolution. Exposed deposits show fossils and remains of objects dating as far back as 15,000 to 2 million years ago. Afterwards, continue on to the Serengeti - Tanzania's most renowned National Park. Home to the greatest concentration of large mammals on Earth, the migratory herds of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle roam widely in search of green grass and water. Once you cross through the gate of the park, your game drive begins. Your guide/driver will follow the best path that leads to your camp, with the knowledge of where the wildlife can be found en route. Upon arrival at the camp, you will have the remainder of the late afternoon to enjoy the sunset and dinner at your camp.

Today your guide/driver will take you to the area where part of the migrating herds are found at this time of the year in the Serengeti. Enjoy wildlife viewing throughout the day.

Today you'll have morning and afternoon game drives, exploring the Central area of the Serengeti near Seronera River, which provides an important water source, and therefore attracts a lot of wildlife. This area is best for Hippos, Crocs, Carnivores, Elephants and Giraffes. Participants who would like to experience the balloon safari, this will be the best day, at an additional cost and previous reservations are required.

This morning visit the local Hippo Pool. Afterwards return to the camp to pack and check out then depart for Karatu with game drives along the way.

Early this morning, depart from the lodge to visit a Hadza community. A local expert will serve as interpreter while we interact with members of the community to learn about their culture and witness their daily routines, including building a fire and preparing arrows for hunting game. The Hadza people have lived in the area around Lake Eyasi in Tanzania's eastern Rift Valley for thousands of years. Their unique language includes the use of clicks (similar to the languages of the Khoisan peoples of southern Africa, though they are not thought to be related). The Hadza maintain a traditional way of life despite the pressures of encroachment from outsiders. They are one of the few hunter-gatherer societies remaining in Africa, living off the berries, roots, honey, and tubers they can forage and any game they are able to kill. Men hunt with bows and poisoned arrows, and the meat is shared with the whole community. The Hadza move their homes depending on the seasons and where food is most plentiful. During the dry season, they live in huts made from branches, grasses, and other natural materials, but once the heavy rains arrive they move into the shelter of local cave systems. Later enjoy lunch before transferring to the airport in time for your flight to Zanzibar. *If you are not continuing on, a day room will be provided in Arusha at an additional cost.