15 DAYS, 14 NIGHTS – ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK, TARANGIRE, SERENGETI, NGORONGORO CRATER, EMPAKAI CRATER, LAKE NATRON, LAKE MANYARA & MAFIA ISLAND
DAY 1: DEPART TO ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK
Pick you up at the hotel in Arusha at 7:30 am, and depart to Arusha National Park (less than an hour drive) with packed lunch boxes. On arrival, go for a game drive to experience the park’s wildlife, while driving along the lakes for a close look of a birdlife. The park does not offer a lot of wildlife, but it is one of the most beautiful and topographically varied parks in Tanzania with beautiful scenic areas including its forest, lakes which incorporate a number of birdlife and the Ngurdoto crater. The geography of the park includes the majestic Mount Meru (Tanzania’s second highest peak at 4,566m), you will marvel at the beautiful Momela lakes and the Ngurdoto Crater which was formed some 15 million years ago! Wildlife you can expect to encounter includes buffalo, elephant, hippo, giraffe, warthogs, antelope, zebra, blue monkeys and sometimes a rare sighting of the elusive leopard. Arusha National Park is also famous for its black and white colobus monkeys. These amusing primates are not only exquisite in their unique markings, they will delight you with their antics.
In the early evening, drive to Tarangire National Park (a 2 hours drive), arriving in the late evening for dinner, and stay the overnight at Tarangire Safari Lodge (lunch & dinner included)
DAY 2: FULL DAY GAME DRIVE AT TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, go for a full day game drive across the enormous and beautiful Tarangire National Park to experience its abundant wildlife until evening. The animals come by thousands from as far north as the shores of Lake Natron to the bank of this river, significantly swelling the resident population with wildebeest, zebra, eland, elephant, hartebeest, buffalo, and fringe-eared oryx. During the dry season, the Tarangire pools are full of thirsty migrants, and the elephants begin to dig for underground streams in the dry riverbed. Tarangire National Park is said to have the highest recorded number of breeding bird species for any habitat in the world.
Back in the evening for hot dinner, and stay the overnight at Tarangire Safari Lodge (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
DAY 3: DEPART TO SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK & LATE AFTERNOON GAME DRIVE
After breakfast, depart to Serengeti National Park (a 6 – 7 hours drive) with packed lunch boxes, arriving in the afternoon. On arrival, go for a late afternoon game drive at the enormous, famous and the second largest park in the country to experience its abundant wildlife. All the ‘Big 5’ are found in this great park and other huge number of animals including wildebeests, spotted hyenas, cheetah, impala and quite number of birdlife.
In the late evening, transferred to the camp for dinner and stay the overnight at KubuKubu Tented Camp (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
DAY 4: FULL DAY GAME DRIVE AT SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, go for a full day game drives across the famous Serengeti National Park with packed lunch boxes until sunset. It is in this park that more than six million hooves pound the legendary “endless plains.”
Every year, triggered by rains, more than a million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson gazelle gather to undertake their long trek to new grazing lands. The rutting season is a frenzied three week bout of territorial conquest and mating, followed by a survival of the fittest as the 40km long column of animals plunges through crocodile infested waters on their annual exodus north. The species are replenished during the brief population explosion that produces more than 80,000 calves a day before the 1000km return pilgrimage begins. Return in the late evening and stay the night at KubuKubu Tented Camp (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
DAY 5: FULL DAY GAME DRIVE AT SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, depart for another full day game drive at the enormous Serengeti with packed lunch boxes to once again enjoy and experience its affluent wildlife until evening.
Back to the camp in the late evening for dinner and stay the overnight at KubuKubu Tented Camp (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
DAY 6: DEPART TO NGORONGORO CRATER & AN AFTERNOON GAME DRIVE
In the morning after breakfast, depart to Ngorongoro Crater, The 8th Natural Wonder of the World with your packed lunch boxes for a game drive.
The crater is a virtual Noah’s Ark, inhabited by almost every species of wildlife indigenous to East Africa including the rare black rhino. The large bull elephants that reside here have extremely large tusks, due to the rich mineral content of the volcanic soil and its grasses. They are the most incredible elephants you’ll ever see in your life.
‘Ngorongoro Crater’ is the largest collapsed volcanic crater in the world and fourteen kilometres of isolated natural beauty. The Crater is surrounded by a ring of extinct volcanoes and the floor, dotted with watering holes, and shelters some 30,000 animals.
In the late evening, transferred to the lodge, and have your hot dinner and stay the overnight at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
DAY 7: DEPART FOR A WALKING SAFARI AT EMPAKAI CRATER
After breakfast, depart for Empakai Crater with packed lunch boxes for a walking safari. This full-day hike explores the dramatic Empakaai Crater. With a lake on the Crater floor and the entire caldera encircled by a steep, densely forested wall, Empakaai is a scene of vast natural beauty. On clear days the Crater offers views of Oldoinyo Lengai – Tanzania’s most recently active volcano. The steep slope calls for a degree of fitness, but the walk through the lush forest, with its ancient strangler figs and rich birdlife, is well worth the effort. The trail continues to the lakeshore, where you can view water birds such as flamingo.
In the late evening, back to the lodge, rest while waiting for your hot dinner and spend the overnight at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
DAY 8: DEPART TO LAKE NATRON & HIKE TO OLDOINYO LENGAI
After breakfast, depart to Lake Natron (a 2 – 3 hours drive) with your packed lunch boxes. On arrival at Lake Natron, you will spend a couple of hours exploring the shoreline photographing the many thousands of flamingoes and other birds that frequent this soda lake. In the mid afternoon, return to camp for an early dinner and rest as you will be rising at midnight to commence your trek up ‘Oldoinyo Lengai’. Trekking occurs at this time to avoid the extreme heat of the midday sun, so be sure to take plenty of water with you and a good hat.
“Oldoinyo Lengai” means ‘The Mountain of God” in the Maasai language. The summit of this strato-volcano is 2,962 metres above sea level, and affords direct views into the caldera of Tanzania’s only officially-certified active volcano, and the world’s only carbonite volcano.
Back to the camp for breakfast in the early morning after the hike, the overnight will be at Lake Natron Tented Camp (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
DAY 9: DEPART TO LAKE MANYARA & A FULL DAY GAME DRIVE
After breakfast, depart to Lake Manyara National Park (a 2 – 3 hours drive) with packed lunch boxes. On arrival, go for a full day game drive until early evening.
This is a small but very beautiful park offering breathtaking views, excellent game viewing and an incredible array of bird-life. You have a chance to spot zebra, baboon, warthog, giraffe, impala, elephant, hippo, wildebeest and the rare tree climbing lion.
Late in the early evening, transferred to your lodge for dinner and stay the overnight at Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
DAY 10: DEPART TO ARUSHA AIRPORT & FLY TO MAFIA ISLAND
After breakfast, depart to Arusha Aiprort (a 2 – 3 hours drive) with packed lunch boxes to catch your flight at 12:45 hrs, and fly to Mafia Island.
Upon your arrival at Mafia Island at 15:00 hrs, picked up at Mafia Airport and transferred to the lodge, check-in, rest at the beach, while waiting for your dinner and stay the overnight at Mafia Island Lodge (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
DAY 11: SCUBA DIVING & SNORKELING
After breakfast, transferred to Chole Bay for snorkeling and scuba diving. The waters surrounding Mafia Island offer an extraordinary variety of marine life and provide some of the most spectacular coral reefs on the East African coast. The marine diversity is amongst the highest in the Indian Ocean with over 400 species of fish, 5 species of marine turtle and 48 species of hard corals. You are always accompanied by an experienced guide whom ensures safety and points out several creatures from below the turquoise waters. Snorkelling/Scuba Diving trips usually last for a couple of hours however for those mega enthusiasts it is possible to join on the dive boat to get 4 hours of scuba diving or snorkeling in.
Back at the lodge in the evening for your hot dinner and stay the overnight at Mafia Island Lodge (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
DAY 12: WHALE SHARKS TOUR
Whale sharks are not whales and are not your typical shark. They are the largest fish in the sea measuring up to 20m. Little is known about these gentle giants by scientists, which is what adds to the overwhelming feeling you have when you see them. The whale shark is a filter feeder and therefore has no teeth, they are absolutely harmless. The majority of the time they are very shy, although on occasion they can be inquisitive making your encounter that much more spectacular.
The tour starts with a pick up early in the morning by car or bajaj which takes you over to the Western side of the Island to their base. Breakfast will be served and an informative briefing will be given to you and the chance to ask as many questions as needed. You will then be invited on board their dhow and head out to start spotting sharks! Clients usually return around 11:30 am, however this really depends on how long it takes to spot the whale sharks and how long you want to be out swimming with them!
Back in the afternoon to the lodge for lunch, and rest at the beautiful beaches of the Indian Ocean unitl evening while waiting for your dinner, stay the overnight at Mafia Island Lodge (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
DAY 13 & DAY 14: UNWIND AND RELAXATION AT BEACHES OF INDIAN OCEAN
After breakfast- In these two days, you’ll unwind and relax at the beautiful beaches of the Indian Ocean surrounding the lodge while waiting for your hot lunch. You can also swim along the nice sandy beaches, dinner and overnight at Mafia Island Lodge (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
DAY 15: TRANSFER TO MAFIA AIRPORT & FLY TO DAR ES SALAAM
After breakfast, check-out at the lodge – collect your lunch boxes and then transferred to Mafia Island Airport to catch your flight at 12:45 hrs and fly back to Dar es Salaam, arriving at 13:15 hrs.
On your arrival at Dar es Salaam International Airport (Terminal I), picked up and transferred to your hotel/catch your flight back home (breakfast & lunch included)
