- Stunning views of Kilimanjaro from Amboseli national park
- Tree-climbing lions and spectacular scenery in Lake Manyara
- Extensive game viewing in the vast Serengeti looking out for the Big 5 and following the wildebeest migration from December to July
- Large herds of elephant and migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, hartebeest and eland in Tarangire
- Crater tour into the Ngorongoro crater which offers captivating scenery and is a sanctuary for some of Africa’s largest populations of large mammals.
SUMMARY
Amboseli national park borders the Kenya/ Tanzania border and is situated on the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro allowing for postcard perfect photos depending on the weather. Despite its small size (392 sq km), this fragile ecosystem supports a wide range of mammals (well over 50 of the larger species) and birds (over 400 species). Across the border in Tanzania; Lake Manyara lions have developed a liking for residing in the branches of trees, where they can both sleep and watch for prey whilst the Serengeti is notable for its large migratory herds of wildebeest and zebras with strings of predators in trail. Tarangire has one of the highest concentrations of wildlife of any of the country’s parks whilst the Ngorongoro Crater is a World Heritage site which makes this camping safari very appealing.
DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1 & 2– Amboseli.
We depart Nairobi Gametrackers office in the morning and drive via Namanga, to the plains below Mt. Kilimanjaro where Amboseli is situated. After a stopover lunch we proceed into the scenic Amboseli National Park with the possibility of seeing game on our way to the campsite. The days are spent viewing game and bird life with game drives in the morning and afternoon. We have sufficient time for relaxation in our campsite, complete with the majestic Mt. Kilimanjaro in the background (on clear days).
Day 3 – Lake Manyara:
After breakfast, we drive into Tanzania via the Namanga border passing through Arusha town to Lake Manyara National park with lunch enroute. This shallow, alkaline lakes’ main attraction include its rich bird life, tree climbing lions and hippos. Lake Manyara also hosts thousands of flamingos at certain times of the year and has diverse vegetation ranging from savannah, to marshes and acacia woodland, enabling a variety of wildlife habitats including butterflies. We set-up camp at the campsite.
Day 4 – Serengeti
We enjoy a refreshing early morning game-drive in Lake Manyara National Park followed by breakfast in the cool morning air. We then drive to the great Serengeti National Park game viewing and with a picnic lunch enroute. Dinner and overnight stay at the Seronera Campsite.
Day 5 – Serengeti
Full day spent game driving in Tanzania’s largest park covering 14,736 sq km.
With a wildebeest population of about 2 million and several other hoofed species (which include zebra, Thomson’s gazelle, impala, topi, Grants gazelle, Kongoni, Eland, Kirk’s dik dik, klipspringer, roan, Oryx, oribi, waterbuck, buffalo, giraffe and warthog); the Serengeti attracts a string of predators such as lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, golden jackals and bat eared foxes.
Day 6 – Ngorongoro Conservation Area via Olduvai Gorge
After an early breakfast, we drive south to the magnificent Ngorongoro conservation area via the historical Olduvai Gorge whilst game watching only interrupted by a picnic lunch enroute. The Olduvai Gorge cuts through rock beds layered in time sequence from 2 million years ago to the present. It is here where humanoid bones have been found dating back to over 1.75 million years including a direct ancestor of modern man.
The Ngorongoro crater is the world’s biggest whole volcanic caldera at 8300 sq km and is arguably the most stunning arena. The area contains over 25,000 large animals including 26 black rhinoceros. There are 7,000 wildebeests, 4,000 zebras, 3,000 eland and 3,000 Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles. The crater also has the densest known population of lions, numbering 62. Higher up, in the rainforests of the crater rim, are leopards, about 30 large elephants, mountain reedbuck and more than 4,000 buffalos, spotted hyenas, jackals, rare wild dogs, cheetahs, and other felines.
We set up camp high up at the Simba campsite on the craters rim (cold but beautiful scenery).
Day 7 – Ngorongoro Crater to Tarangire
Morning crater tour descent looking out for the numerous animals that reside in it and after lunch we proceed to the nearby wildlife paradise, Tarangire National Park. Dinner and overnight stay at the campsite. Tarangire is more densely vegetated than the Serengeti, covered primarily in acacia and mixed woodland including baobab trees and supports similar large mammals to the Serengeti but is also home to a variety of bird species.
Day 8 – Tarangire to Arusha
After breakfast we proceed on the early morning game drive in Tarangire followed by lunch at the campsite, before continuing to Arusha town for dinner and overnight in a hotel of your choice at an extra cost.
Day 9 – Nairobi
We depart the bustling Arusha town (the gateway to Tanzania’s national parks and game reserves) back towards Nairobi arriving in the afternoon.
Departs Sundays