Sacred Places of the Masai

This morning your guide will collect you from your Arusha hotel (which we can assist in prebooking for you) at 08h00. Head toward Tarangire National Park, a true hidden gem. Highly underated, yet bursting with a dense wildlife population, it won’t take you long to appreciate just why we love Tarangire. 

It’s a special park – virtually untouched, with far fewer visitors than the world famous Serengeti and Ngorongoro. During the dry season of June – September thousands of animals  including elephant, buffalo, giraffe, wildebeest, kudu, and the rarely seen oryx migrate from the dry Masai steppe to the Tarangire River in search of water. 

Lion, leopard and other predators follow – so be sure to be sure to charge your battery and empty your memory stick as some unique memories await you. Home to the largest population of elephant of any park in the northern circuit, and over 550 varieties of bird, Tarangire offers far fewer tourists and loads of game – a winning combination!

Overnight Maramboi Tented Camp or similar (there are a large selection of different styled/priced lodges and camps – please discuss options/preferences)

With 40 spacious tents built on wooden decks, Maramboi offers spectacular views over the Manyara National Park, the Rift Valley, and the Ngorongoro Highlands. Activities include game drives, guided walking safaris, bird watching on the shores of Lake Manyara, and cultural interaction with the Datoga and Masai tribes. 

Enjoy a full day exploring Tarangire. Overnight Maramboi Tented Camp.

A fullday’s  drive through Masai territory, with the backdrop of the edge of the Rift, brings you to Lake Natron, a fascinating salt and soda lake located in northern Tanzania. It is significant as the only regular breeding area in East Africa for the 2.5 million lesser flamingoes, whose status of "near threatened" results from their dependence on this single location.

Overnight Lake Natron Camp.

Located on the very edge of Lake Natron, this 10 tent luxury camp is perfectly hidden in the middle of nowhere! It’s a very special camp, secluded, scenic – one of those rare places where you feel like you are alone on this magnificent earth.

Today is free to explore the area of Lake Natron. Located within walking distance are the hominid footprints and Lake Natron.

Cool off in one of the natural plunge pools outside your tent, hike to the waterfalls, enjoy a bird watching walk - there is loads to keep you busy before topping off a special day with scenic sundowners.

Overnight Lake Natron Camp.

Time to tick of a Travel Bucket List biggie today! Drive via Loliondo to the Northern Serengeti, one of the most world’s most famous National Parks, and home to more than three million large mammals spread over the endless plains.  It is here, at certain times of the year, that we may encounter the breathtaking spectacle of the annual wildebeest migration, where one and a quarter million wildebeest trek in columns of up to forty kilometres long in search of grazing, drawing with them their predators and numerous other species of game.  From January to March the herds can largely be found in the southern area, proceeding north through the centre and Western Corridor during June and July before splitting to the west and north, continuing their way toward the Mara River. They return south in November to repeat this amazing instinctive procession all over again.

It really is a rare privilege to immerse yourself in the unique natural phenomena of this Great Migration.

Significant numbers of zebra, buffalo, giraffe and warthog abound.  Elephants are relatively scarce on the open plains, and more common in the northern areas and the western corridor.  The few remaining black rhinos are restricted to a small part of the park and are not often spotted. 

But the most popular animals to be found here in greater abundance than elsewhere on the northern circuit are the cats.  Lions, cheetahs and leopard may all be seen here along with other predators, such as the spotted hyena, golden and black-backed jackals, wild cats and servals.

Depending on the time of year, overnight at Central  OR Serengeti North Wilderness Camp (open Jul-Oct)

Serengeti North Wilderness Camp is a seasonal camp located in the north, a short distance from the banks of the Mara River. Comprising max 10 spacious tents, the intimate camp offers tasty food, great coffee, excellent value comfortable accommodation and exceptional staff. It’s also perfectly positioned for witnessing masses of wildebeest hurling themselves into the waters in dramatic river crossings as they dodge danger to reach the other side. 

This morning we head toward the central Serengeti - a great place to base up just about all year round.  There is exceptional resident game in the area, including the big cats, herds of elephant, resident wildebeest and zebra, buffalo and plenty of antelope. 

Our guides will take you to the heart of the best game viewing possible. Sometimes that may entail a long day in the vehicle, other times the game may be close by! Our team go that extra mile to give you an unforgettable trip with us. 

In our specially customized extended land cruisers the windows are enlarged and the roof height extended to allow ease of photography and game-viewing through the 360degree view hatches, with plenty of room to stretch your legs. 

Overnight at Serengeti Wilderness Camp, an intimate tented camp much like Serengeti North Wilderness Camp, with the same attentive service and scrumptious, hearty food. 

Relaxed day spent on game drives in the area – or book a balloon trip and get a bird’s eye view of this incredible, game rich park.

Overnight Serengeti Wilderness Camp

Your route today from Serengeti to Ngorongoro has to option to include the interesting Olduvai Gorge and the ‘cradle of humankind’. It’s here where, in 1959, the ground-breaking discovery of a hominid (human-like) skull dating back 1.8 million years preceded other more recent hominid remains discoveries - dating as far back as 3.7 million years. 

Continue to Ngorongoro to enjoy an afternoon safari in the crater.  Incredible, unforgettable ….today is surely one you’ve been itching to get to! One of the Natural Wonders of the World, the volcanic caldera of Ngorongoro offers spectacular game viewing in the crater. We can almost guarantee you four of the Big Five will show up, as well as a rich variety of birds, all viewed against the backdrop of the thickly forested crater walls. Your picnic lunch in the crater will forever remain a unique memory. Good luck beating this view next time you dine!  

Overnight Ngorongoro– at a lodge.

Depart after breakfast to Arusha, where your safari sadly comes to an end.