Detailed Itinerary:
Day 1: You will be met off your
flight into Kilimanjaro International Airport and driven into to Arusha, about
40 minutes away. You will spend this night at either Willy's Cottages or the
Mountain Village Lodge, both excellent properties.
Overnight at Willy's Guest Cottages/
Mt. Village Lodge
Bed and breakfast basis
Days 2 & 3: Tarangire National
Park
After breakfast, you will be driven to our private tented camp
situated along the boundary of Tarangire National Park about a two hour drive
from Arusha.
Two nights full board accommodation at
Tarangire River Camp. This is a luxurious permanent luxury tented camp
overlooking the Tarangire River. The camp offers a stunning view of the
Tarangire River and of the Park plains across. The camp offers ten luxury tents
complete with running water in the attached shower and toilet cubicles, with
hot water showers and solar powered lighting at night. Delicious meals are
served in the mess tent with attentive service.
Tribal visits and walks through the areas
neighboring the park are offered to those who want a cultural touch. Maasai
live in the area as do the Datoga, a tribe of semi-nomadic pastoralists who
migrated into this area looking for good grazing land many decades ago, and a
very interesting people to visit. They have so far resisted neighboring tribes'
cultural infiltrations. The women, still wearing fat treated goatskin gowns,
carve their faces and bodies to look pretty, are often seen. Learning about
their history is as fascinating as the views are breathtaking from the several
hilltop peaks in the area.
Tarangire is the third biggest National
park in Tanzania. An unusually large population of elephants inhabits this
sanctuary. Majestic baobab trees are an interesting feature of the park,
dwarfing the animals that feed beneath them.
During the dry season, July to November,
animals concentrate along Tarangire River, which provides the only permanent
water supply in the area. The area supports a great diversity of wildlife,
including giraffe, buffalo, lesser kudu, eland, oryx and zebra. Lion, leopard
and cheetah are also present. Up to 6.000 elephants inhabit Tarangire in the
dry season.
Overnight Tarangire River
Camp
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 4: Tarangire - Lake Manyara -
Ngorongoro Farm House
After breakfast we'll drive across the floor
of the Great Rift Valley to Lake Manyara. The lake, situated along the
impressive escarpment of the Rift Valley, takes its name from the Maasai word
for "euphorbia tirucalli", a bush which is used to make a thorny hedge to
protect their cattle. If we are lucky we may see the Manyara lions, well known
for their tree climbing habits, lazily resting on the branches of an "Acacia
tortilis" tree. Elephants, hippos, giraffe, buffalo and other animals are
present in Manyara. The birdlife is also very impressive with flamingoes,
pelicans, hornbills and plenty of forest species.
We take a picnic lunch in the Park and
later in the afternoon continue on towards the Ngorongoro Crater stopping just
outside it's gates to spend the evening at the Ngorongoro Farm House.
Overnight Ngorongoro Farm
House
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Days 5 & 6: Ngorongoro
Crater
After breakfast we will proceed to Ngorongoro with picnic
lunches, for game drives in the Crater. Here animals are found throughout the
year due to the permanent availability of grass and water.
The Ngorongoro is one of the most
spectacular game haunts in Africa and has been designated a World Heritage
site. Nearly 100 sq. miles, it contains an estimated 30,000 mammals; an
impressive variety of wildlife including black-maned lions; the highly
endangered black rhino, herds of gnu, zebra, elephants, hippo and hyena... the
most important predator within the crater. The birdlife is also prolific, with
flocks of flamingoes on the soda lake, plus other species of water and plains
birds.
On your second day we will take a picnic
and spend the whole day exploring the crater floor and experiencing this most
incredible wildlife sanctuary.
Overnight Ngorongoro Serena
Lodge
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Days 7, 8, 9 & 10: The Serengeti
National Park
After breakfast we drive to the Serengeti National
Park, with a stop at Olduvai Gorge. This is the famous archeological site where
the Leakey's discovered the remains of Australopithecus, Homo Habilis and Homo
Erectus, bringing crucial understanding to the study of the evolution of the
human species.
The Serengeti is likely the most famous
wildlife sanctuary in the world. These seemingly unending plains contain,
during the months of the migration huge numbers of wildebeest and zebra with
estimates of up to 1.5 million. In February-March they concentrate at the Ndutu
and Salei plains, where the calving season takes place, attracting the
attention of predators like lion, cheetah and hyena.
Another interesting feature of the
Serengeti is the "Kopjes"; massive islands of granite standing in a sea of
grass, which provide shelter to a great variety of plants and animals, from the
elusive leopard to the tiny dik dik.
We will spend four nights on a full board
basis at our private camp, set in wilderness areas. The exact destination is
determined by the season and movement of the animals. Campsites include Moru
Kopjes, Lobo Area, Seronera or the Western Corridor.
Overnight Serengeti Luxury Mobile
Tented Camp
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 11: Serengeti -
Arusha
All too soon your vacation is drawing to a close and, after
breakfast, we will have a short game drive across the plains en route to the
Seronera Airstrip to take our scheduled flight back to Arusha. On arrival in
Arusha we will meet you and drive you into Willy's Cottages where you have a
day room and early dinner. This evening we transfer you on to Kilimanjaro
International Airport and assist you with check in for your international
flight.
Breakfast and early dinner
Please contact us for additional
information and to discuss your African photo safari:
Absolute Adventure Travel
9 Greenway
Plaza,
Houston, Texas 77027
To speak with an expert on travel in
Africa call:
Houston:
281-217-8111 or 713-203-0000
Or email
info@absoluteadventuretravel.com
Print this Itinerary
You can download a print-friendly
version of this itinerary in PDF format by
clicking
here.
Extensions to the Classic
Safari:
There are a number of extensions that can easily be added to
your safari plans.
Sinya Camp - one of the best kept
secrets in all of Africa and one of our "Top 5 Camps in all Africa." Sinya Camp
is a luxury permanent tented camp located in the rain shadow of Mount
Kilimanjaro. It offers great game viewing, the best cultural experiences with
Maasai in Africa, walking safaris and the finest views of Kilimanjaro.
Sand Rivers Camp - this luxury camp
is located in the Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania. Located on a bluff
overlooking the river is has luxurious rooms, great food and wonderful game
viewing. It offers so many other activities, boating, fishing, walking, fly
safaris that it is one of the few properties that actually justify more than
two or thee night stay.
Zanzibar - if you can't imagine
going all this way without seeing the Indian Ocean then Zanzibar will have the
property you are looking for. From luxury hotels, to beach resorts to private
islands it offers something for every taste and every budget.
For information on these extensions and
others in both Kenya and Tanzania please contact us at 1-800-298-1312, or via
email at info@absoluteadventuretravel.com
