Tanzania Wild Wonders (Nov-June)

Upon arrival at the Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be met and transferred to the Mt. Meru Game Lodge, or similar, for your overnight. The Mt. Meru Game Lodge is an old hunting lodge that recreates the colonial atmosphere of “Old Africa”. Within the spacious grounds is a lush forest, home to countless monkeys and bushbabies, and an animal sanctuary that provides refuge for animals hurt by poachers. This proximity to nature is rare in a hotel environment, and there are few places where one can admire Zebra, Eland, Buffalo and Ostrich against a backdrop of Meru and Kilimanjaro.

After breakfast and a safari briefing, drive to Tarangire National Park. This is the classic Africa of lore with shimmering acacia stands, old baobab trees, and herds of elephant. Enjoy a game drive through the park, en-route to the Tarangire Safari Lodge, or similar, beautifully sited on a bluff over-looking the Tarangire River. After lunch at the lodge, spend an afternoon of game viewing, exploring Tarangire National Park in a 4WD safari vehicle. In the dry-season of July-October, Tarangire National Park surpasses the Serengeti in terms of animal concentration as big herds begin to congregate around the permanent water of the Tarangire River. It is not uncommon to see herds of 50+ elephant as well as many other mammal species including the rare Kudu and Oryx. The park is also noted for its prolific bird life and the occasional sighting of cheetah and the rare African Hunting Dog. Dinner and overnight, for two nights, at Kikoti Camp, or similar. (B,L,D)

After another morning game drive in Tarangire, leave for Lake Manyara. The area was immortalized in Hemingway’s “Green Hills of Africa” and represents a habitat distinct from other areas you will be visiting. Have lunch at the lodge before an afternoon game drive which will allow you to explore the ground-water forest, rich in birds and monkeys, and the acacia woodlands that border the soda lake. You will also visit the hippo pool with a breathtaking view of the pink mantle of flamingos that swathe Lake Manyara. Dinner and overnight at the Kirurumu Tented Lodge or the Lake Manyara Serena Lodge, both are set high on the edge of the Great Rift Valley Escarpment, with marvelous panoramic views over Lake Manyara, the Rift floor, and Mt. Losimingori. (B,L,D)

Begin your journey to the Ngorongoro Crater, climbing through the coffee plantations of Karatu and the forested slopes of the Ngorongoro Highlands, to arrive in time for lunch. Descend down the 2000-ft walls of the crater, a World Heritage Site, and home to nearly 25,000 animals, for a game drive. Here you have a very real chance of spotting the big five: lion, elephant, black rhino, buffalo, and leopard, plus countless other African mammal species. Return to the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge, perched on the jagged rim of the crater, or the Ngorongoro Farm House. Situated it the Ngorongoro highlands, facing the Oldeani Volcano, Ngorongoro Farm House is only minutes from the Ngorongoro Lolduare gate. Three separate and intimate camps of 9 comfortable bungalows, have been attractively built with the style of an old colonial farm and rustically decorated with local materials. The lodge is on a 500 acre working coffee, vegetable, and flower farm on the outer slopes of the crater. Enjoy excellent home-made cuisine prepared using the dairy and fresh vegetables produced by the farm, all year long. (B,L,D)

Enjoy another game drive in this fascinating wildlife amphitheater. The Ngorongoro Crater is actually a caldera, formed from a sunken volcano, and hosts a unique cross-section of eco-systems, from soda lake to savannah, and is home to almost every major species of African mammal. Your presence does not threaten the wildlife making, allowing you an exhilarating proximity to the game you will rarely encounter elsewhere. Return to either the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge, or Ngorongoro Farm House. (B,L,D)

En-route to the Serengeti, stop at Olduvai Gorge to visit the site where Mary and Louis Leakey first discovered the remains of Zinjanthropus Bosei, a distant ancestor of man believed to be 1.8 million years old, Australopithecus Bosei, the ‘Nutcracker Man’, a species that became extinct about 1 million years ago and fossilized foot prints that date back 3.6 million years. From here the predator-rich plains of the Serengeti unfurl before you, as you game drive through the park for the remainder of the day, to arrive at the Mbuzi Mawe Tented Lodge, or similar, for two nights. Located in the central Serengeti, you will have the rare option to enjoy hot air ballooning over the plains. There is an extra cost and should be booked in advance as flights fill quickly. (2B,2L,2D)

You will have another two full days to explore the Serengeti, the most famous National Park in Africa. The largest most spectacular concentrations of zebra, wildebeest, and Thompson’s gazelle reside on the plains from December to June. Your driver-guide will choose your route based on his extensive knowledge of the park and local conditions. Your trip might include tracking cheetah through the Gol Kopjes, hunting (with cameras) leopard along the Seronera River, viewing the hippos at Retima or exploring the Masai paintings at Moru Kopjes. Dinner and overnights at Migration Camp, or similar. (2B,2L,2D)

After breakfast, transfer to a local airstrip for your flight back to Arusha. Transfer back to the Mt. Meru Game Lodge for lunch and a day room. You will have time to rest before your late afternoon transfer to the Kilimanjaro International Airport for your flight home, or extend your stay with a visit to the exotic Zanzibar Island. (B,L)