Tanzania safari – Serengeti, Manyara, Ngorongoro & Tarangire
This is a favourite itinerary, and gives an excellent trip visiting
the best of the northern parks. It is totally flexible and can be
changed to fit your timetable and interests.
Serengeti, Manyara, Ngorongoro and Tarangire Itinerary
For prices for this tour see our Tanzania
safari prices & itineraries index
Day 1
Your transport (a landrover or minibus) will arrive at your
hotel for the drive to Lake Manyara National Park. The first hour
or so is pleasant, on a surfaced road. You quickly leave the coffee
plantations and then across a very dry area with views the mountains.
The scarp slope of the Great Rift Valley to your right becomes clearer
as you drive south.
At Makuyuni the road divides, and you may stop for fuel and to
be accosted by ancient Masai women selling crafts. For the next
hour the road is dusty and you will arrive at Mto Wa Mbu, where
you can stop to buy from a wide range of crafts. The road climbs
steeply up the scarp face out of the Rift Valley and you will see
Lake Manyara below to your left. Your hotel is situated on the cliff
top with spectacular views.
After lunch at the hotel, you will drive back down the hill and
into the park. The forested area is dry and scrubby and you should
see lion, elephant and monkeys. The lake is home to a great variety
of birds, including pink flamingos. One of the most popular spots
are the hippo pools, where you will also see many giraffe and zebra.
At dusk you will return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 2
There will be time for an early drive through the park before
breakfast. The drive to Serengeti is long and dusty, but there is
much of interest on the way. The road is extremely rough through
Karatu, a village entirely covered in red dust, but improves as
you climb through the forest towards Ngorongro.
You will get a glimpse of the crater from the rim and then continue
to Olduvai Gorge. This is the area made famous by the work of the
Leakeys and there is a museum describing their findings.
You now are reaching the plains of the Serengeti and should begin
to see the large numbers of animals which make the area famous.
Seronera Lodge is built around a rocky mound, and you should arrive
in time for tea and a restful chair from which to watch the sunset.
Day 3
Up early for a game drive to watch the animals before they take
to the shade. Leopards and cheetah can often be seen in this area.
After breakfast you will drive north across the plains, deep into
the park to Lobo Lodge, a spectacular building on some huge rocks.
Day 4
The return drive to Ngorongoro is by the same route. The lodge is
in a spectacular position on the crater rim, with amazing views
across the crater to the mountains beyond.
Day 5
Today's game drive will last most of the day, because of the
time needed to get down into the crater. The road down is further
round the rim and takes you into the northern part of the crater.
As you descend, you will begin to appreciate the vast scale of
the crater and later you will see the surprising variety of habitats
within it. The number of animals in the crater is far fewer than
in Serengeti, but the concentration is greater. All animals are
there, excepting giraffe and you should also see rhinos. The beauty
of the crater certainly enhances the game viewing. The road out
of the crater is exciting and takes you directly up to the Lodge.
Day 6
Back on the road, but an easier drive. Tarangire lies not far
beyond the Manyara turn and you will arrive in time for lunch. The
accommodation at the Lodge is in luxury fixed tents along the edge
of a small cliff overlooking the river. After lunch you will have
a short game drive and see some of the many elephant and giraffe.
The park is more wooded than the others, and gives a much greater
feeling of being somewhere wild. Dinner on the terrace of the Lodge
is a good place for the night sounds of Africa.
Day 7
A full day game drive which will take you through the wooded
area and on to the surrounding areas. There is great variety, with
hippo pools, the southern grasslands and some rocky hills.
Day 8
An easy day driving back to Arusha. There should be time for
shopping in the afternoon and dinner at the hotel before driving
to the airport for the flight home.
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