DAY 1: MOUNT MERU GAME LODGE, ARUSHA
Arusha
Resting at the foot of Mount Meru, the sprawling city of Arusha is known as the safari capital of northern Tanzania. It serves as an excellent base from which to explore the remarkably scenic surrounding area which includes majestic Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as the Manyara, Tarangire and Ngorongoro National Parks. Arusha is a good spot to take a day or two off from the safari circuit as it features a temperate climate and lush surrounds. Visitors can look forward to exploring the wildlife-abundant Serengeti National Park; the magnificent Arusha National Park; and taking on the challenge of climbing Mount Meru, Africa’s fifth highest mountain.
Day Itinerary
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport ex International flight TBA. Proceed for customs and immigration clearance. Warm welcomes met and greet by AMA Safaris – Tanzania representative after clearing with immigration procedures and help transfer to your hotel for check in.
Overnight: Mount Meru Game Lodge
Set in beautiful and tranquil surroundings, the Mount Meru Game Lodge is nestled between the Usa River and the wildlife sanctuary. The sanctuary is home to zebra, ostrich, water buffalo, mongoose, duiker and a wide array of birds and monkeys, including the elusive Colobus monkey. The Mount Meru Game Lodge is equidistant from the city of Arusha and Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) – each easy 30 minute drive on good roads. KIA, the closest international airport, is serviced daily by KLM, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Air and a number of African airlines.
Arusha holds the door to numerous world famous national parks and mountains, including the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru. The lodge provides an excellent staging point for those interested in visiting the parks or climbing the mountains.
The lodge & sanctuary was established by Dr. Von Nagy in 1959 and remains in family hands till today. Being one of the first lodges in Northern Tanzania, the lodge has had the pleasure of hosting a long list of visitors, including numerous presidents, the King & Queen of Sweden, Prince Charles, the Hemingway’s, the Kennedy’s and a long list of modern day celebrities. We look forward to offering you a memorable experience during your stay in Arusha.
Basis
Bed and Breakfast
DAY 2: LAKE MANYARA KILIMAMOJA LODGE, LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK
Lake Manyara National Park
Situated in Tanzania’s central-northern region with the Lake Manyara on its east and the Manyara Escarpment to its west, the Lake Manyara National Park offers breathtaking views and a large variety of habitats supporting an array of wildlife. This small park is home to surprising biodiversity and features a magnificent landscape of acacia woodlands, water forests, baobab strewn cliffs, algae-streaked hot springs, swamps and the lake itself. The park supports 400 species of bird, and the largest concentration of baboons anywhere in the world. Other species include giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, impala, waterbuck, warthog, the Cape clawless otter, and Egyptian mongoose. Don’t miss the opportunity to see thousands of flamingos on the lake, the renowned tree-climbing lions, and large families of elephants strolling through the forest.
Day Itinerary
After breakfast with lunch box drive to over to Lake Manyara area. Afternoon enjoy game viewing in Lake Manyara National Park.
Overnight: Lake Manyara Kilimamoja Lodge.
Lake Manyara Kilimamoja Lodge is nestled on the rim of the Great African Rift Valley with stunning views of Lake Manyara, Mount Meru and on a clear day, Mount Kilimanjaro. The lodge is situated in lush green gardens and local vegetation with over 130 species of bird. It offers an ideal place in which to base a northern safari experience. The Ngorongoro Crater, Oldeani, Lake Eyasi, Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Highlands are just a short drive away from the lodge. Sitting around the outside fireplace watching the sun setting over the Great Rift Valley and listening to the humming of the birds in the background is a fitting way to end the day, and preparing for a sumptuous dinner feast.
Basis
Full Board – Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 3: OLE SERAI LUXURY CAMP MORU KOPJES, CENTRAL SERENGETI
Central Serengeti
Situated in the heart of Tanzania, the Central Serengeti encompasses the world-famous Seronera Valley which is known for its prime wildlife-viewing opportunities. This picture-perfect landscape is characterised by endless stretches of savannah-covered open plains, interspersed by rocky outcrops of granite, scattered with acacia woodlands and covered in a network of rivers and streams.
The Central Serengeti forms part of the great wildebeest and zebra migration and provides an ideal habitat for a variety of wildlife such as giraffe, impala, waterbuck, hippo, elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, hyena, jackal, serval and much more. Popular activities include: game viewing, cultural tours, horse riding safaris, and hot air ballooning over the spectacularly scenic terrain.
Day Itinerary
After breakfast, depart and drive to Serengeti National Park to arrive for Lunch. Afternoon game viewing in the Park, dinner and
Overnight: Ole Serai Luxury Camp Moru Kopjes.
This Luxury Camp is ideally located within Central Seronera area of the famous Serengeti National Park in Tanzania around the vicinity of the famous Moru Kopjes and Lake Magadi. The Camp site is perched between the Rongai Hills & Nyaroboro Hills, a few metres away from the banks of the Mbalageti / Seronera River having an abundant variety of resident wildlife (including all the Big 5) as well as a Hippo Pool located only a few metres away from the camp. Due to the Campsite’s ideal location, the great spectacle of the world-famous Annual Migration can be witnessed almost as close as to the camp’s doorsteps – since the site lies along one of the main migratory corridors/routes which the wildebeest use during their Great Migration going to and fro the North and South of the Serengeti.
The Rooms and the Guest areas have been specifically designed to offer the Guests an optimum 180-degree view while on their bed or while enjoying their meal or drinks and to bring them as close to the nature as possible from the covered verandas. These stunning views embrace the sparsely spaced Acacia Tortillas Trees with the abundance of animals in the vicinity making the experience awe-inspiring.
Basis
Full Board – Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 4: OLE SERAI LUXURY CAMP MORU KOPJES, CENTRAL SERENGETI
Day Itinerary
Today you spend the whole day on game drive in this National Park, which is rich with all different species of animals. To give you a better chance of seeing the big five (Lion, Elephant, Leopard, Buffalo and Rhino) you will carry a picnic lunch with you and spend the full day in the Serengeti National Park
Overnight: Ole Serai Luxury Camp Moru Kopjes.
Basis
Full Board – Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 5: NGORONGORO OLDEANI MOUNTAIN LODGE, KARATU
Karatu
Travellers heading for the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater will inevitably pass through the town of Karatu in the green hills of Tanzania’s northern highlands. Presided over by the towering Ol Deani Volcano, this small, colourful town serves as a popular overnight stop for visitors exploring the area’s many game parks. The town offers a variety of activities including browsing the bustling marketplace, sampling beer at a local brewery, visiting a traditional Iraqw homestead, or taking a guided walk through the Ngorongoro Forest in search of waterfalls and elephants caves. Whether you are looking for cultural tours, hiking and biking opportunities, and a chance to enjoy an authentic rural Tanzania experience, or simply a break between safari game drives, this underrated town has plenty to offer.
Day Itinerary
After breakfast, depart with picnic lunch boxes and descend over 600 meters to the floor of the crater for a full day’s crater tour. Explore the forest areas that are inhabited by monkey and elephant, the lake area, where you may see the flamingos and the open Savannah where the lions hunt for food. Picnic lunches will be served in the crater. Later in the evening drive to your Lodge in Karatu area.
Overnight: Ngorongoro Oldeani Mountain Lodge
O’ldeani Ngorongoro Mountain Lodge is a colonial lodge situated on a picturesque hill with spectacular views of Oldeani Mountain and the Ngorongoro Crater Rim. The lodge is elevated, featuring spectacular views that extend all the way to Lake Eyasi and Lake Manyara. The property is set on 40 acres of lush green gardens and local vegetation, with over 130 species of birds. The lodge is accessed over a pond and one’s first impression is the grand central hallway with wooden trusses looking out over the fireplace, infinity pool and out to Mount O’ldeani, which is part of the caldera of the Ngorongoro crater, only 12km away.
Basis
Full Board – Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 6: TARANGIRE KURO TREETOPS LODGE, TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park, situated within Tanzania’s spectacular Manyara Region, is an awe-inspiring national park comprising of granite ridges, river valleys, mixed vegetative landscapes, and free-roaming wildlife. During the annual dry season the Tarangire River is a magnet for thirsty wildlife.
Large herds of elephants and migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, hartebeest and eland gather and not surprisingly the predators follow. With lion being among the most commonly spotted animal, it is a rare day that a visitor does not spot this majestic animal prowling or grazing.
Tarangire is also the one place in Tanzania where dry-country antelope such as oryx and gerenuk are seen regularly. This expansive area is also known for its spectacular baobab trees, its breathtaking views of the Masaai Steppe and the wondrous mountains to the south.
Day Itinerary
After breakfast. Drive to Tarangire National Park to arrive in time for Lunch at the Treetops. Afternoon game drive in the Park and dinner
Overnight: Tarangire Kuro Treetops Lodge
Indulge in lavish luxury while visiting Tarangire National Park with Ole Serai Luxury Camp – Kuro, which is nestled deep within the heart of the park. The handpicked Ole Serai – Kuro site is strategically located atop an elevated Kopje Hill, overlooking the Tarangire River, the Silale valley leading to the Silale swamp in the West, which is celebrated for being inhabited by Animals during any time of the year due to the water the swamps hold.
The uniquely designed Camp consists of 25 trees – top style tailor made tents each designed with luxury beddings, an en – suite bathroom with an indoor and outdoor shower and a private veranda with the perfect vantage point. The room is designed to offer an optimum 180-degree view even from your bed or while enjoying a meal or drink allowing you to connect with the ever present wildlife theatre from the privacy and privacy and comfort of your rooms.
Basis
Full Board – Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 7: TARANGIRE KURO TREETOPS LODGE, TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
Day Itinerary
After breakfast depart for full day game viewing in Tarangire National Park. Tarangire is Tanzania’s third largest national park and a sanctuary for an unusually large elephant population and other wildlfe which is most spectacular between June and september, the dry period.
Majestic baobab trees are another interesting feature of the park, dwarfing the animals that feed beneath them. Animals concentrate along the Tarangire River and Silale Swamp which provides the only permanent water supply in the area. You may catch glimpses of lions, leopards and cheetahs not forgetting the rock python on the trees!
Basis
Full Board – Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 8: END OF ITINERARY
Day Itinerary
After breakfast it is time to begin the journey back to Arusha. Let go by the landscape itself and the many impressions of the past days to reminisce.
Lunch at a restaurant in Arusha Option: Transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for flight back home or schedule flight to Zanzibar
Basis
Breakfast
