DAY 1: ARUSHA SERENA HOTEL RESORT & SPA, 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
On arrival at Arusha Airport, you will be met by our AMA Safaris – Tanzania representative. After introduction you will be transferred to your hotel arriving for check-in. Overnight at Arusha Serena Hotel Resort & Spa – BB
Overnight: Arusha Serena Hotel Resort & Spa
Arusha Serena Hotel, Resort & Spa is unlike any other hotel in Tanzania with authentic, bespoke experiences that stir the traveller’s soul while showcasing the breathtaking tranquillity of the surroundings. Set among the woodland slopes of Mount Meru at the edge of Lake Duluti, there’s no better destination for soaking in the beauty and magnificence of the Tanzanian “Northern Safari Circuit.”
The ambience of this Arusha hotel is warmly reminiscent of their origins as a colonial era coffee farm, beginning with the welcoming stone-built reception area and extending to cottage-style rooms neatly arranged among landscaped lawns and the colourful banks of Bougainvillea. Traces of thei hotels heritage present themselves in elegant, country-manor interiors featuring unique artefacts, leaded windows and French doors opening to extensive lake view gardens. Social areas within the Arusha hotel include a library, a lounge and a restaurant offering an enchanting wood fireplace and lake and garden views.
Basis
Bed and Breakfast
DAY 2: TARANGIRE SOPA 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 at the hotel followed by check out, 0800hrs: Depart Arusha and drive to the Tarangire National Park, game drive enroute. Arrive at your lodge well in time for lunch and check in. Afternoon game drives in Tarangire National Park. Meals and overnight at Tarangire Sopa Lodge – LDBB
Overnight: Tarangire Sopa Lodge
Tarangire National Park is one of Tanzania’s best-kept secrets. Close to the town of Arusha and hosting Tanzania’s highest concentration of elephant population in Africa, perhaps than anywhere else in the world. It has a horizon dominated by the magnificent baobab trees, Legend says that baobab tree once angered God and it was thrown to earth and planted upside down. The trees are known to live for hundreds of year, some say thousands of years.
Tarangire sopa Lodge has 75 large and airy rooms, accommodating 150 guests. Built to blend with the vastness of its surroundings, the Lodge nestles amongst the rocky outcrops in the north-east of the park. As the Lodge is one of only a handful in this park, visitors are often rewarded with an exclusive feel to their safari. Each of the suites has its own private lounge with mini-bar, en-suite bathroom, large bedroom with 2 queen size beds and a balcony. The Lodge has telephone facilities, satellite TV, a conference room and a uniquely-designed swimming pool with a central island.
Basis
Full Board – Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 3: NGORONGORO SERENA SAFARI LODGE, NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA
Ngorongoro Crater
Located in Northern Tanzania, the Ngorongoro Crater is best known for its natural beauty and abundance of diverse wildlife; which makes it one of Africa’s most popular safari destinations. Surrounded by Tanzania’s highlands, this UNESCO-listed crater is said to be the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera. Visitors can look forward to spotting the world-renowned Big Five and a host of other wildlife species including large herds of zebra and wildebeest. It is famed as one of Tanzania’s best tourist attractions offering visitors an array of wonderful activities including excellent bird watching, trekking, wildlife viewing, and mountain biking and visiting a local Maasai village. Don’t miss the opportunity to jump on an excursion to the magnificent Olduvai Gorge.
Day Itinerary
Breakfast at the lodge, check out, morning game drive enroute, drive to Ngorongoro Conservation Area to arrive for lunch and check in at your lodge. Afternoon will be at leisure with a vehicle at your disposal. Meals and overnight at Ngorongoro Serena Lodge – LDBB
Overnight: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
Perched on the jagged rim of the crater, wreathed in morning mist, camouflaged in river-stone and cloaked in indigenous creepers, the Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge is a triumph of ecological and architectural fusion. Sensitively constructed so as to take nothing from its environment whilst affording endless vistas over the heat-shimmering of the crater below, the clustered boulder-built buildings of the Lodge hug the crater rim, linked by rope-lashed timber walkways that skirt the buttressed roots of ancient, liana-hung trees.
The interior, radiating out from the primeval log fire glowing at the heart of the Lodge, blends the concentrated hush of a game-viewing hide with the ochre, rust and charcoal images of a prehistoric cavern. Lit by flaming wall-lanterns, clad in gigantic volcanic boulders and decorated by the iron spears, bright-beaded robes and intricately carved artefacts of the Maasai, the Lodge is a unique blend of world-class luxury, timeless volcanic splendour and ethnic style. As for the views, from lilac-streaked sunrise, to indigo star-studded night, the immeasurably ancient Ngorongoro Crater delivers a theatre of vistas, most unchanged since the dawn of time.
Strung around the crater rim, each with its own rock-enclosed balcony, the rooms feature brass lamps, embossed leather headboards, wildwood mirrors, Maasai carvings and flamboyant prehistoric wall motifs depicting fleeing giraffes, stylised gazelle and plunging buffalo. Each room draws on a cave-grey, indigo-blue and jasper-red colour-scheme, is fully air-conditioned and enjoys uninterrupted views over the Crater’s unmatched splendour.
At the end of an action-packed day, guests can also follow a gentle nature trail that loops around the Lodge through moss-hung glades and plunging ravines, take a guided walk to the Crater’s rim, relax with a herbal massage, or watch as the burning sun sinks behind the mountains from a unique vantage point on the craggy heights of the Crater’s rim.
Basis
Full Board – Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 4: NGORONGORO SERENA SAFARI LODGE, N.CONSERVATION AREA
Day Itinerary
After breakfast, depart with picnic lunch boxes for Ngorongoro Crater. Descend into the crater floor in your 4X4 vehicle for a crater tour. The central bowl, the caldera, has sides roughly 1,950 feet high and a flattish center with a diameter of about ten miles. The crater walls are forested but four-wheel drive vehicles will take you down into this primeval paradise of woodland, lake, river, swamp and plain that shelters around 20,000 animals. Return to the lodge later in the afternoon.
Meals and overnight at Ngorongoro Serena Lodge – LDBB
Basis
Full Board – Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 5: SERENGETI SERENA SAFARI LODGE, 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 characterized 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 cat and much more. Popular activities include: game viewing, cultural tours, horse riding safaris, and hot air ballooning over the spectacularly scenic terrain.
Day Itinerary
0800hrs: After breakfast, check out and drive to Serengeti National Park. Serengeti National is undoubtedly the most famous wildlife sanctuary in the world, unequalled for its natural beauty and the greatest concentration of plains game anywhere. Arrive in time for lunch and settle in. Later proceed for an afternoon game drive returning to the lodge later this evening. Meals and overnight at Serengeti Serena Serena Lodge – LDBB
Overnight: Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge
Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge is situated high a tree clad ridge, commanding panoramic views across the Serengeti. The lodge is a fusion of traditional African architecture and modern style. Centrally located adjacent to the Western Corridor and Grumeti River, the lodge has been designed to blend completely into the living landscape.
A series of traditional domed rondavels are widely spaced throughout the grounds, which are cooled by groves of acacia trees and watered by sparkling streams. On the very edge of the ridge is a pool, which looks out over the endless plains.
The lodge has been styled to offer a showcase of cultural performance, heritage and traditional art, illustrated by the lavish Makonde carvings which decorate the rooms and the stunning domed dining room.
Basis
Full Board – Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 6: SERENGETI SERENA SAFARI LODGE, CENTRAL SERENGETI
Day Itinerary
Breakfast at your lodge. You will enjoy a full day game drive or have a morning and afternoon game drive in Serengeti National Park depending on client’s preferences.
Meals and overnight at Serengeti Serena Lodge – LDBB.
Basis
Full Board – Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 7: SERENGETI SERENA SAFARI LODGE, CENTRAL SERENGETI
Day Itinerary
Breakfast at your lodge. You will enjoy a full day game drive or have a morning and afternoon game drive in Serengeti National Park depending on client’s preferences.
Meals and overnight at Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge – LDBB
Basis
Full Board – Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 8: LAKE MANYARA SERENA SAFARI 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
0800hrs: After breakfast and check out, you will drive with game drive enroute to Lake Manyara. Arrive for lunch. Afternoon game drives in Lake Manyara National until sunset. Meals and overnight at Lake Manyara Serena Lodge – LDBB.
Overnight: Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge
Standing high on the bluff of a dramatic ochre and terracotta streaked cliff above the flamingo-frosted expanse of Lake Manyara’s gleaming alkaline waters, the Lodge commands panoramic views across the volcano-studded floor of the Great Rift Valley.
Designed to reflect the brilliance of Lake Manyara’s unique birdlife, the Lodge draws on an inspirational architectural motif that melds swooping avian curves with the gentle concentric patterns of traditional Maasai ‘Bomas’ (encampments) whilst the vibrantly coloured frescoes lining the walls are designed to depict the colourful intricacy of bird migratory patterns. The ambiance of the Lodge is a fusion of lakeside tranquility, towering volcanic splendour and adventure-packed sporting activity.
As to wildlife, the park offers abundant sightings of; monkey, jackal, mongoose, hyena, hyrax, zebra, hippo, warthog, buffalo, Masai giraffe, duiker, waterbuck and impala. Significant numbers of elephant are also resident in the Park whilst sightings of black rhino and leopard are not uncommon. Manyara is also especially noted for its wealth of bird life, being visited by many thousands of sugar-pink Lesser Flamingos, significant numbers of Greater Flamingos and a host of other woodland, plains and water birds.
Basis
Full Board – Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 9: END OF ITINERARY
Day Itinerary
After breakfast at your lodge is followed by check out. Drive back to Arusha arriving for lunch at a Four Points by Sheraton Arusha. After lunch transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your onward flight back home.
***End of our services***
Basis
Breakfast
