After landing at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), you’ll meet your tour guide and proceed to the Kilimanjaro Golf & Wildlife Estate (Kiligolf), situated halfway between the airport and the sprawling city of Arusha, gateway to the country’s extraordinary national parks. Drop your bags and savour every minute spent amid the region’s breathtaking scenery. (D)
After a hearty breakfast, it’s a leisurely two- to three-hour drive to Tarangire National Park. Jagged granite ridges, sweeping river valleys and an abundance of proud, thick-trunked baobab groves make this park unlike anywhere else in the world. As you drive through the savannah, you’ll have the chance to witness some of the nation’s most extraordinary wildlife – herds of elephant amble through the woodlands as impala, gazelle and wildebeest wander their own path, often stalked by proud lion predators in the shadows, and the skies are often filled with a thousand blazing colours as the park’s rich migratory birdlife ascends.
After arriving at your accommodation, enjoy lunch and the rest of the afternoon at your leisure – laze like a buffalo on your own private sundeck, or join the optional game drive down the park’s serpentine river. The evening brings sundowners and a sumptuous dinner. (BLD)
Day 3 – Tarangire
Awaken among forests of baobab, the howling calls of Tarangire National Park’s native wildlife and the warmth of the dawn sun. After breakfast, discuss with your guide how best to appreciate everything the park has to offer and tailor an experience you’ll never forget, whether that’s morning and afternoon drives in search of rhinoceroses or a picnic lunch and a full day’s worth of adventure – it’s your chioce. We especially recommend going out in the evening – gape in wonder at the vast expanse of dazzling stars above, contemplate grassland mysteries under the moon’s shadow and stare back at the glinting eyes curiously observing you as you drive by. (BLD)
Day 4 – Ngorongoro
After breakfast, head towards the country’s vast highlands with a stop at Mto wa Mbu village, a vibrant farming community famous for peacefully hosting representatives from the country’s diverse collection of more than 120 tribes. It’s an authentic glimpse into Tanzania’s unique way of life – listen to the tales of your local guide and meander through narrow streets via tuk-tuk as you sight rice fields, meet carvers and Tingatinga painters and visit a local school before enjoying a mouthwatering traditional lunch in the shadow of tall banana trees.
After lunch, press further into the gently swaying grasslands, stopping at the rim of the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater. The UNESCO World Heritage-listed crater is said to be the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera and is the perfect place to sight the country’s ‘Big Five’ – lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and buffalo, as well as breathtaking numbers of wildebeest and zebra. Continue around the rim to your accommodation positioned enchantingly close to the caldera’s rim, surrounded by the gentle sighing of the ancient acacias, and enjoy sundowners and a delicious dinner. (BLD)
Accommodation: 2 nights Lemala Ngorongoro Tented Camp.
Lemala Ngorongoro is intimately set in a delightful ancient acacia forest close to the rim of the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater. As it is located next to the quiet Lemala crater access road on the eastern side, a key advantage of staying at Lemala Ngorongoro is the quick and easy drive down on to the crater floor in the morning; Lemala guests usually have an hour’s head start over others descending via the far busier Seneto crater access road on the western rim. And of course can stay later in the afternoon before returning to camp. As Africa’s game is most active in the early morning and late afternoon this means better wildlife experiences for Lemala guests.
Game drives from camp may start as early as 6.15am and guests can be down among Ngorongoro’s abundant wildlife on the floor within 10-15 minutes – crucial for photographers who demand the best light conditions. Escorted walks are also available into the forest and along the crater rim with an armed ranger and Maasai guide.
Lemala Ngorongoro Tented Camp has 9 spacious tents that are positioned carefully to provide privacy and with minimal impact on the pristine forest environment. They accommodate two queen-size beds, and as it can get cool on the Ngorongoro Crater rim at night, little luxuries like warm winter-weight duvets, hot water bottles and gas heaters ensure a cosy night’s sleep. The roomy en-suite bathrooms contain a dressing area, flush toilet and a large safari-style shower. The mess tent is beautifully furnished with grand sofas, lamps, bookshelves and corner cabinets in old wood, chests and rugs. In the evening, guests can gather around the campfire to exchange tales of the day’s safari followed by a sumptuous hearty meal.
Day 5 – Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast, descend into the Ngorongoro Crater through lush highland forests and the grassy interior, past herds of gentle herbivores and flocks of pink flamingos surrounding the shallow waters of Lake Magadi. Be struck by the sublime scenery and breathtaking beauty of the crater – yellow fever trees sway gently in the wind and hippopotamuses laze sleepily by the waters of the soda lake. Head east past Gorigor Swamp and Ngoitokitok springs, and onwards north into the dryer grassland region, where black rhinos, hyenas and buffalos roam. Enjoy a picnic lunch by the hippo pools before taking another game drive and returning to the accommodation. (BLD)
Day 6 – Central Serengeti
After breakfast, drive west to Serengeti National Park. Deep in the heart of Tanzania, the Central Serengeti – in Maasai, ‘Endless Plains’ – contains endless stretches of savannah-covered plains, acacia woodlands and a labyrinthine network of rivers, creeks and streams. The famous Seronera Valley, renowned for being one of the best places on the continent to view Africa’s vibrant native wildlife, is found within – you’ll glimpse great herds of wild zebra, giraffe, impala, waterbuck and jackal. It’s home to the ‘Great Migration,’ one of the largest movements of animals in the world, and the millions of creatures moving northward across hundreds of kilometres is a vision almost mythological in its grandness.
Enjoy a lengthy game drive through the Serengeti, before stopping for a picnic lunch amongst the gently whispering grasses. Arrive at your accommodation – an authentic intimate tented camp – for sundowners and a delicious evening meal. (BLD)
Accommodation: 3 nights Lemala Ewanjan Tented Camp.
Lemala Ewanjan is an authentic intimate tented camp set in a secluded part of the game-rich Seronera Valley in Central Serengeti. The Seronera region is an important wildlife transition zone between the southern grasslands and the northern woodlands and is renowned for its year-round game viewing due to its abundance of water in the many rivers, as well as for its large populations of resident big cats. Additionally, between April and June, and again between November and January, this area is crossed by the annual wildebeest migration, which provides always thrilling wildlife drama.
We have carefully positioned Lemala Ewanjan right at the end of a blind valley, so other vehicles will not interrupt your view across the plains during the day, and in the evening, you can enjoy uninterrupted sunsets with no electric lights in sight.
The 12 en-suite tents are spacious and comfortable, and have an outside deck offering beautiful views over the area. Each tent is fitted with two queen-size beds with warm duvets, a flush toilet, large safari-style shower, plentiful running water, wooden storage cabinets and flooring, 24-hour solar lighting and outside loungers from which to enjoy early morning teas and coffees and refreshing afternoon gin and tonics. The mess tent with its separate bar, sitting and dining areas is beautifully decorated with leather sofas, side cabinets, rugs and chests. In the evening, guests can gather inside under the chandeliers or outside around the campfire under starlit skies for sunset cocktails and to share their safari stories.
Day 7 – Central Serengeti
As you travel further across the endless plains of the Serengeti, taking in the timeless vistas and boundless horizons of the land, be struck by the sheer majesty of the place. You’ll see kopjes, local rock formations favoured by lions, leopards and cheetahs for their shelter from the wind and rain, as well as a dazzling array of local animals. Discuss with your guides the best way to maximise your appreciation and enjoyment of one of the world’s greatest plains – your local guide will tailor your journey according to your needs. (BLD)
Day 8 – Central Serengeti
With bountiful wildlife, a great camp and brilliant local hosts, you’ll be all set for the perfect safari. Enjoy every moment of your customized game drive with the help of your eager, knowledgeable, eagle-eyed and fully-qualified guide. The mysteries of the endless plains will slowly be revealed over time – all you need is quiet and patience. No matter what you’re searching for, your guide will do everything they can to ensure the tour of a lifetime. (BLD)
Day 9 – End of your Luxury Tanzania Safari
After one last breakfast, say goodbye to one of the most breathtaking places in the world as you are transferred to the Seronera Airstrip for your departure flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and your onward arrangements. (B)