Walking Safari with Game Drive

Despite its proximity to Arusha, this small National park seldom appears on safari itineraries for Tanzania, which is a surprise as it is one of our favorites. At the centre of the park is the beautiful Ngurdoto Crater, flanked by steep cliffs and home to an abundance of buffalo that roam the marshy ground found within. Further into the park the Momella lakes are also beautiful, with an abundant bird population as well as large populations of hippo and buffalo. Throughout your safari, you will see herds of zebra and giraffe wandering across the hills and numerous antelope darting across the landscape. Your visit will start with a guided walk through the montane forest near the park entrance, before continuing with a vehicle safari to the crater and the Momella lakes, followed by an afternoon Canoeing safari on Momella Lakes. Late afternoon drive back to Arusha Dinner and overnight.

This morning, take packed lunches with you and have a three-hour drive to Tarangire National Park and spend the afternoon exploring on game drives. The park is cut through by the Tarangire River, which proves a magnet for all manner of wildlife during the long dry season when the surrounding area becomes completely parched. During the wet season, the wildlife is more scattered, but you are still almost guaranteed sightings of Tarangire’s extensive elephant population. Large herds roam the riverbed whilst zebra, buffalo, gazelle, and wildebeest try to avoid the predatory advances of lion and leopard. There is also a remarkable profusion of bird life as the Tarangire swamps are home to 550 bird varieties, including many rare species.

Drive to Mto Wa Mbu and bike ride through banana plantations, you will visit local farms, school, church, milling machine, local bar, cycle to the lake Manyara shore where there are stunning vistas of the lake, the rift Valley wall and small heards of wild life,Then have local lunch in village house. Afternoon drive to Karatu.

After early breakfast drive to Lake Eyasi area, the Land where the Wahadzabe lives. Meet the Datoga at their village. The Datoga are terrified of the Masai. The Masai are their biggest enemy. They are cattle herders as well. There was war between the Masai and Datoga for many many years ago in Ngorongoro. The Datoga chief was killed and buried near Fig Tree Camp on the Crater floor. Proceed with walking/Hiking Visit the Hadzabe caves, where they sometimes spend their nights while hunting. They hunt with bow and arrows. Hadzabe are the nearest relatives to the Bushmen of Kalahari Desert. Visit their place where they find the plant that they boil to produce their poison, which they use for hunting. This plant can be found all over the Lake Eyasi area. During walking and driving we might be lucky to see game as well such as lesser kudu and dik-dik. Otherwise there are plenty of birds.

After breakfast depart for the Serengeti National Park. The Serengeti National Park is the jewel in the crown of Tanzania’s game parks and offers arguably the best game viewing in Africa. The setting is perfect – a sea of endless plains that stretches to the horizon, dotted with the occasional acacia trees and termite mound. This savannah is home to big herds of wildebeest that every year make the mass migration North, through crocodile infested rivers, in a frenzied mixture of mating and galloping that is driven by instinct. Prides of lion rule here, their hungry gaze sweeping the savannah for a chance to attack the thousands of eland, impala and gazelle. Solitary leopard stake out their place in the high branches of the acacia trees and herds of elephants roam at will. This is the Africa that you have always dreamed about.

This day you will have both morning and afternoon game drives in the Serengeti National park. The Serengeti National park, which derives its name from the Masai for “endless plain”, is the jewel of Tanzania’s protected areas and lies on a vast plateau between the Eastern arm of the Rift Valley and the huge expanse of Lake Victoria. Tanzania’s oldest and most popular National park and a World Heritage site, the Serengeti is best known for the annual migration of hundreds and thousands of wildebeest, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle. Spectacular game viewing–of buffalo, elephant, giraffe, topi, impala, Grant’s gazelle, lion and leopard is a highlight. Be inspired by the “amazing Acacia trees” dotted throughout the Serengeti, where visitors are treated with some of the most mesmerizing sunsets in the world. Our small safari vehicles minimize drive times and improve your chances of snapping that perfect shot of one of the elusive ‘Big 5′.

After breakfast, you will have a morning game drive in the Serengeti National Park. After lunch, drive to Ngorongoro. Along the wa,y you will stop at the Olduvai Gorge for a short visit. This is a steep-sided ravine in the heart of the Great Rift Valley, and is famous for the variety of early hominid fossils that have been found here. There is an excellent museum; it is very small but informative and well worth the stop. Also stop en route to visit a local Masai boma and meet some of the people who live there

After breakfast you will descend 2000feet to the Crater floor for game viewing. You will have a chance to explore the Ngorongoro Crater, an ancient volcanic crater that is home to an extraordinary concentration of wildlife including a very dense population of lions and spotted hyenas. You are almost guaranteed to see all of the ‘big five’ (lion, rhino, leopard, elephant and buffalo) as well as a great variety of other species; The views are superb, from the first glimpse of the crater at ‘Heroes’ Point’, through the thick rain forest that covers its sides, down to the rich grassy plains that form its centre. The combination of natural scenery and wildlife is truly breath-taking. During the game drive you will stop for a delicious picnic on the crater floor. Late in the afternoon drive back to Arusha.