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12 days /11 nights Program
This is Africa as you've always imagined it! This classic safari offers unsurpassed opportunities to view wildlife in a spectacular natural setting. Your adventure will take you to some of Africa's premier game parks including the Serengeti, Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro.
Accommodations include deluxe lodges constructed of local materials and in harmony with their environment. In the Serengeti you will stay in Private Luxury Mobile Camp, where you will be immersed in the sights and sounds of Africa. Food at all locations is well prepared and delicious. |
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US$ Price per Person with a minimum of 2 clients based on double occupancy with private guide and transportation. Single supplement charges applied if clients requests single accommodations.
Price per Person (US$) |
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3 |
4 |
5 |
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7 |
8 |
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7,122 |
6,425 |
6,077 |
5,868 |
5,729 |
6,126 |
5,990 |
5,883 |
5,798 |
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ITINERARY
Day 1
USA - Arusha
Arrive in the evening on KLM. Meet Mondo Verde Expeditions representative and transfer to Arusha for dinner and overnight. Arumeru River Lodge www.arumerulodge.com
D included
Day 2 - 3
Tarangire
Leave after breakfast for Tarangire, a two hour drive to the park gate. Pack a picnic lunch and game drive through the park to Kikoti Safari Camp on the eastern perimeter of the national park. While this is not typically peak season in Tarangire, the park remains excellent for elephants (3,000 resident elephants), giraffe and birds. The park is one of the most scenic in Tanzania with huge baobab trees. At Kikoti, enjoy a night drive one evening and meet local Maasai as they perform traditional dancing during the second night at the lodge www.kikotisafaricamp.com
TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK, which is the “Baobab Capital of the World”, is 120km and 2 hours drive from Arusha (75 miles). Tarangire is renowned for its wild landscapes and diverse habitats. The Tarangire River, from which the park derives its name, is the only permanent water source within 2600 square kilometers (1625 sq.miles) of protected wildlife area. In addition to numerous animals, the park has over 300 species of birds and has the highest recorded number of breeding bird species of any habitat in the world. Tarangire is most famous for it’s elephants. There are 3,000 resident elephants in the park and another 3,000 individuals migrate into the park during the dry season of July-October. Elephants can begin to migrate into Tarangire as early as May and June as they follow the long rains and love the tall swamp grass found in Tarangire National Park. Elephant watching is excellent in Tarangire all year round. Bird watching is amazing all year round as well and Tarangire boasts the largest number of breeding species in one park in all of Africa. During the dry season, herd animals of all kinds (elephants, wildebeest, zebra, gazelles and antelopes) migrate from the surrounding areas for the water found inside the park. This is the second largest migration of animals in Africa after the Serengeti Migration. Tarangire has a very large swamp, called Silali Swamp, that attracts animals and birds of all kinds. During the dry season, the famous giant rock pythons leave the swamp to avoid being stepped on by herd animals and live in the trees on the edge of the swamp. These are amazing creatures and some of the most unusual wildlife viewing is of rock pythons killing large animals of all kinds! Tarangire is also home to the last remaining pack of wild dogs in northern Tanzania. They remain an extremely elusive find.
B,L,D included
Day 4
Lake Manyara
Game drive out of the national park and continue to Lake Manyara (1 hour from the park gate). Stop along the way in the village of Mto wa Mbu to experience a local market and learn from your driver guides about the unique cultural and tribal make-up of this village. Mto wa Mbu is famous for a large variety of species and a locally grown rice, which is often favored in Arusha town. Lunch at Kirurumu and afternoon game drive in the national park.
LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK is 135 km [81 miles] from Arusha town. It is a small park and is bordered by the Western Wall of the Great Rift Valley and lies at 3,150-feet altitude. It is noted for its elephant population, abundance of hippos and tree-climbing lions. Actually, it is quite hard to see tree-climbing lions in Lake Manyara, due to the brush and woodland. The behavior of lions climbing trees was first observed in this park, but lions do climb trees in Tarangire and the Serengeti as well. This park was also made famous by the elephant research of Ian Douglas Hamilton. The park is 123 square kms in area, 88 square kms of which is surrounded by ground –water forest, with wild fig, palm, tamarind and baobab trees. You will see hippo, giraffes, elephants [the highest density in Africa – 7 elephants/sq.km], tree climbing lion, zebras, monkey and profusion of birds [more than 380 species]. Note: Manyara Park is one of the best areas for the bird watching. Overnight at Kirurumu Tented Lodge. www.kirurumu.com
B,L,D included
Day 5
Ngorongoro Crater
Continue to Ngorongoro Crater, arriving in time for lunch and an afternoon guided hike along the rim of the Crater. Hike with a trained naturalist and learn about the geology of the volcanic region, the flora used for medicinal purposes and visit a Maasai boma along your 3-4 hour hike. Return to the lodge by foot. Overnight at Crater Serena Lodge. www.serenahotels.com
B,L,D included
Day 6
Ngorongoro Crater
Full day on the Crater floor. Be prepared to leave the lodge by 6 AM to enjoy some of the best game viewing time in the Crater, with a picnic lunch.
Ngorongoro Crater is one of seven World Heritage Sites designated in Tanzania, and it is the world’s largest unflooded caldera. This means the entire rim of the old volcano is intact. The Crater is a memorable experience, while only 100 square miles in total, it also offers six distinct habitats: acacia forest, swamp, short grass, long grass, riverine and woodland. Each habitat attracts a variety of animals. NCA is also the world’s first multi-purpose land use experiment, combining tourism, research, archeology, wildlife management, grazing rights and farming. The rim of the Crater sits at 7,800 feet in altitude and the Crater floor descends to 5,000 feet above sea leave. The Crater is home to almost 30,000 animals in an area naturally enclosed by the slopes of the volcano. The Crater is the best location for viewing black rhino and the huge old bull elephants. There is not enough vegetation to support the large cow and calf herds, but the old males “retire” to the Crater for the wonderful swamp grass and acacia forest. The only animals you will not see in the Crater are the impala and giraffe. It is not known why impala do not inhabit the Crater, but giraffe are unable to descend the steep grade without lowering their heads, which raises their blood pressure to dangerous levels. Overnight at Crater Serena Lodge. www.serenahotels.com
B,L,D included
Day 7 - 9
Serengeti – Private Luxury Mobile Camp
After breakfast, drive to the famous Serengeti National Park, stopping along the way at Oldupai Gorge, the site of Louis and Mary Leakey’s famous archeological discoveries. Continue into the national park, enjoying a game drive and picnic lunch and travel to the area of the park where your private luxury mobile camp would be located. The selection of campsites is determined by the time of the year you travel and where the wildebeest and zebra herds might be located.
THE SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK is one of the most famous wildlife areas in the world. The park’s 5,700 square miles are part of the 9,600-squire-mile Mara- Serengeti ecosystem, home to incredible herds of wildebeest and other grazing animals. It is the largest national park in Tanzania, with a staggering animal population of about 4 million within 14,763 km sq. It is the largest wildlife sanctuaries in the world and the site of one of the most breathtaking events in animal kingdom-the migration of more than a million wildebeest. The area consists of treeless central plain, savannah dotted with acacia and granite outcroppings called kopjes, and riverine bush and forest in the north. The park’s name is derived from the Maasai language “SIRINGET” which means endless plains. The famous “Migration” that people dream to experience, is actually a dynamic process taking a full year to complete. There are different ‘events’ that happen at different times of the year and in different locations in this park. The basic migration occurs in a clock-wise direction, but it is guided by rain and the growth of grass, so at any time the animals can ignore “tradition” and just follow rain clouds in a more haphazard direction. There are three “seasons” in the Serengeti. They are short rains, long rains and dry season. During the start of the “short rains” of November and December, the large wildebeest and zebra herds leave the northern part of the Serengeti Eco-system (the Mara in Kenya) and travel east and south around the Gol Mountains and into the short grass plain of the southern and eastern Serengeti. The female wildebeest need to be in this area to begin the calving, as they rely on this particular kind of grass for calving and milk production, that is high in calcium and magnesium. Wildebeest calving can begin anytime between January-March. More than 750,000 females will drop their calves within a 3-week period of time, so predator/prey activity is at a peak. The short grass plains also offer some of the best protection against predators, as they are more visible to the herd animals. Herd animals will remain in this area as long as there is decent rain that continues in the following months, although they only need short bursts of rain to be happy. April is usually the month of long rain, meaning it rains fairly constantly and heavy. At this time, the herd usually begins to move to the Central Serengeti and begins to prepare for the wildebeest rut of May and June. These are some of the most amazing herd sightings, as the male and females herd reunite for breeding. The herd movement continues both west and north between May usually to the end of July. At this point, the herd disperses a bit and males without females may migrate directly north to the Mara and some may move to the famous Western Corridor and remain year round in the Serengeti. If rains are normal, we can expect the majority of the herd to leave the Serengeti by the middle to the end of July. The dry season of July-October still remains excellent for viewing cats of all kinds. In fact, some cats are easier to locate because they must remain more active during the daytime to search for dwindling food. During these months, clients usually stay in the Central Serengeti or the Western Corridor. The famous “river crossings”, which everyone hopes to see, are hard to predict and can occur in a short number of days. But, there are herd that cross at a few different locations on the Grumeti River in Tanzania and the Mara River bordering Kenya and Tanzania. Crossings typically occur October-November on the Mara River and July on the Grumeti River in Tanzania.
B,L,D included
Day 10-11
Serengeti - Mbalageti Tented Lodge
Travel to the Western Corridor, stopping along the way to meet with the director of projects from the Frankfurt Zoological Society (Joe Ole Kuwai) and learn about the fascinating history of research and conservation in the Serengeti National Park. Joe has spent more than 45 years in the bush studying animals and recording issues and changes in the Serengeti Eco-system. There are options to meet with the researchers from the Frankfurt Zoo, the Serengeti Lion Project or the Cheetah Watch Campaign. On day 11 we will explore this vast park and follow the herds.
B,L,D included
Day 12
Arusha - USA
Enjoy one last game drive as you travel to the Grumeti airstrip and fly Regional Air back to Arusha, arriving in time for shopping and a buffet lunch at the Cultural Heritage Center. The rest of the afternoon is free to relax, pack or swim. Farewell dinner and evening transfer to Kilimanjaro for return flight to US. Arumeru River Lodge dayroom.
B,L included
Trip Difficulty: Journey requires minimum walking since most activities are vehicle based. However participants must be in very good heath and reasonable physical condition. High heat and off road driving can present a challenge.
Included: All meals and accommodations from arrival to departure. All park and camping fees. All local travel including any internal flights, departure taxes and transfers. All activities listed in the program. 4-wheel drive stretch Land Rovers or Land Cruisers specially adapted with a canvas roll-top roof for unobstructed views. Soft drinks on game drives. Unlimited soft drinks and laundry in luxury mobile camp. Porterage. Tanzanian visa upon arrival.
Not Included: International airfare, alcoholic beverages. Soft drinks and laundry at lodges. Tips/gratuities for driver guides and camp staff. Items of a personal nature. Any changes made to the program. |
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