5 Days Tanzania Safari Tour

Day 1: Arusha – Lake Manyara

Non game-viewing

Travel time: 2½ hours

Distance: 130 kms.

Pick up from Arusha and transfer to Lake Manyara National Park for a full day game drive. This national park is one of Tanzania’s most dramatically located wildlife areas, consisting of a massive but shallow soda lake (covering two-thirds of the park), located at the foot of the Great Rift Valley’s western escarpment. The park’s varied habitat attracts a wide variety of animals, including one of Africa’s largest concentrations of elephants, Lake Manyara’s unique tree-climbing lions, as well as large flocks of flamingos attracted by the algae in the lake.

Dinner and overnight: Mid-range safaris or Luxury safaris accommodation.

Day 2:  Lake Manyara – Crater – Serengeti Plains

En route game-viewing

Travel time: 6 hours

Distance: 205 kms.

After breakfast at the lodge do we depart to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. We descend over 600 meters into the crater to view wildlife for a half day’s safari tour. The Ngorongoro crater supports a vast variety of animals, which include herds of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippo, and giant African elephants. Another big draw card to this picturesque national park, is it’s dense population of predators, which include lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs and the ever-elusive leopard, which sometimes requires a trained eye to spot. We will visit Lake Magadi, a large but shallow alkaline lake in the southwestern corner, which is one of the main features of the crater. A large number of flamingos, hippos and other water birds can usually been seen here.

After lunch we head towards the Serengeti National Park, via the beautiful high lying land of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Leaving the highlands behind, we descend into the heart of wild Africa – the Serengeti National Park – with its endless plains, rolling into the distance as far as the eye can see.

Dinner and overnight: Mid-range safaris or Luxury safaris accommodation.

Day 3: Serengeti Plains.

Be one of only a few fortunate people to glide in a Hot Air Balloon over the Serengeti Plains (available at supplementary cost by pre-arrangement). Floating silently above the awakening bush, while spotting wildlife and enjoying the amazing scenery of Africa, across rivers and over numerous small villages. We do an after breakfast game viewing drive along the Sogore River Circuit, which loops into the plains south of the Seronera River, and which is good for possible Lion, Thomson gazelle, topi, ostrich and cheetah sightings. The Visitor Centre close to the Serengeti Seronera Lodge and public campsites, is well worth a visit after the morning’s game drive. This nicely designed centre offers some interesting wildlife displays as well as a gift shop selling information leaflets and maps of the area. The centre also has a shop where cold drinks and snacks can be purchased, as well as a picnic area and information trail up and around a nearby kopje. We will enjoy a relaxed picnic lunch at the centre in the shade of the giant acacia trees.

In the afternoon we will follow the Kopjes Circuit, which goes anti-clockwise around the Maasai Kopjes, which usually attract a number of lion and some formidably large cobras. Kopjes are weathered granite outcrops, scattered around the plains, most of which are miniature ecosystems, providing shade and drinking water in pools left in the rock after the rains. This makes the kopjes particularly good for spotting wildlife in the dry seasons – including lions, which like to lie in wait for animals coming to drink!

Dinner and overnight: Mid-range safaris or Luxury safaris accommodation.

Day 4: Serengeti Plains – Ngorongoro Highlands.

En routes game-viewing

Travel time: 8 hours

Distance: 145 kms.

Breakfast then depart for game drive over the Serengeti plains via a different route, offering plenty of opportunities to spot the animals. As far as the eye can see, you’ll spot thousands upon thousands of animals in herds; wildebeests and zebras migrating together, tall and graceful giraffes, jumping antelopes and gazelles, the powerful African elephant and the most respected group of animals: the predators. You will have the chance to spot lean cheetahs and shy leopards, foraging hyenas, and last but not least, the king himself; the lion.

Dinner and overnight: Mid-range or luxury accommodation.

Day 5: Ngorongoro highlands – Tarangire – Arusha.

En routes game-viewing

Travel time: 1½ hours

Distance: 85 kms.

After breakfast do we head into the Tarangire National Park for a morning game drive, the park runs along the line of the Tarangire River and is mainly made up of low-lying hills on the Great Rift Valley floor. Its natural vegetation mainly consists of Acacia woodland and giant African Baobab trees, with huge swamp areas in the south. Both the river and the swamps act like a magnet for wild animals, during Tanzania’s dry season. The Tarangire National Park is reputed to contain some of the largest elephant herds in Africa. This African national park is also home to three rare species of animals – the Greater Kudu, the Fringed-eared Oryx, as well as a few Ashy Starlings. We return to the lodge for lunch after which we will depart to Arusha town or airport for your flight back home.

End our African safari adventure