Tanzania Northern Circuit Luxury Safari

Day 1

Arusha

Staying at Hamerkop House by Lemala

Arrive at JRO Kilimanjaro airport, collect your luggage and go through customs. You will be met by our driver for the transfer to the hotel located on the outskirts of Arusha on the Kili Golf. Depending on your flight time, we can organize an additional excursion (city tour, coffee plantation tour, bike ride, Lake Duluti visit or a half day game viewing in Arusha national Park). Dinner is included at the lodge today. Enjoy the garden, and swimming pool, you can relax among lush vegetation, and prepare for your early wake up call tomorrow.

Includes & Excludes

Day 2-3

Tarangire National Park

Staying at Lemala Mpingo Ridge Lodge

Breakfast at the hotel and meet with your driver for the transfer to the airstrip. Arrive at Kuro in the Tarangire and meet with the lodge 's safari guide. Your game drives are conducted on a shared basis. Transfer to camp via a meandering game drive exploring the Tarangire National Park with its vast Baobab trees, swamps, reptiles like Monitor Lizards and pythons, and many colourful species of endemic and migratory birds. Your 2 nights at Mpingo Ridge include all meals, selected beverages and the shared game drives, PLUS we have added a night drive for you. Just because the sun has set, doesn't mean that Tarangire goes to sleep. The star-studded skies, the gentle winds, the shadow of an elephant meandering through the forest, the eerie silence broken by the roar of a lion and the shining eyes of curious wildlife peering at you as you drive by. It becomes another world altogether bathed in moonlight, and a wonderful experience.

Includes & Excludes

Day 4

Ngorongoro Crater Rim

Staying at Lemala Osonjoi Lodge

Your guide will meet you at a pre-agreed time for your scheduled transfer to the airstrip to join your flight to Manyara. On arrival, you will be met by the camp's guide and transfer through to the camp.  There will be time for a stop at the Crater rim for a photo op and to admire the view from above then continue around the Crater rim to Lemala Osonjoi, arriving in time for lunch. Afternoon to settle and relax and enjoy this beautiful acacia forest. The nights can be cold, as per the elevation, enjoy a wonderful dinner by the fire and retire for an early night.  

Includes & Excludes

Day 5

Ngorongoro Crater Rim

Staying at Lemala Osonjoi Lodge

Today is a very early wake up to travel down the Ngorongoro Crater and enjoy a couple of hours of game viewing before the crowds arrive.  The Ngorongoro Crater has many nicknames — Africa's "eighth wonder of the world" and "Africa's Eden," to name a few. But even without these lofty nicknames, the crater is a stunning sight. The caldera is the largest in the world, formed 2.5 million years ago after an extinct volcano collapsed on itself. You will have the best chance to view the Big Five, and we have included a very special warm lunch on the Crater floor for you today. Depending on the time of year, you may see vast flocks of pink flamingos around the shores of the shallow Lake Magadi, while hippos inhabit the surrounding swamp. Safari vehicles are closed, with glass windows and a pop-up roof. Off-road driving is not permitted. The crater has formed its own ecosystem due to its enclosed nature and is one place where you can certainly tick all the boxes. Sublime scenery, abundant wildlife, its distinctive Lerai Forest comprised of yellow fever trees, and Lake Magadi, a shallow soda lake. Roam to the east, and you will find Gorigor Swamp and the Ngoitokitok Springs, where happy pods of hippos can be found. The bulk of the resident game resides north of the Crater, thanks to the drier, open grasslands. If you are after The Big Five, it is all here waiting for you - black rhino, tusker elephants, lion, leopard, and buffalo along with healthy herds of wildebeest, hyena, and zebra. Other wildlife includes serval cats, jackals, Grant's and Thomson's gazelles, flamingos, and bat-eared foxes, as well as approximately 400 species of colourful birds. 

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Day 6-8

Eastern Serengeti

Staying at Lemala Nanyukie Lodge

Today drive back to Manyara and say your good-byes to your safari guide before the flight to the Central Serengeti. Arrive at Seronera airstrip where you are met by the safari guide from your camp and depart on shared game drives organized by the knowledgeable local guide. You will travel to the Eastern Corridor, far from the crowds of the central area, where there are only a few camps and very little traffic. Siringet is the Maasai word for endless plains, and when you drive into the Serengeti, the name begins to make perfect sense. Timeless vistas and wide horizons are dotted with acacia and cut through with rivers, bordered by trees and bushes. Rock formations called kopjes provide shelter and rainwater, making them a favored place for the lions, leopards, and cheetahs who roam the Serengeti.

The rocky hills, rivers, and woodlands surrounding our camp host elephants and buffaloes, waterbucks and hippos, crocodiles and giraffes, eland as well, and the list goes on, whilst these resident animals stay close by. Game drives here can be a combination of early morning and late afternoon, or a full day with a picnic lunch. Our guides will discuss your wish list with you the evening before and tailor the day to best maximize your wildlife experience. We have added a walking safari during your stay so that you can experience the wildlife on foot. A walking safari will change your perspective from being a passive spectator, allowing you to actively engage in the unspoiled natural world. In this pristine wilderness, your senses are quickly heightened as you are guided through the bush for an up-close and personal experience with nature. Your 3 nights stay includes all your meals, selected beverages and the shared game drives.

Includes & Excludes

Day 9

End Of Itinerary

Last morning in the bush, enjoy breakfast in camp and enjoy a meandering drive to the airstrip. Say your good byes to your safari guide and take the schedule flight to Arusha airport. Meet our guide at the airport and depart on a private guided tour of Arusha City, giving you the opportunity to experience the rich historical attractions and cultural heritage of the city. Did you know that the Clock Tower in Arusha sits at the halfway point between Cairo and Cape Town? Visit the Maasai Markets and Shanga, a successful social enterprise that employs people with disabilities to create unique, high-quality, handmade jewellery, glassware and homeware using recycled materials. You will then be transferred to Rivertrees where we have booked a day room. You can refresh before the transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport on time for your onward flight.