Ngorongoro Crater Game Viewing and Calving Safari in the Serengeti

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

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 transferred 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 3

Ngorongoro Crater Rim

Staying at Lemala Osonjoi Lodge

Today is a very early wake up in order 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 a sight. Formed 2.5 million years ago after an extinct volcano collapsed on itself, the caldera is largest of its kind in the world. 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 huge flocks of pink flamingo around the shores of the shallow Lake Magadi, while the surrounding swamp is inhabited by hippo. 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 very own 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 hippo can be found. The north of the Crater is where the bulk of the resident game resides 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 cat, jackal, Grant's and Thomson's gazelle, flamingo, and bat-eared foxes, as well as approximately 400 species of colourful birds.

Includes & Excludes

Day 4-6

Ndutu

Staying at Lemala Ndutu Mobile Tented Camp

Today drive back to Manyara and say your good-byes to your safari guide before the flight to the Serengeti. Arrive at Ndutu airstrip where you are met by the safari guide from your camp and depart on shared game drive. The Ndutu area is famed for its short grass plains which grow grass which is particularly rich in nutrients and sustains the migratory animals whilst they have their babies.

Traditionally the wildebeest and zebra tend to calve on these plains with a peak around February which makes for a beautiful natural spectacle and some exciting predator hunting behaviors. Your game drives will be tailored by our guides who will discuss the days plan with you and decide whether to go out with a picnic breakfast and lunch then back in the later afternoon or going out early morning and back for late breakfast then out again in the afternoon. The options are endless and will be arranged to maximize the wildlife experience here.

Includes & Excludes

Day 7

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.