14 DAYS DETAILED SAFARI
ITINERARY NDUTU AREA
DAY 1: ARRIVAL DAY AND WELCOME TO TANZANIA
Overnight at the hotel
DAY 2: ARUSHA CITY TO ARUSHA NATONAL PARK
Dinner and Overnight at the hotel
DAY 3: ARUSHA CITY TO TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
Tarangire is huge. When you stand at the park gate and look south, it stretches as far as the eye can see. Known as the “Elephant Play Round”, this phenomenal park contains huge herds of these powerful mammals. But Tarangire is also home to buffaloes, lions, wildebeest, zebras and gazelles and the park can compete with the Serengeti for animal density. What could you see today? Perhaps a lone male lion lying under a tree, perhaps a trio of male cheetahs enjoying lazy bonding time in the sun. Perhaps a graceful Grant’s gazelle or zebra moving away from the road or a few giraffes happily munching on the fanciest acacia branches. For Tarangire specialties, watch out for kudu and oryx.
Here as in other parks, it is better not to ignore the small animals. It is so easy to be fascinated by the power and majesty of an elephant or the elegance of the giraffe. Ask your guide to find you an agama lizard, especially a male that changes color in front of you depending on the temperature! Or a hyrax, known as a pimpi,
Evening drive to your lodge outside the park
DAY 4: TARANGIRE TO LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK
Evening drive to Karatu for dinner and overnight
DAY 5: KARATU TO LAKE NATRON
Dinner and overnight at the Camp
DAY 6: FULL DAY AT LAKE NATRON
Dinner and overnight at the Camp
DAY 7: NATRON TO SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
Evening drive to your camp inside the park for dinner and overnight
DAY 8: FULL DAY OF GAME IN THE SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
Today is a full day of discovery, the opportunity to enjoy the varied landscapes of the central Serengeti. The Seronera River makes its way through this area, providing water for all wildlife. You will also see the distinctive rock outcrops, the famous kopjes that characterize the landscape of the Serengeti.
Lunch will be an unforgettable experience, enjoyed in the middle of the bush. Everything varies according to the season, but in May, November and December, the migrating herds join the already rich population of resident animals who live here all year round. (During the rainy season, the landscape turns black with hundreds of thousands of wildebeest – a simply incredible sight.)
Evening drive to your camp inside the park for dinner and overnight
DAY 9 : SERENGETI TO NDUTU
Dinner and overnight the camp
DAY 10 : FULL DAY GAME DRIVE IN NDUTU
Dinner and overnight at the camp
DAY 11: NDUTU - NGORONGORO CRATER
Early in the morning, you will leave Ndutu to reach the edge, then descend into the vast crater itself. On one side there is the Lerai forest, a classic mountain forest landscape with almost tropical characteristics. It’s a good land of elephants, so keep your eyes open. Next to the nearby swamp is what is sometimes called the “elephant cemetery” because the powerful male defenders at the end of their life come to chew on the sweet and swampy grasses after their teeth have failed.
The crater has a population of around 120 lions, with well-defined territories; 15,000 wildebeest, 9,000 zebras, 400 hyenas and around 50 black rhinos. Many wildebeest and other herd animals reside there, benefiting from the numerous sources of water all year round and stimulated by certain migrants in season. Buffalo, Thomson’s gazelle and eland are also numerous. Hippos can be found in swimming pools and swamps and the highland avifauna is colorful and plentiful around the waters. Flamingos can often be seen in Lake Magadi, which occupies part of the bottom of the crater.
Evening drive to Karatu for dinner and overnight
DAY 12: KARATU TO LAKE EYASI
After lunch, we journey south to Lake Eyasi. Here, we have an opportunity to remind ourselves that Tanzania is rich in human culture, as well as rich in fantastic wildlife. The Datoga tribe are our hosts this afternoon, as we are introduced to their village, customs and traditions. A colorful experience, not to be forgotten!
Dinner and overnight at the lodge
DAY 13: Lake Eyasi - Karatu
Lake Eyasi is located in the Great Rift Valley, southwest of the Ngorongoro Crater. Its salt-water levels experience dramatic changes with the seasons: in years with little rainfall, the lake can almost disappear. Near to the shimmering lake, we will first experience a hunting trip with the Hadzabe, the last hunter-gatherers in Tanzania, before visiting a local blacksmith as he practices his craft, fashioning pots and weapons from scrap metal
Evening drive to Karatu for dinner and overnight