Down to earth holidays

Description

Why is an African safari holiday in northern Tanzania such as special wildlife experience? Well, when it includes major wildlife highlights such as the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara, it cannot fail to delight wildlife lovers.

The Ngorongoro Crater is a 16 mile wide ancient volcano, and contained within its forested walls are diverse habitats such as acacia forest, a soda lake, freshwater lake and open grassland. These habitats are home to a wide range of wildlife. In your Crater safari you are very likely to see lions, hippos, elephants and zebras, but there are also rhinos, leopards and cheetah and many other species. It is an excellent experience at any time of year, and whilst it is always busy, you still get the chance to see a lot of wildlife in a short space of time. And then there are those awe-inspiring views from the Crater Rim. This really is a special place.

The Serengeti is one of the most famous African wildlife reserves. This is a land of wide open savannah places with great herds of wildebeest, antelope, zebra and other plains animals, and predators such as lions, hyenas, jackals and cheetah are never very far away. With two days to explore this vast wilderness you should see a great range of animals and birdlife, and those expansive views of the Serengeti Plains will be a sight you won't forget.

Lake Manyara is the other excellent wildlife reserve on this safari holiday. Most of the park is covered by a shallow soda lake so it's an excellent place for birds. However there are also a lot of elephants here, plus hippos, zebras, the famed tree-climbing lions (don't hold your breath on that one!), and other species.

Apart from the game viewing, there are optional opportunities to get to know about the local Maasai culture on excursions to a local Maasai village and a walking tour of Mto wa Mbu village near Manyara .

This is an excellent and good value northern Tanzania safari, and there are three different ways you can choose to enjoy this trip:

Group departure with public campsites: To keep the cost down by keeping staff levels down, we ask you to help erect and dismantle the tents. Actually though, most people find that this is easy and quite a nice way to get more involved in the holiday. The safari is also based on camping in public campsites. We'd rather be honest and make you are aware that facilities in such campsites are very basic (long drop loos and cold showers, and not generally kept as well as we'd all like), so don't come with any expectations on that level.

However the important things on the trip are done well. What do we think are the important things? Well, good food prepared by your camp chef, a safe 5-7 seater 4x4 vehicle with game-viewing hatch, decent two-man dome tents with a mattress, a sleeping bag and inner sheet, a mess tent, dining table and stools, a coolbox, and, most important of all, a knowledgeable driver/guide.

Private departure with public campsites: This is almost the same as the group trip except that with 2 or more people you can take it whenever you like. There is only one camp staff member/cook (plus the driver/guide of course), and depending on the number in your party, it maybe a smaller 4x4 vehicle. This version also includes camp beds.

Private departure using lodges & permanent tented camps: If you don't like the idea of camping, or need more civilized bathroom facilities, we offer the same itinerary but staying in comfortable, good value lodges and tented camps. A tented camp is not camping - it is like being in a proper room, but made out of canvas (usually with a thatch roof). All accommodation will be en-suite.

NOTE: This northern Tanzania safari holiday can be combined with other areas of mainland Tanzania or some relaxation time on Zanzibar.

Detailed Itinerary

1. DAY 1: Arrive in Kilimanjaro International Airport. You will be met and transferred to Arusha (about 1 hour away) to check-in to your hotel. 
2. DAY 2: TO NGORONGORO CRATER: Your driver will collect you from your hotel this morning. There is a short briefing and time to buy any drinks you wish to take on the trip (including water). There is a coolbox. You’ll set off from Arusha at about 10am, and it is about a 3 hour drive to the Ngorongoro Crater area. It is a good road all the way, and you pass by villages and some incredible scenery. You’re in Africa! This afternoon there is an optional excursion to a local Maasai village. The cost is only about $60 per vehicle shared between however many of the group want to go. FB.
   [Please expect that the Maasai will want to try to sell you crafts. They are mostly very poor people who will see you as an opportunity to earn some money].
3. DAY 3: NGORONGORO CRATER: After breakfast you head off for some exciting game viewing in the Ngorongoro Crater. The park authority allows up to 6 hours in the Crater. We’ll take a picnic lunch with us. FB.
4. DAY 4: SERENGETI: Leaving the Crater we set off west towards the Serengeti. The views on this stretch change from the forested slopes of the Crater to the wide open spaces of the Serengeti. It’s dramatic and awe-inspiring scenery. On the way, we’ll stop at Olduvai Gorge and its small museum. This archaeological site is known as the Cradle of Mankind. As we get closer to the Serengeti, we start seeing more game and in fact a large part of today is taken up with gameviewing. If camping you are in the central Seronera region of the park, but if in lodges, you’re in the western corridor. FB
5. DAY 5: SERENGETI: Today is all about seeing the wildlife of the Serengeti. Enjoy! FB
6. DAY 6: TO MANYARA: Today we head back through the park for the first part of the journey, then pass the Crater and down the Rift Escarpment to the village of Mto was Mbu next to Lake Manyara National Park. You have the opportunity to take optional excursions here this afternoon (such as a community run village walk) or you could enjoy shopping in the craft markets. FB.
7. DAY 7: LAKE MANYARA: This morning we have a last game drive, this time in Lake Manyara National Park. It is about a 2 hour drive back to Arusha and we get there in the late afternoon. B,L