10-Day Safari & Cultural Activity in Kilimanjaro Region

• After arrival at the airport (Kilimanjaro / Arusha), your private driver guide will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to your accommodation for dinner and overnight awaiting for your safari departure on the following day.

In the morning you will be collected from your lodgings in Arusha and drive to Tarangire National Park on a good tarmac road across gently rolling Masai plains with scattered acacia trees. As we zip along we pass many Masai in their colorful dress walking on the roadside, riding bicycles, herding cattle and driving donkey’s carts. Tarangire National Park, well known for its large elephant herds, is also host to a multitude of other creatures. From the open roof of our state of the art safari jeep we experience the seasonal swamps, savanna and life giving Tarangire River endeavoring to encounter a multitude of creatures from zebra to wildebeest, buffalo, elephant, and giraffe, to name but a few. It is possible we will glimpse lion stalking prey or leopards watching, relaxing in the trees above. After our extensive game drive, we depart to drive to one of our carefully selected accommodation for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, you will continue towards the fertile highlands where wheat and corn are grown by the Iraqw people. Along the way we’ll pass through the mist-shrouded rainforests of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area where you might be lucky enough to see baboons, or even leopards and elephants in the dense undergrowth. Passing through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, you will be able to see the breath-taking Ngorongoro Crater before traveling onwards to the Serengeti National Park, which you will reach by midday. The Serengeti National Park is the largest park in Tanzania with diverse landscapes and habitats, such as grassy plains, swamps, lakes, savannah, and mountains. After an extensive game drive, you will drive to your accommodation, where you will enjoy dinner and an overnight stay.

This entire day is set aside for game drives upon the central Serengeti. The Serengeti, the habitat of an abundance of wildlife such as impala, buffalo, crocodile, and hippo, is more well-known for its great migrating herds of zebra, antelope, and wildebeest. The animals’ trek is determined by the rainfall and varies from year to year. In November and December the animals move from the northern region, dominated by woodlands and hills, to the grassy plains of the south. During the longer rainy season from April to June they return to the north. Apart from the migrating herds, we may have the opportunity to see the resident predators, leopard, cheetah, and lion, fulfilling their role in the circle of life.
After an extensive game drive we head for our tented lodge for a hearty dinner and another night by the fire of relaxation and conversation under the sweeping majesty of the star bright African night out upon the ‘Endless Plain’.

After an early breakfast, you will head out to make the most of the day. There is a chance you may see the animals crossing the Mara River. Hundreds of thousands of desperate wildebeest gather together on the banks of the river, gazing wistfully across the turbulent water at the green grass on the other side but no animal will make a move. All it takes is one brave wildebeest to take the literal plunge and, then, they all follow! The animals that do successfully avoid the awaiting crocodile jaws and make it over the river are rewarded with the lush green grazing grass of the Masai Mara.

After breakfast, you will return to Seronera with further opportunities to experience the incredible wildlife and natural beauty of the Serengeti.
Apart from the migrating herds, we may have the opportunity to see the resident predators, leopards, cheetahs, and lions, fulfilling their role in the circle of life.
After an extensive game drive, we will head out to our accommodation for a hearty dinner and another night by the fire. We will relax and have a conversation under the sweeping majesty of the star bright African night out upon the ‘Endless Plain’.

After breakfast, you will embark upon another incredible game drive in the Serengeti before travelling to the Ngorongoro Crater. You will be arriving at the edge of the crater in the afternoon and have your first glimpse of what awaits you the following day. Look out for the glistening streams, open grassland and an infinite number of animals. You will spend the night at a nearby lodge on the rim of the crater.

Very early in the morning after an early breakfast, we will descend down onto the crater floor for a day of wildlife viewing in one of the most incredible places on Earth where the animals roam freely through the unfenced reserves offering us an uninterrupted game viewing experience. The Caldera was formed about three million years ago with the massive explosion of a volcano that rivalled Kilimanjaro in height. It is 610 m deep and covers roughly 260 square kilometres. It is an enclosed ecosystem. The word Ngorongoro represents the sound of the bells that the Maasai cows wear around their necks. It is one of the best places in Africa to view the big five, as well as wildebeest, gazelle, reedbuck, and many others, along with about 500 bird species. You will stop for a picnic lunch near the hippo lake and in the afternoon, you will ascendup the steep road out of the crater. You will overnight in the nearby town of Karatu.

After breakfast, you will drive to our final destination on this epic safari – Lake Manyara National Park. This is a relatively small but diverse park, 120km west of Arusha. It is so named for the shallow salt lake that covers about seventy percent of the surface area, flooding and drying with the seasons and home to thousands of flamingo and in the extraordinary region of 500 other bird species. On your exploration of the park you will see monkey, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, elephant and, with some luck, lions lounging in the trees. The park is known for its diverse landscapes; not only open grassy plains, but also primate-filled woodlands and baobab dotted cliffs. After lunch, we head back to Arusha where we will arrive in the late afternoon.

In the early morning, you will leave your accommodation in Arusha and drive to Materuni village in the Kilimanjaro region for a wonderful coffee tour. You will learn how coffee is cultivated, dried, roasted and further processed. You will also be invited to help with the grinding of the coffee, which is traditionally accompanied by Chagga songs and dances – a fun way to immerse yourself in the local culture. If the weather is clear, you will be able to see the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

After your day in Materuni, you will be driven to a small lodge, set on beautiful grounds, near Kilimanjaro International Airport. The lodge staff will transfer you to the airport the next day.