The high drama of a river crossing at the Mara River is arguably the highlight of the Wildebeest Migration, a stunning life-and-death display as hundreds of thousands of wildebeest brave the treacherous currents and lurking crocodiles in a last-ditch attempt to reach the safety of the Maasai Mara in Kenya.
– Arusha – Lake Manyara – Bougainvillea Lodge
– Karatu – Serengeti Central – Katikati camp
– Serengeti – Serengeti North – Katikati Mara camp
– Full day Serengeti North Game drive- Katikati Mara camp
– Serengeti North – Serengeti Central – Thorn tree camp
– Serengeti Central – Ngorongoro Crater – Ngorongoro Farm house
– Transfer Arusha
Pickup from your hotel at 8am and start a beautiful journey across the Great Rift Valley for a full day game drive. Although small in dimension (205 sq. miles), the park has breathtaking scenery and well famous for its lush acacia forest, giant figs and mahogany trees, as well as to a growing population of baboons and blue monkeys. Permanent residents of this park also include giraffes, elephants, impalas and a huge amount of buffaloes.
The lake is also home to a large number of hippos. The landscapes of Lake Manyara are something that can not be described with words, and the game drives along the lake provide stunning photo opportunities of giraffes and buffaloes in the foreground and the lake in the background. Some possible extra tours are possible, including a bike tour or a boat excursion. Afternoon return to the camp for dinner.
Overnight at bougainvillea Safari Lodge (Lunch & Dinner)
After an early breakfast, depart towards the most famous National park in the World, the Serengeti. The driving itself, although long, is spectacular. This will be an unforgettable moment for anyone seeing it for the first time. As you progress well into the Serengeti, you will see why the name means, in local language, “endless plains”. The park has 6,900 sq. mile (18,000 sq. km) and for most of it, the plains will stretch to the horizon defying your senses and perception of distances. It is the home of the Great Migration and to 2 million wildebeests, hundreds of thousands of zebras and all kinds of antelopes. As for Big Cats and large predators, it’s the place of choice to look out for lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, with many television scenes like the famous river crossings having been filmed in this park
Overnight at Serengeti Kati Kati Tented Camp (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)
After breakfast, we will proceed with a game drive along the way to the Serengeti North. We will drive across the plains of Togoro and through the Mbuzi Mawe kopjes (small hills) as we make our way into the park’s northern reaches.
Along the way you’ll have the opportunity to see the Serengeti’s diverse scenery as pass through wooded hills, tumbledown kopjes, and the wide open savannah. Your drive will show you everything from the diminutive dik-dik to towering elephants and giraffes.
Overnight at Mara Kati Kati Tented Camp (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)
The North Hills are covered in large acacia trees which support large amounts of elephants, giraffes, antelopes, buffaloes, and the carnivores that prey on them. It’s a fascinating opportunity to see a large number of Africa’s most iconic animals in a relatively small amount of time.
From here we’ll proceed to the Bologonja and Kogatende areas where we will eventually meet the Mara River itself. Home to large numbers of hippos and Nile crocodiles, the Mara River is the last major obstacle standing between the Wildebeest Migration and the relative safety of the Masai Mara. If you’re patient and a little lucky, you may even get to witness the death-defying crossing itself where wildebeest and zebras brave the river’s currents and crocodiles in an attempt to reach safety on the opposite bank.
Overnight at Mara Kati Kati Tented Camp (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)
After breakfast, proceed with thrilling game drives in the Serengeti North taking your way down to the Serengeti Central with a game drive along the way with great chances of spotting wild cats.
Overnight at Thorn Tree Camp (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)
On this day we suggest a very early wake up in order to do an early morning game drive (when the animals are more active) and see one of the best sunrises you’ll ever witness. After the game drive, we return to the camp for a rewarding brunch and then we’ll proceed to Ngorongoro, the 8th wonder of the Natural World. The crater spreads for 102 sq. miles and has 2.000 ft high walls, making it virtually a Noah’s ark and inhabiting almost every species of wildlife that is indigenous to East Africa. It’s one of the very rare locations in the whole continent where you can witness the black Rhino. The crater has a river, several swamps, a soda lake with a great concentration of flamingos, a forest and open plains. It’s also famous for its elephants which, are the largest in the world and have huge tusks. Ngorongoro Crater is truly a Wonder of the Natural World.
You will reach Ngorongoro in time for a sundowner.
Overnight at Ngorongoro Farm House (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)
We will start the day very early and descend into the crater floor for an incredible morning of wildlife in one of the most stunning places on Earth. After the game drive, there will be time for a picnic lunch near the beautiful hippo Lake. After lunch, we will have time for a short game drive and then ascend the crater and exit Ngorongoro Conservation Area towards Arusha. We expect to be back in Arusha around 5pm although we are flexible in case there is a flight to catch or another situation.
