10-Day Best of Tanzania Safari

Drive from Moshi or Arusha to either Lake Manyara National Park (best December to May) or Tarangire National Park (best June to November) with picnic lunch enroute and an afternoon game drive. Both parks are outstanding with many photography opportunities. On this 7-day safari, you have the built-in opportunity to see both reserves no matter what time of year you go.

Lake Manyara National Park, rimmed by the scenic 600-meter cliffs of the Rift Valley escarpment, protects a large alkaline lake and is home to a wildlife-rich savannah-forest mix. It makes an outstanding introduction to Africa's wildlife, with elephants, wildebeest, giraffes, buffalo, zebra, impala, waterbuck, and waterbuck roaming the park in healthy numbers while lions are also present.

Tarangire National Park is famous for its huge herds of elephant and baobab trees. Throughout the dry season, thirsty antelope and elephant trek hundreds of kilometres to drink at the Tarangire River.

Meals included: Lunch, Dinner
Budget/Mid-Range Accommodations: Endoro Lodge
Mid-Range Accommodations: Escarpment Luxury Lodge
Luxury Accommodations: Tarangire River Camp
Elite Accommodations: Lemala Manyara

Today explore more of the area, either on a full day game drive with your AWR safari guide into either Tarangire or Lake Manyara, or try an active or cultural half-day activity.

Local activities include a Zipline, cultural hike, biking to the the Lake Manyara shoreline, Mto wa Mbu village tour, Tinga Tinga painting class, or a coffee tour. Ideally, these are done as a half-day morning tour with a relaxing afternoon.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Budget/Mid-Range Accommodations: Endoro Lodge
Mid-Range Accommodations: Escarpment Luxury Lodge
Luxury Accommodations: Tarangire River Camp
Elite Accommodations: Lemala Manyara

Drive to the Ngorongoro Crater for a half-day game drive.

Ngorongoro Crater is a spectacular setting and contains an abundance of wildlife with over 20,000 large animals including Tanzania's remaining black rhino. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is unique in that it allows over 40,000 Masaai pastoralists with their cattle goats and sheep to live alongside the abundant wildlife in a natural setting.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Budget/Mid-Range Accommodations: Rhino Lodge
Mid-Range Accommodations: Ngorongoro Serena Lodge
Luxury Accommodations: Gibbs Farm
Elite Accommodations: Lemala Ngorongoro Tented Camp

Follwing breakfast at the lodge, drive to scenic, surreal Lake Natron, a high-alkaline soda lake surrounded by gorgeous desert scenery and traditional Maasai hamlets. After some rest at camp, enjoy an afternoon activity.

The best months to visit Lake Natron, temprature wise, can be June-July and December-January however the peak flamingo season, when the entire region's population of flamingo come here to nest and are situated here in unreal numbers, is between August and October.

OR

Lake Eyasi is an excellent choice for cultural enthusiasts seeking to see more of Tanzania's amazing living heritage. Here you can walk with bushpeople as they hunt and visit a pastoral Datoga village. While there is no awesome wildlife here, bird-watching can be highly rewarding.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Mid-Range Accommodations: Tindiga Tented Camp
Luxury Accommodations: Kisima Ngeda Tented Camp
Elite Accommodations: Ziwani Lodge

LAKE NATRON ACTIVITIES:

Canyon hike to the Waterfalls

This is a 20 to 30-minute guided hike one-way up a scenic rocky river gorge. Wearing your Chaco or Teva-style sandals, you will be scrambling and walking through the river (sometimes waist deep). It is an excellent swim in the river and under the pretty waterfalls for a nice cool-down from the hot sun.

See Flamingos

Lake Natron is uniquely outstanding for bird watching. You can walk from your camp or from the road out on the mud flats to the edge of the water. In the dry season, this may be a half-mile walk. Flamingos breed here August-October, creating a birding spectacle that rivals almost any, anywhere in the world. However, there will be some flamingos around all year. Endemic desert birds provide a wonderful bonus for the avid birdwatcher.

Scenic Drive

Full day scenic drive around the south and west side of Lake Natron. In this area, you can drive off road. There may be animals right around the camp, but it is still safe to walk around because there are no dangerous animals in this area.

Maasai Village

There are many authentic Masaai villages in the area to visit. Here you have a chance to get to know authentic Maasai families and see how real life is like for the locals. You can visit homes, and walk with them from boma to boma, meeting the children along the way, and even help them milk the cows.
There are many authentic Masaai villages in the area to visit. Here you have a chance to get to know authentic Maasai families and see how real life is like for the locals. You can visit homes, watch traditional dances, and purchase homemade jewelry.

Footprints of ancient man

Visit the impressive prehistoric human footprints in the nearby mud flats.

Sundowners

Join your guide and head to a nearby hill for 360-degree views of the surreal landscape and looming Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano (Mountain of God), Tanzania's third highest peak.

Climb Ol Doinyo Lengai (extra cost)

A very difficult climb with lots of exposure. Contact us for details however we can arrange for a local mountain guide to steer you up the steep, loose scree slops.

LAKE EYASI:

Early morning visit with the Bushman tribe, visit onion fields and blacksmith shop.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Mid-Range Accommodations: Tindiga Tented Camp
Luxury Accommodations: Kisima Ngeda Tented Camp
Elite Accommodations: Ziwani Lodge

If you were at Lake Natron, you will drive to the northern Serengeti area today (Mara/Kogatende). If you were at Lake Eyasai, you will drive to the central Serengeti area (Seronera). There will be a game drive en route. This will be a longer day of driving, so you will have 2 nights at your camp/lodge.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Budget/Mid-Range Accommodations: Serengeti Halisi Camp
Mid-Range Accommodations: Serengeti Tortilis Camp
Luxury Accommodations: Kubu Kubu Tented Camp
Elite Accommodations: Lemala Ewanjan Camp (Seronera)

Today enjoy a full-day game drive in the Serengeti or a morning and afternoon game drive with a break and rest in between back at your safari lodge. You also have the option of a scenic hot air balloon safari early this morning at extra cost.

The fabulous Serengeti is a singular safari destination in Africa. The oldest and largest intact land-based ecosystem in the world, the Serengeti is celebrated for its wealth of leopard and lion. Serengeti, meaning 'endless plains,' is home to the largest annual overland migration of mammals in the world, with over a million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson's gazelles along with a range of other antelope species gradually undergoing an over 800-km long trek seeking new grazing grounds.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Budget/Mid-Range Accommodations: Serengeti Halisi Camp
Mid-Range Accommodations: Serengeti Tortilis Camp
Luxury Accommodations: Kubu Kubu Tented Camp
Elite Accommodations: Lemala Ewanjan Camp (Seronera)

If you were in the northern part of the Serengeti, you will drive to the central area (Seronera). If you were in the central part, you will drive to the northern area (Mara/Kogatende)

The crucial characteristics of the Serengeti ecosystem have changed little in over a million years. Serengeti's boundless plains are sprinkled with wooded hills, towering termite mounds, rocky kopjes and rivers lined with acacia trees. Big cats and a huge host of grazing animals roam freely, but here you also can see other unique species like mongoose, hyrax, warthog, bat-eared fox, jackals, bushbabies, monkeys, baboons, and much more.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Budget/Mid-Range Accommodations: Mara Kati Kati Tented Camp
Mid-Range Accommodations: Mara Under Canvas (TWC)
Luxury Accommodations: Lemala Camp (Ndutu/Mara)
Elite Accommodations: Lemala Kuria Hills Camp (Mara)

Today explore more of this famous wildlife reserve with your safari guide. The Serengeti provides incredible wildlife viewing year-round with the "great migration".

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Budget/Mid-Range Accommodations: Mara Kati Kati Tented Camp
Mid-Range Accommodations: Mara Under Canvas (TWC)
Luxury Accommodations: Lemala Camp (Ndutu/Mara)
Elite Accommodations: Lemala Kuria Hills Camp (Mara)

You may have time for a short, early morning game drive en route to the airstrip in the Serengeti. Fly to the Arusha Airport, Kilimanjaro Airport, or Zanzibar (flight charged separately).

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch