(MARA RIVER CROSSING) PACKAGE

Upon arrival at Arusha/Kilimanjaro airport, we will pick you up and transfer you to your hotel in Arusha or Moshi Tanzania. Settle into your accommodation, relax and get used to the African atmosphere. Ready to start your 7 Days Tanzania safari to Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Eyasi and lake Manyara (Tanzania Big-5 Safari) the next day.
Arusha is a city in northern Tanzania and the capital of the Arusha Region, with a population of 416,442 plus 323,198 in the surrounding Arusha District Located below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley, Arusha has a temperate climate. The city is close to the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara National Park, Olduvai Gorge, Tarangire National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Arusha National Park on Mount Meru.

Accommodation: (OPTIONAL) Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
overnight stay – (Arusha – Arusha Town)

• BUDGET LODGES –
Mrimba palm Hotel | Arusha tourist inn hotel

• MID-RANGE LODGES –
Natron Palace Hotel | City Link Hotel | Charity international

• LUXURY LODGES –
Mount Meru Hotel | Tulia Hotel & Spa | Kibo Paris | Arusha Serena Lodge

Depart early from Arusha town at around 07.30 – 08.00 Hrs you will drive across a beautiful and scenic Masai Steppe to Makuyuni junction and take left along the Arusha – Dodoma Highway towards Tarangire National Park, a drive that will take only 2 hours at most. Arrive at the parks gate at Tarangire and after your driver has sorted out the paperwork you start game drives almost straight away form the gate in a bid to see as many animals and birds a possible.
Tarangire is known for the two aspects, large baobabs and largest herds of the jumbos but there is more to visiting the park than just that. The park hosts a lot of migratory big game and small animals ( that migrate between here and Manyara) but also a lot of bird life including some very rare and almost indigenous only to this park like the Ashy Starlings for example. Other rare animals include the oryx and the gerenuk. A range of other common animals that can be spotted include, buffaloes, giraffes, lions, cheetahs, impalas, dikdiks, leopards, gazelles, elands, hartebeests (Kongoni) and many others.

Your professional safari guide will take you to the best wildlife spotting areas of the park including the Tarangire River which is a permanent river that works as a bloodline for the park ensuring animals flock the river banks in search for water throughout the year. You expect to see elephants, elands, wildebeests, buffaloes, zebras, gerenuks, giraffes and a lot of birds. Lunch will be taken at one of the picnic sites. Later in the afternoon you will drive out of the park and your guide will take you to Manyara/ Karatu in the Ngorongoro Highlands for dinner and overnight. Overnight at a Budget Tinted Lodge at Manyara/Karatu.

Accommodation:

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
overnight stay – (Karatu/Manyara- Mtowa Mbu)

• BUDGET TENTED CAMPING –
SUNBRIGHT | LILAC | SAVANNA | KIZUMBA

• MID-RANGE LODGES –
Twiga Lodge | Eileen's Trees Inn | Fanaka

• LUXURY LODGES -
Manyara Serena Safari Lodge | Manyara Wildlife Lodge

• SUPPER LUXURY LODGES –
and Beyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge

The second day of your safari will begin by 8AM in the morning with a pick up from your camp/Lodge at Manyara. Once everyone is aboard, you will head towards Lake Manyara National Park.
This is one of Tanzania’s smaller parks but still offers a rewarding and diverse safari experience.
Lake Manyara National Park is an unspoiled paradise of ground water forest fed by underground springs and teeming with wildlife such as elephants, hippos, giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes, and some of the largest baboon troupes in Africa. The lake shore at Manyara teems with birdlife, and while you are looking for the birds, you might spot one of the elusive tree-climbing lions, and people flock from all over the world to see these iconic predators lounging in the trees
There are a surprising number of other large mammals and the striking cliffs on the Rift escarpment form a dramatic backdrop. Overnight at Public camp/Tinted Camp/Lodge at Manyara.

Accommodation:
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
overnight stay – (Karatu/Manyara- Mtowa Mbu)

• BUDGET TENTED CAMPING – SUNBRIGHT | LILAC | SAVANNA | KIZUMBA

• MID-RANGE LODGES – Twiga Lodge | Eileen's Trees Inn | Fanaka

• LUXURY LODGES - Manyara Serena Safari Lodge | Manyara Wildlife Lodge

• SUPPER LUXURY LODGES –andBeyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge

Explore wild, uncharted territory in southern Serengeti. Lake Eyasi, located in the immediate southwest of Ngorongoro Crater in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania, is one of the several beautiful lakes in the East African Rift Valley. The mildly alkaline lake stretches for about 50 km to the southwest with the vast plains of the Serengeti in its north. Enjoy walks along the shores of the lake and spend afternoons exploring the area dotted with ancient Baobab trees. Go on a hunting expedition with a Hadzabe family – Africa’s last remaining hunter-gatherers, to see their astonishing ability to track and hunt small game!
Early morning we depart to the village for local hunting experience with Hadzabe and Datonga tribes. This is not a mere performance. The bushmen rely on these techniques to survive and you'll need to be very attentive and at times quiet, while they demonstrate their use of locally made poisons in incapacitating the poor creatures on which they depend for survival. We return to your Accommodation for a late breakfast.
After Breakfast you will be introduced to the extraordinary people who belong to an indigenous tribe known as the 'Hadzabe' (hunter-gatherer bushmen). The tribe inhabits the shores of Lake Eyasi as do the Nilotic-speaking Datoga tribe. You will visit these tribes, which will include a visit to their homesteads, learn about their way of life, animal tracking, medicinal plants, and much more. Some wildlife and a wide range of bird species can be viewed during walks around the lake, which will be arranged.
At late Afternoon we drive back to Manyara/Karatu for Overnight

Accommodation: Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
overnight stay – (Karatu/Manyara- Mtowa Mbu)

• BUDGET TENTED CAMPING –
SUNBRIGHT | LILAC | SAVANNA | KIZUMBA

• MID-RANGE LODGES –
Twiga Lodge | Eileen's Trees Inn | Fanaka

• LUXURY LODGES -
Manyara Serena Safari Lodge | Manyara Wildlife Lodge

After breakfast, we head towards the Serengeti National Park, via the beautiful high lying farmland of Karatu and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Leaving the highlands behind, we descend into the heart of wild Africa – the Serengeti National Park – with its endless plains, rolling into the distance as far as the eye can see.
We head to the central park area, known as the Seronera area, one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park, featuring the Seronera River, which provides a valuable water source to this area and therefore attracts wildlife well representative of most of the Serengeti’s species. We arrive in time for lunch and enjoy an afternoon game drive in the Serengeti National Park
Your guide will take you to the best spots to observe the wildlife. Elephants, buffaloes, lions, cheetahs, hyenas, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, topi, Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles and many more can be seen in this large national park. Especially in the Seronera Valley you will be able to experience fantastic game viewing all year round.
You will later on in the evening your guide will take you to Seronera | Nyani Public Campsite in the central Serengeti for dinner and overnight.

NOTE THAT:
You can break up the drive with some or both of thebelow activities:
• Olduvai Gorge Museum: Sometimes known as the Cradle of Mankind, the Olduvai Gorge Museum commemorates some of the oldest evidence of human habitation ever found. Here you will see some of the oldest fossil evidence in the world of human habitation, visit the Olduvai Gorge Museum to learn more about the human journey, and take in the stunning views of this stark gorge country.
• Maasai boma visit: You will visit one of the famous Maasai bomas, where you'll have the opportunity to witness (and participate in) traditional Maasai dance, tour an authentic Maasai village, and even do a little souvenir shopping at the local market.
Both of the above activities are excluded in your Tour (additional cost is Needed).
Arrive the Serengeti in the late afternoon for an Evening game drive until Evening when you will check in at a Camp/lodge, dinner and overnight. Lunch is taken at one of the Picnic sites most likely at the Naabi Hill Gate where you will also get the chance to stretch your legs as your guide sorts out the registration and relevant paperwork. Dinner and overnight at Serengeti. All meals included.

Accommodation:

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
overnight stay – (Serengeti – Central Serengeti)

• BUDGET CAMPING –
Nyani (Seronera) Public Campsite | Pimbi Public campsite

• MID-RANGE LODGES –
Serengeti Heritage Tented Lodge | Kenzan Tented Camp | Kiota Tented Camp | Serengeti Wilderness Camp

• LUXURY LODGES –
Serengeti Serena Lodge | Serengeti Wildlife Lodge | Angata Serengeti | Asanja Moru | Dunia Camp (ASILIA AFRICA) | Kiota Camp | Serengeti Sopa Lodge

• SUPPER LUXURY LODGES –
Four Season Safari Lodge | Melia Serengeti Lodge | &Beyond Serengeti Under Canvas |

Early morning 6 am weak up and after a hot cup of coffee or tea, leave the camp for morning game Serengeti national park while enjoying the Morning beautiful sun rises though it’s going To be a bit chill in the morning don’t forget your warm clothes, get on with the game drive till on the mid-day drive back to camp for full breakfast and Lunch which means a Branch,
Today we have a Half day of exploring wildlife around Serengeti which is the ideal location for marveling at the annual migration of large herds of animals at this time of the year. The Serengeti’s endless plains provide an exceptional landscape for wildlife viewing; it truly is ultimate safari country. Often spotted in the Serengeti are elephants, hippos, lions, zebras, wildebeests, cheetahs, leopards and more Wildlife. Then later leave Serengeti for Ngorongoro Conservation area while you are having game drive en route towards Ngorongoro campsite dinner and overnightviewing
(An option of doing a Hot Air Balloon is also in this area)
Serengeti Balloon Safaris: There are no words that can do the experience of floating over the Serengeti justice.” Get a birds-eye view of the park as you rise alongside the sun.
The Balloon Tour lasts about an hour, after which passengers gather round a table, surrounded by the park’s lush plains, for an “Out of Africa” English-style breakfast.

Accommodation Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight stay – (Ngorongoro – Ngorongoro {Crater Rim})

• BUDGET CAMPING –
Simba Public Campsite

• MID-RANGE LODGES –
Rhino Hotel

• LUXURY LODGES –
Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge | Ngorongoro Wildlife | Ngorongoro SopaEntamanu Camp | Kirurumu Ngorongoro | Lemala Ngorongoro Camp |

• SUPPER LUXURY LODGES –
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge

Ngorongoro area is managed for both the animals and the local Masai people who graze their cattle alongside the indigenous wildlife. During the drive in Ngorongoro we have a chance to glimpse something of the Masai way of life. After stopping at the crater entrance gate, where there is a chance to learn more about this fascinating volcanic landscape, we will drive around the rim of the Crater itself, and from here we can look down and see the herd of wildebeest or buffalos, finally we descend into the crater, the floor of the largest unbroken caldera in the world also called the Ngorongoro Crater.
Home to over 120 species of mammal including the fabled Big Five, the Ngorongoro Crater Area is one of the most sought, after safari destinations in the world. It's a particularly good place to see the endangered black rhinoceros enjoying a lonely meal out on the grass plains, as well as a place to see large numbers of hippopotamus enjoying the cool water.
You will spend this whole day at the Crater floor doing game drives in search of animals that can spotted at very close range, From the comfort of your open-top vehicle you will spot many wildlifes including, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, jackals (silver backed), and if lucky enough you can spot the rare species like the Caracal, leopards and the black Rhinos. Picnic lunch will most likely be taken at the Hippo Poolside Picnic site where you can also visit a washroom then continue with game drives in the afternoon as you head out of the Ngorongoro Crater.
You will later on in the afternoon drive up the Crater rim and drive out of the park and your guide will take you to Manyara/ Karatu in the Ngorongoro Highlands for dinner and overnight. Overnight at a Budget Tinted Lodge at Manyara/KaratuNgorongoro is a special place in that it is a Conservation Area, not a National Park; this means that the
Accommodation:
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
overnight stay – (Karatu/Manyara- Mtowa Mbu)

• BUDGET TENTED CAMPING –
SUNBRIGHT | LILAC | SAVANNA | KIZUMBA

• MID-RANGE LODGES –
Twiga Lodge | Eileen's Trees Inn | Fanaka

• LUXURY LODGES -
Manyara Serena Safari Lodge | Manyara Wildlife Lodge

• SUPPER LUXURY LODGES –
and Beyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge

Today we drive to Lake Manyara National Park for a full day of game drives. This is one of Tanzania’s smaller parks but still offers a rewarding and diverse safari experience. The lakeshore at Manyara teems with birdlife, and while you are looking for the birds, you might spot one of the elusive tree-climbing lions.
The park encompasses the northwest bank and part of the alkaline Lake Manyara which itself rests in the Great Rift Valley. The park is perhaps best known for its flamingos, pelicans and cormorants but it is also the home for a few hundred other species of birds; it is therefore a paradise for ornithologists. Next to a great variety of birds, the “Big Game” can also be seen. With a bit of luck you might see elephants in the wooded regions and with even more fortune the tree-climbing lions. Indeed, it was thought for a long time that the Lake Manyara National Park is the only place where lions can be found with this atypical behaviour of climbing trees. Baboons and vervet monkeys are also found amongst the forested areas and in the more open spaces, giraffes nibble at the fresh leaves while the various types of antelopes common to the region browse for tasty shootsIn the late afternoon, you will leave the Lake Manyara National Park and head to Manyara/ Karatu in the Ngorongoro Highlands for dinner and overnight. Overnight at a Budget Tinted Lodge at Manyara/Karatu.
(For Lodge accommodation Send a special Request)
There are a surprising number of other large mammals and the striking cliffs on the Rift escarpment form a dramatic backdrop. we Late afternoon drive to back to Arusha

End of safari.
Accommodation: Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
overnight stay – (Arusha – Arusha Town) (OPTIONAL)

• BUDGET LODGES –
Mrimba palm Hotel | Arusha tourist inn hotel

• MID-RANGE LODGES –
Natron Palace Hotel | City Link Hotel | Charity international

• LUXURY LODGES –
Mount Meru Hotel | Tulia Hotel & Spa | Kibo Paris | Arusha Serena Lodge

• SUPPER LUXURY LODGES –
Gran Melia