Day 1: Arrival Day Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) – Drive to Arusha

Welcome to Tanzania: Meet and greet at arrival point(usually at Kilimanjaro International Airport ,JRO) by our transfer and representative driver from Nduwa Tours who will escort you to the waiting vehicle for loading your luggage then drive you to the Hotel in Arusha town. You will meet our representative who will show up at the Airport with a sign board with your name and a warm smile on his/her face when welcoming you to Tanzania. After checking in at the hotel you will get a briefing about your next days 9 Days & Beyond Photography Safari in Tanzania then your safari guide will come to give you a brief about this safari and share with you a copy of this safari itinerary. The rest of the day can be spent relaxing at the pool or exploring the town of Arusha.

Accommodation: River Trees Inn on Bed & Breakfast Basis

The Day starts after breakfast at the hotel, depart around 0700am to get enough time in Tarangire for game viewing. Nduwa Tours’ personal safari guide and driver will meet you at hotel in Arusha to undertake the drive, on good tarmac road, the some 120 kilometers to Tarangire National Park where we undertake our first day of game drives. Tarangire National Park famously known for its huge elephant populations, three families numbering in the region of one thousand each, is so named for the life giving Tara River which wends its way through the park and gives sustenance from its cooling waters to a broad variety of game that come here to imbibe. We may hope to see zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, elephant, and giraffe, to name a few. It is possible we will glimpse our friend Leo panthera, the mighty lion, stalking his prey or, the leopard watching in relaxation in the trees above. An ornithological paradise, some five hundred birds have been here identified. The Park is named after the Tarangire River which runs through it.  This ‘river of warthogs’ is the only source of water for wildlife in the region during the dry season. In places, the vegetation is quite dense, including elephant grass, acacia woodlands and lush groundwater forest. The Park is well known for its elephant families, which can often be seen congregating by the river. You may also see giraffe, bushbuck and hartebeest. These animals are closely followed by a range of predators, including lions and leopards. There are more breeding species of birds found in Tarangire National Park than anywhere else on the planet! There are more breeding species of birds found in Tarangire National Park than anywhere else on the planet! After Lunch and an extensive game drive, we head for our luxury partner lodges near Tarangire for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Lake Burunge Tented Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Early morning game drive in the Savannah of Tarangire after breakfast will drive to Lake Manyara National Park, it will take about 1-hour drive to Lake Manyara National Park from Tarangire. Early morning after breakfast, we depart to Lake Manyara National Park  after a short gamedrive while exit your accommodation in Tarangire ,Lake Manyara which is an unspoilt paradise and is best known for its abundance of birds and tree-climbing lions. The dramatic western escarpment of the Rift Valley forms the Park’s western border.  To the east is the shallow, alkaline Lake Manyara. The lake covers a large area of the park, flooding and drying with the seasons and is home to thousands of flamingos during the rains. The name Manyara comes from the Maasai word ‘emanyara’, a popular plant which is used to build the protective enclosure around a family homestead (boma). The Park’s vegetation is diverse, ranging from savannah to evergreen forest. On your exploration of the park you may see giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, and elephant and if you are lucky; lions lounging in the trees. After Lunch and an extensive game drive, we head for our luxury partner lodges in Karatu for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Tloma Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Early morning after breakfast, we depart to Serengeti National Park. The Serengeti is truly spectacular. It is famous for its vast open grasslands which allow for excellent sightings of wildlife. On route you will be taken to a visit at Olduvai Gorge before proceeding to Serengeti National Park.

Olduvai Gorge Visit

Immerse yourself in ancient history at the fascinating palaeoanthropological site of Olduvai Gorge, one of the most important in the world. Set between the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti National Park, the gorge makes a good stop if you’re travelling between the two, rewarding visitors with a presentation on its history, an excellent new museum, and beautiful views – as well as the possibility of visiting an active dig. After short visit at Olduvai Gorge you will proceed to Serengeti National Park at to our accommodation in the heart of Serengeti.

Accommodation: Kubukubu Tented Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Early morning after breakfast, we start our gamedrive in Serengeti National Park. Early Morning Game Drive in the corner of Serengeti Park, an excellent time for African sunrise and surprise morning active animals, capturing animals with sunrises behind. After the short game will drive back to the camp for breakfast followed by a game drive until the afternoon to get back to the camp for a hot lunch. After lunch and relaxing at the Camp leave for an early evening game chance to see a lot of animals and birds.

The Serengeti is truly spectacular. It is famous for its vast open grasslands which allow for excellent sightings of wildlife. The Serengeti is truly spectacular. It is famous for its vast open grasslands which allow for excellent sightings of wildlife. The Serengeti is Tanzania’s oldest National Park and it is also one of the oldest ecosystems on earth.  Its climate and vegetation have remained largely untouched for millions of years. Whilst the Serengeti boasts abundant wildlife, it is perhaps best known for the annual Great Migration.  Vast numbers of wildebeest; accompanied by large numbers of zebra and antelope move in an annual pattern, constantly seeking fresh grazing. The precise timing of the Migration is entirely dependent upon the rainfall patterns each year. After Lunch and an extensive game drive, we head for our Serengeti Kubukubu Tented Lodge for dinner and overnight for 2 nights

Accommodation: Kubukubu Tented Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Early morning after breakfast, we continue with our en-route drive inside the Serengeti National Park before we depart to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. When you first see Ngorongoro Crater, it looks like a forgotten world.  Concealed by the steep volcanic walls is a pristine wilderness including sweeping savannah, pockets of acacia woodland and glistening lakes and swamps. Here is where you will descend the next day for an amazing gamedrive. Arriving at our accommodation in Ngorongoro Conservation Area the late evening, we will have our dinner and overnight stay at one of our carefully selected lodge.

Accommodation: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Rise and shine, on this day after breakfast we visit one of the most extraordinary landscapes. Again we take an early breakfast so as to enjoy our adventure to the maximum. After our 0600 hrs. Breakfast we descend the windy bumpy track to the crater floor. More precisely a caldera, this 610 meter deep 304 square kilometer enclosed ecosphere was formed some two or three million years ago in the massive explosion of a volcano once higher than Kilimanjaro, and offers the best game viewing opportunities in all of Tanzania. With some 25,000 large mammals within the caldera as soon as we hit the floor we will have the opportunity to see. In addition to ‘the big five’ elephant, lion, rhino, buffalo, and leopard, the various springs attract animals such as wildebeest, gazelle, reedbuck, bushbuck, hartebeest, hippo, antelope, both Grant’s and Thompson’s gazelle, impala, to name a few, as well as over 500 species of bird. It is well recognized as one of the world’s wonders, veritably a magnificent spectacle for the human witness lucky enough to traverse her wildlife laden floor. Lunch served at a picnic site by the hippo pool followed by further game drives with eventually as evening comes on, our ascent to the highlands again and on to the accommodation.

Accommodation: Lake Eyasi Safari Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Early morning after breakfast, we depart to Lake Manyara National Park which is an unspoilt paradise and is best known for its abundance of birds and tree-climbing lions. The dramatic western escarpment of the Rift Valley forms the Park’s western border.  To the east is the shallow, alkaline Lake Manyara. The lake covers a large area of the park, flooding and drying with the seasons and is home to thousands of flamingos during the rains. The name Manyara comes from the Maasai word ‘emanyara’, a popular plant which is used to build the protective enclosure around a family homestead (boma). The Park’s vegetation is diverse, ranging from savannah to evergreen forest. On your exploration of the park you may see giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, and elephant and if you are lucky; lions lounging in the trees. After Lunch and an extensive game drive, we head straight to Arusha or at the Airport to catch your onwards flight.

The day is left free to wind down after the trek before your flight home. Depending on flight times you could go and explore Arusha town and grab some souvenirs before heading to the airport.

NB: In additional Nduwa Tours also will love to prepare for you a Mountain Climbing Program at Mount Kilimanjaro or Mount Meru or if you prefer Zanzibar beaches we can also make it unforgettable for you as a private tour, honeymooners or photograph safari.