8-Day Tanzania Safari: Migration and Culture

December through May: Depart for Lake Manyara National Park with a picnic lunch and and enjoy a game drive here until late afternoon.

Lake Manyara is a highly scenic park, rimmed on one side by the tall cliffs of the Rift escarpment, and ringed with a variety of habitats including the namesake for the park, Lake Manyara. Game we see in Manyara include hippos, elephants, giraffes, buffalo, impala, dwarf mongooses, hyraxes, hippos, wildebeest, zebra, and on rare occasions, tree-climbing lions and leopards.

Birding is special here. Species include pink-backed pelican, flamingos, yellow-billed stork and many other Eurasian migrants. The forests provide habitat for the silvery-cheeked hornbill while the savannah is home to the leadbeater hornbill. Birds of prey include ruppell's griffon, egyptian vulture, martial eagle, Verreaux's eagle, crowned eagle, peregrine falcon and bat hawk. Bright songbirds found here include Fischer's lovebird, Peters twinspot and yellow and red barbets.

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June through November: Depart for Tarangire National Park with a picnic lunch and game drive until late afternoon. Tarangire is famous for its huge herds of elephant, healthy and large lion prides, and towering baobab trees. Throughout the dry season, thirsty antelope and elephant trek from many miles away to drink along the Tarangire River. Rare mammals here include the long-necked gerenuk, oryx and wild dog.

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

Drive 3-4 hours to the Serengeti. Once through the park gate, begin your afternoon game drive. Enjoy a picnic lunch at the Visitor's Center. See all the great wildlife that makes the Serengeti so understandably famous, then arrive at your safari lodge in time to freshen up, relax a little and have dinner.

Arguably Africa's greatest national park, the Serengeti (meaning "endless plains") is a massive park and home to a yearly migration of more than a million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson's gazelle undertaking their long trek to new grazing grounds. In return, a wealth of predators including lions, leopards, cheetah and hyena also inhabit the region.

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

This morning, drive from the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro highlands, enjoying wildlife viewing within the Serengeti National Park as you gradually make your exit. Departing the park, you have several optional visits available at extra cost, either to the Olduvai Gorge or a Maasai village (or both). Continue onwards to your lodge tonight situated near the Crater or on the Crater rim itself.

The Olduvai Gorge delivers substantial evidence of the earliest signs of humankind, with rare hominid footprints preserved in solid rock from 3,600,000 years ago.

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.

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

This morning you will have a half-day game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater.

The Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest caldera measuring nearly 2,000 feet in depth while covering 250-square kilometers in area. The 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.

After the game drive, you will continue to either Lake Natron or Lake Eyasi. 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.

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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

Drive back to Arusha, Moshi, or the Kilimanjaro Airport.

If you have time en route, you can stop at the Arusha Coffee Lodge to taste the fresh coffee made in the area and to visit the Shanga Shop. Shanga employs people with disabilities to create unique, high-quality, handmade jewelry, glassware and home wares incorporating recycled materials.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch