Day 01: Arrival
You will be met at the Airport of Kilimanjaro or Arusha by your Driver / Guide and our representative. We will take you to the Ilboru lodge situated outside of Arusha Town at the slopes of majestic Mount Meru. Our safari manager will come to meet you and to provide you with a safari briefing. Dinner included.
Day 02: Villages & Coffee at Mt Meru
Full day excursion to Nkoaranga Village, a local fair-trade coffee growers’ cooperative. It is made up of a group of small-farm coffee growers working together to build a sustainable, naturally grown, fair trade coffee business. Visit the Coffee plantations and see the different steps of coffee growing. Learn about how coffee beans are collected, processed, roasted, grinded and carefully packed. All proceeds from coffee sales return to the local farmers for reinvestment in the project, and to build their growing organic farming project – with the first organic bean harvest scheduled within the next two years. You will also visit the local school or orphanage and go for a walk in the village to have some insights in all day life of local farmers. Lunch is taken in the village before you return to your hotel.
Overnight at Blues & Chuntey Country B&B. All meals included.
Day 03: Arusha National Park
After breakfast drive to Arusha National Park passing by herds of zebra, buffalo, and giraffe on the savannah. Enjoy a picnic lunch at Momella Lake famous for huge flocks of colourful flamingos and its views at majestic Mt. Kilimanjaro. game drive around the different habitats in this truly beautiful Park. There are black and white colobus monkeys (unique to this Park in northern Tanzania), Sykes’s and vervet monkeys, shy forest duikers, leopards, and substantial herds of antelope. Guided by an armed ranger you will hike at the slopes of Mt Meru first across the buffalo meadow and then in dense forest up to some hidden waterfalls.
Overnight at a campsite inside Arusha National Park. All meals included.
Day 04: Tarangire
After breakfast you start your way towards Tarangire, Tanzania’s third largest national park and sanctuary for an unusually large elephant population. Majestic baobab trees are an interesting feature of the park, dwarfing the animals that feed beneath them. Animals concentrate along the Tarangire River, which provides the only permanent water supply in the area. There is a great diversity of wildlife including lion, leopard, cheetah and up to six thousand elephant.
After game driving you go on a Ranger or Masai Guided Walk at the parks boundaries’.
Driving time without game viewing approx 4 hours.
Overnight at a campsite inside Tarangire National Park. All meals included.
Day 05: Tarangire – Ngorongoro.
Early morning game drive in Tarangire to also see nocturnal animals. After a late breakfast you pack up and leave from Tarangire. You drive via Mto wa Mbu to Karatu Town, located at the outer rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. Here, you visit the local farmer’s market do so some shopping for your upcoming days out of civilization.
Proceed to Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area. After pitching your tent you go on a afternoon a Nature Walk (depending on weather conditions) at the Northern Crater Rim of Ngorongoro Crater inhabited by buffaloes, elephants, baboons, monkeys and different species of birds. Escorted by a ranger or Masai Guide you follow animal paths through the bush. Driving time without game viewing approx 2 hours. Overnight at a campsite at Ngorongoro Crater Rim. All meals included.
Day 06: Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast you descend into the crater for a wonderful game drive (with a picnic lunch) inside the Ngorongoro Crater often described as one of the wonders of the world. It is the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera and a natural sanctuary for some of Africa’s densest animal populations. It is one of the few places where the rare black rhino can be observed in their natural setting. As very few animals migrate in and out of the crater with its 2000 ft. high walls, you can expect to see lions, elephants, zebras, hippos, flamingos, jackals, rhinos, antelopes, many birds and other species. With a bit of luck the ‘Big Five’ can be spotted during one game drive only. Overnight at Campsite at Ngorongoro Crater Rim. All meals included.
Day 07: Ngorongoro Crater-Olmoti
After breakfast you start your five day excursion to the Northern Highlands. You will be guided throughout by a local Guide and an armed ranger (until Naiyobi, where the armed ranger will leave you). First you drive to Lemala Gate where you start your walk to Olmoti. You reach your camp around noon. After pitching your tent and enjoying lunch you explore Olmoti Crater. This shallow grassy crater is the source of the Munge River, which pours through a gorge in the rim in a spectacular waterfall on its way to Ngorongoro crater. Walk up the Crater Rim and descent to the Crater Floor. Driving time without game viewing approx 1,5 hours. Overnight at Olmoti Campsite. All meals included.
Day 08: Olmoti-Bulati
From Olmoti you descend the outer hills of the Great Rift Valley and walk across the open plains of the Embulbul Depression where antelopes, wilderbeests and zebras are often seen. Late afternoon you reach Bulati a typical Masai Village where you overnight at Bulati Campsite. All meals included.
Day 09: Bulati-Empakaai
After leaving Bulati Campsite you walk through Bulati Village and up the Bulati Ranges to reach Empakai Crater at around midday. You follow the crater rim, viewing Kerimasi Mountain and Oldonyo Lengai in a distance.
In the afternoon you reach your campsite, perched high above Empakai Crater. The surrounding thicket is home to buffalos and hyenas. After pitiching your tent and taking a cup of tea you can descend the forested crater slopes to reach the crater floor, the majority of which is covered by a salt lake. Lots of water birds and flamingos can be seen as they migrate between the crater lakes of Ngorongoro and Lake Natron. It is also a joy to walk around the lake shore.Overnight at a campsite at Empakaai Crater (at an altitude of some 3200 m). All meals included.
Day 10: Empakaai – Naiyobi
From Empakaai your trail leads you around Empakaai Crater Rim with constant great views towards the Crater Bottom and Lake. The surrounding forest is inhabited by buffalos and porcupines. Around midday you reach Naiyobi village, a picturesque Masai Village at the edge of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area where you will bid farewell to your armed ranger. Together with your Masai Guide you will proceed to the Acacia Forest behind Naiyobi Village for overnight at Acacia Campsite. All meals included.
Day 11: Naiyobi – Lake Natron
The last part of your trek is a longer hike downward towards the edge of the Rift Valley Escarpment. You hike along volcanic landscapes formed by the latest eruption of Oldonyo Lengai in 2008 until you reach Pembe ya Swala, a distinctive landmark which leads you on a steep descent down to the plains surrounding Lake Natron. During your last trek you enjoy splendid views of the Lengai volcano (Oldony Lengai for the Masai) and Mount Kerimasi until you finally reach Lake Natron for overnight at Ngare Sero Campsite at Lake Natron. All meals included.
Day 12: Lake Natron
Today you explore the highlights around Lake Natron famous for a vast numbers of flamingos and other water birds due to a high concentrate of in sodium carbonate, algae, and zooplankton. A guide takes you there and shows you the nesting places of the flamingos. You can also trek to the Ngare Sero River which flows in the Lake Natron. In contrast to the surrounding dry landscape, here you can find a small paradise. After a strenuous walk up the stream you reach the source of the river, in cascading waterfalls the river gushes out of the mountain. It is an excellent and welcoming bath in the pools under the waterfalls for a nice cool-down from the hot sun. There may be baboons or other wildlife in the gorge.
Overnight at Ngare Sero Campsite. All meals included.
Day 13: Lake Natron – Arusha
Today you head back to Arusha on a partly quite bumpy and dusty road. Reach Arusha Town late afternoon for some rest at your lodge.Driving time without game viewing approx 7 hours.
Overnight at Ilboru Safari Lodge. All meals included.
Day 14: Departure
Day at leisure until your transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport for departure. Breakfast included.
Included
- Airport transfers
- Transport and wildlife drives in modified 4WD Land Cruiser or Land Rover with photographic roof hatch day 02 – 07 and day 13
- Services of a professional English speaking safari guide
- All wildlife reserve entry fees
- All game drives and hikes as mentioned
- Donkey and donkey drivers during the Ngorongoro Highland Trek
- Armed ranger and Masai Guide during the highland Trek
- All accommodations and meals as mentioned
- 03 x HB in / around Arusha
- Camping equipment (tents, mattresses, please bring your own sleeping bag),
- 3 meals per day and service of a professional cook
- 11 x Overnight at public campsites/bush camps
- 3 l mineral water per person per day
- Coffee/tea with picnic lunches
- Flying doctor insurance
- New Tourist Development Levy
Not Included:
- International Flights
- All items of a personal nature
- Gratuities for safari guide, ranger, donkey drivers, etc.
- Travel insurance
- Visa fee (50 USD /100 USD for American & Irish Passport Holders- to be paid upon arrival)
- Drinks and beverages in lodges