itinerary
Day 1: Arrive and overnight Arusha
Meet your driver on arrival into Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer to Arusha Coffee Lodge where you will overnight in the serene and tranquil surroundings.
Accommodation: Arusha Coffee Lodge
Day 2: Fly to Tarangire NP. Safari in Tarangire
After breakfast at Arusha Coffee Lodge, you will be met by your guide for your transfer to Arusha Airport. Once at Arusha Airport you will catch your Air Excel flight to Kuro Airstrip. A welcome table with various hot and cold beverages and snacks will be waiting for your on arrival at Kuro. Your guide will inform you about the surrounding area while en-route to Oliver’s Camp. Please feel free to ask any questions that you might have. On arrival at Oliver’s Camp, spend the afternoon settling into your stylish room and the beautiful surroundings. After tea, experience your first taste of the wild and beautiful Tarangire National Park on an afternoon game drive with one of the superb guides. If you wish, the option of a night drive is also available at an extra cost; watch the antelopes feed in the cool night air and predators stalking their prey under the cover of darkness. Otherwise, sip a cool gin & tonic as the sun sinks below the horizon and head back to camp for dinner under a blanket of stars.
Accommodation: Oliver's Camp
Day 3: Safari in Tarangire National Park
After breakfast with the rising sun, you will leave camp with your expert guide for your morning walking safari. There is no better way to experience the wilderness of East Africa up close and personal than on foot, offering the chance to spot buffalo, elephant, giraffe, gazelle and, of course, the ever present predators. Take a picnic lunch with you and eat under the shade of the large baobabs that dot the landscape, or head back to camp and enjoy lunch in the main dining room. Relax in camp during the heat of the day, before continuing your exploration of the area on the afternoon drive. In the evening, enjoy dinner at the camp and head to the campfire where whiskies are poured and safari tales told late into the night.
Accommodation: Oliver's Camp
Day 4: Fly to Manyara and transfer to Ngorongoro Highlands. Bush Walk
After breakfast, pack your bags and meet your driver guide for your transfer to Kuro Airstrip where you will catch your Air Excel flight to Manyara Airstrip. A welcome table will be awaiting you when you arrive in Manyara offering you various hot and cold beverages and snacks. Your driver guide will explain the surrounding area on your way to The Highlands camp situated in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. After you have settled in to your domed suite, spend the afternoon following the ancient Maasai trails to the top of the Olmoti crater (NB For full board guests, there will be an extra charge for the walk). The gentle 2-3 hour ascent leads you through mountain forest, grassland and rocky outcrops and is a botanist’s dream with varying vegetation and a variety of splendid fern species on show. The birding is outstanding and once at the summit, you will be treated to a simply stunning view of the Olmoti crater itself. On return to camp settle in for the night around the inside fireplace, the perfect place to unwind at the end of your long day exploring.
Accommodation: The Highlands Camp
Day 5: Safari in Ngorongoro Crater
Wake up with the rising sun and begin the 40 minute drive from The Highlands to the Ngorongoro Crater rim. Look out for the zebra interspersed with the Maasai cattle as they are brought out to pasture, and the magnificent view down to the Ngorongoro Crater. You will spend the morning exploring the vast 300 sq km crater floor with the opporunity to spot the Big 5 and the many roaming predators present on the mineral rich floor. Lunch will be served on the crater floor, and in the afternoon, you may continue your exploration of the crater or perhaps visit one of the local Maasai communities close to camp, offering an insight into the traditional way of life that has defined this corner of East Africa for centuries.
Accommodation: The Highlands Camp
Day 6: Fly to Northern Serengeti. Safari in Serengeti
After an early breakfast, pack your bags and depart with your driver to Manyara Airstrip. You will then catch your connecting flight to Kogatende Airstrip in the Northern Serengeti. On arrival at Kogatende you will be met by a resident guide from Sayari Camp. A welcome table will be set up either at the airstrip or a short distance away, with tea & coffee, cold drinks and snacks allowing you to refresh while your guide briefs you on the surrounding area.
Accommodation: Sayari Camp
Day 7-8: Safari in Serengeti
Depending on your preference, there is a variety of options for you to choose from. You can either leave early morning before breakfast on a morning game drive and either have lunch under a shaded tree or back at camp, or you can leave camp after breakfast for an afternoon game drive, coming back into camp for dinner. The staff at Sayari Camp will make sure that everything suits your preference.
Accommodation: Sayari Camp
Day 9: Fly to Kilimanjaro for onward travel
After breakfast, pack your bags and depart with your guide to Kogatende Airstrip, where you will catch your flight back to Kilimanjaro Airport for any onward connections.
