Arrival in Arusha
On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport (ARK) which caters for domestic flights, you will be met by an African Big Cats Safaris representative who will drive you to your accommodation in Arusha. Your overnight stay will be at Mount Meru Hotel where the rhythm of nature pounds to the beat of an African drum, and where life is all about a revival of the senses.
Accommodation: Mount Meru Hotel
Arusha to Tarangire National Park
An early breakfast will be served at the hotel before we depart for Tarangire National Park. The park derives its name from the Tarangire River flowing through it, known as the ‘river of warthogs’. This river serves as the sole water source for wildlife in the region during the dry season. The park boasts diverse vegetation, including elephant grass, acacia woodlands, and lush groundwater forests in some areas. Renowned for its elephant families often congregating by the river, Tarangire is also home to giraffes, bushbucks, and hartebeests. These animals attract a variety of predators, including lions and leopards. Notably, Tarangire National Park hosts a greater variety of breeding bird species than anywhere else on the planet. Following lunch and an extensive game drive, we'll head to Kitela Lodge for dinner and overnight accommodation.
Accommodation: Kitela Lodge
Ngorongoro Crater to Serengeti National Park
Early in the morning after breakfast, we will depart to Ngorongoro Crater. When you first see Ngorongoro Crater, it looks like a forgotten world. You will have an opportunity to spot the endangered black rhino and large families of lions. The Crater was created when a large volcano exploded and collapsed in on itself two to three million years ago. It is famous for both its geological delights and for being a natural reserve that is home to some of the densest large mammal populations in the whole of African. The drive down into the Crater is an adventure in itself and when you reach the Crater floor, you'll quickly find yourself amongst large numbers of wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, and more than 500 bird species. The Crater provides you with the best chance of seeing the endangered black rhino, which can sometimes be spotted in the open grass. After a packed lunch, drive to the Serengeti National Park. Dinner and your overnight stay will be at Kubukubu Luxury Tented Lodge.
Accommodation: Kubukubu Luxury Tented Lodge.
Serengeti National Park to Karatu
We will once more enjoy an early breakfast and set off on our game viewing drive at about 6:30 am. You'll have 6 to 7 hours exploring this incredible park. The Serengeti is the habitat for an abundance of wildlife, such as impala, buffalo, crocodile and hippo, but is more well-known for its great migrating herds of zebras (two hundred and fifty thousand), wildebeests (one and a half million!) and antelopes (half a million). The animals’ trek is determined by the rainfall and varies from year to year. We may also see the predators, such as leopard, cheetah, and lion plying their rough trade. At roughly 2:00 pm, we'll drive back to Karatu, arriving at our carefully selected mid-range partner lodge for dinner in an excellently appointed restaurant. There will be a pool for relaxation if desired, a digestif by the fire below the endless African sky perhaps, and our capacious quarters awaiting us for a night of ease and dreams of wild cats! Our overnight stay will be at Kitela Lodge.
Accommodation: Kitela Lodge.
Lake Manyara National Park to Arusha
Early breakfast will be served at the Lodge. We'll then take a short drive to Lake Manyara National Park. Manyara, a relatively small but diverse park, 120km west of Arusha, is named for the shallow salt lake that occupies a good seventy per cent of the park's lands. Flooding and drying seasonally, this soda lake is home to thousands of flamingos and over 500 other bird species. On our exploration of the park, we will see monkeys, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, buffalo and elephants. With some luck, we may see lions lounging on trees. The park is known for its diverse landscapes; not only open grassy plains but also primate-filled woodlands and baobab dotted cliffs. We will return to Arusha after a packed lunch. Our adventure coming to its inevitable close. You'll be arriving in time for your flight back home or a flight to Zanzibar.
