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Tanzania Wildlife Week

			DAYS: 8 GRADE: II define PRICE: From $3150 per person HIGHLIGHTS: Tarangire National Park Olduvai Gorge Ngorongoro Crater Serengeti National Park Lake Manyara National Park ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotels/Lodges Deluxe Camp MEALS: As noted  [B-Breakfast, L-Lunch,   D-Dinner] SEASON: Year-round Prices, Departure Dates and Included Services Send to a Friend Print this Itinerary

Explore the best game parks in Tanzania including Tarangire, Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater, and the vast plains of the Serengeti. You'll watch amazing wildlife and learn about this ecosystem from your naturalist guide. Visit the Olduvai Gorge where the Leakeys found evidence of early hominids. Overnights are in comfortable lodges and permanent tented camps. Spacious 4x4 land rovers ensure that you travel in comfort and style. Group departures have a minimum of 2 people and a maximum of 7 people. Private departures are available upon request.

DAY 1 :  ARRIVAL
Arrive into Arusha at the Kilimanjaro International Airport where you will be met and transferred to your hotel after passing through customs. Overnight near Arusha at the Mt. Meru Game Lodge. [Meals on your own]

DAY 2 :  LAKE MANYARA
Sleep in this morning and then meet with a safari representative for a briefing and lunch. Then depart with your professional naturalist driver-guide for the two hour drive to Lake Manyara National Park. This park is situated in the Great Rift Valley and encompasses many habitats including ground water forest, acacia woodlands, bushy areas and a soda lake. Witness the sunlight dropping with a stunning view out over the escarpment from your overnight camp, Kirurumu Tented Camp. Set high on the edge of the Great Rift Valley, Kirurumu enjoys marvelous views eastward over Lake Manyara, the Rift Valley Floor, and Mt. Losimingori. The twenty tents each have ensuite bath, hot and cold running water, and electricity. Overnight at Kirurumu Tented Camp. [BLD] 

Cheetah mother rests with her cubs on the Serengeti plains.

DAYS 3-4 :  SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
Continue on your scenic drive this morning through the Ngorongoro Highlands and into to the great plains of the Serengeti. En route enjoy a picnic lunch and a visit the Olduvai Gorge Museum, near where Mary and Louis Leakey found footprints of Australopithecus afarensis, an early Hominid which dated back to 3.6 million years ago.  (Approximate driving time on day 3 is around 7-8 hours including stops and plenty of game driving.) The Serengeti National Park is perhaps the most impressive wildlife sanctuary in the world. These vast, seemingly unending plains are inhabited during the migration by enormous herds of wildebeest and zebra. The herds attract the attention of predators like lion, cheetah and hyena year round. Another interesting feature of the Serengeti is the massive granite kopjes, islands of rock standing in a sea of grass. The kopjes provide shelter to a great variety of plants and animals, from the elusive leopard to the tiny dik dik. These days activities are left up to your guides suggestion in order to take full advantage of the movements of the wildlife. In the heart of the Serengeti, Mbuzi Mawe is a private encampment of 16 tents in the midst of Serengeti kopjes. This is luxury camping all tents have electricity, hot water, queen beds, and even a sun bed on your private verandah.  Enjoy meals at the open dining tent or take in the view from the lounge. Overnights at Mbuzi Mawe. [BLD]

	Endangered Black rhino at Ngorongoro Crater.

DAYS 5-6 :  NGORONGORO CRATER
Take your last game drive in the Serengeti this morning as you begin the drive to the Ngorongoro Crater (approximately 5-6 hours). Designated as a World Heritage Site, this area is home to a wealth of big game animals including the endangered black rhinoceros. This afternoon you will have a game drive in the crater.

On Day 5 you'll explore the crater with your guide. Spectacular animal life can be found throughout the year due to the permanent availability of grass and water. Local wildlife includes the black maned lion, black rhino, wildebeest, zebra, elephant, hippo, jackal, and hyena. The bird life is also prolific with flocks of flamingoes on the soda lake as well as other species of water and plains birds. Two nights at Plantation Lodge (or similar), a working farm nestled in the foothills of the Ngorongoro Highlands. Comprised of only seventeen rooms, the lodge has great personal service. With 45 acres of farmland, most of the fresh vegetables and even the coffee come directly from the lodge grounds. Meals are served family style in the dining room, and the pool overlooks the surrounding highlands. [BLD]

Majestic baobab tree at sunset

DAY 7 :  TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
Set out this morning on a 2 hour drive to Tarangire National Park, the Baobab Capital of the World. Known for its elephants, wild landscapes, and diverse habitats, the Tarangire River is the only permanent water source in this region and the park attracts many animals during the dry season. You will stop at the lodge for lunch and then take an afternoon game drive in the park. Overnight at the Maramboi Tented Camp (or similar), where each tent is situated on a private deck looking up to the Rift Valley Escarpment. [BLD]

DAY 8 :  ARUSHA
Early morning game drive and then depart for Arusha (approximate driving time 2 hours). If time permits, you may stop at some local shops to browse local crafts. Bid farewell to your guide and then enjoy a farewell lunch in downtown Arusha. Following lunch transfer to the KIA Lodge near the airport where you'll have a dayroom in anticipation of your evening departure. [BL]

Questions? Ask Our Program Directors.

. C o n t a c t Julia Nesbitt 1(800)345-4453