Travel to Tanzania: Ngorongoro Walking Safari

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Ngorongoro Walking Safari

			DAYS: 9 GRADE: II, Hiking, Bush Camping define PRICE: From $2350 per person HIGHLIGHTS: Ngongoro Crater Serengeti National Park Walking in the Ngongoro Conservation Area ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotels/Lodges Wilderness Camp MEALS: As noted  [B-Breakfast, L-Lunch,   D-Dinner] Prices, Departure Dates and Included Services Send to a Friend Print this Itinerary

Our African walking safari immerses us in the primordial rhythms of the bush and the daily life of nomadic Maasai pastoralists as we hike near Ngorongoro and go on a Serengeti safari. In January and February the plains are verdant and our path through the grasslands is bursting with wildebeest and zebra giving birth. Kambona Ole Tirra Mollel, our highly skilled native Maasai tracker and Tanzania safari guide, begins our footloose journey in the Olduvai Gorge. We hike through dry river beds and gullies, skirting massive rock formations, and onto the vast savannah, camping amongst the spectacle of game amassing in January and February in anticipation of their annual migration.

DAY 1 :  ARRIVE TANZANIA
Upon our arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport transfer to the Mt. Meru Game Lodge. Nestled between the peaks of Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro, the lodge is situated on 33 acres of lush gardens, bounded on one side by the tranquil waters of the Usa River and on the other by an animal sanctuary where protection of the wildlife is paramount. The lodge has 17 rooms, each with a veranda. Mt Meru Game Lodge [Meals on your own]

Get up close with big game on safari in Manyara, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti.

DAY 2 :  LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, we are briefed by our guide about all details of the walking safari. Set off to Lake Manyara (approx 2.5 hours) for lunch and an afternoon game drive in Lake Manyara National Park. The Park is perhaps most famous for its birds on the soda lake, flamingos in particular, but also its baboons, the unique tree-climbing lions, and its large elephant population. Overnight at Bougainvillea Hotel in the Ngorongoro Highland town of Karatu. [BLD]

DAY 3 :  NGORONGORO NATIONAL PARK
We descend by 4WD vehicle into the Ngorongoro Crater National Park, one of the most spectacular game haunts in Africa and a designated World Heritage site. Animals are found in abundance throughout the year due to the permanent availability of grass and water. Covering nearly 100 square miles, Ngorongoro contains an impressive variety of wildlife including black-maned lions, the highly endangered black rhino, and herds of gnu, zebra, elephants, hippo and hyena, perhaps the most important predator within the crater. Bird life is also prolific, with flocks of flamingoes on the soda lake, plus many other species of water and plains birds. This evening we enjoy dinner and overnight at the Bougainvillea Hotel. [BLD]

	Visit the Olduvai Gorge and hike with Maasai where the origins of mankind were discovered.

DAY 4 :  OLDUVAI GORGE-BEGIN WALKING SAFARI
Driving en route to our camp [2-3 hours] we visit the world famous Olduvai Gorge (from the European mis-spelling of the Maasai name Oldupai), where the origins of mankind were discovered. We visit the museum, speak with the resident anthropologist, and embark on a short hike through the gorge accompanied by the museum guide. After a picnic lunch in the gorge we drive to our first base camp, stopping along the way to hike as the group wishes and to see the Shifting Sands, a crescent shaped volcanic ash dune that shifts in the wind and was revered as a sacred site by the local Maasai. Overnight Private Mobile Camp. [BLD]

DAY 5 :  NASERA ROCK
Today we walk out onto the short-grass plains of the African savannah. The route to Nasera Rock is across Angata Kiti Plain with good chances of spotting wildlife January-March depending on the movement of the migration. Nasera Rock is a massive rock formation close to 100m (328 ft) in height. Both man and beast have sheltered here for thousands of years. Nasera Rock is an optional scramble to the top for the energetic offering a spectacular view of the plains below. After a picnic lunch at Nasera Rock we have the option of walking back to camp or riding in the vehicle. Overnight at our private mobile camp. [BLD]

Hike through Olekarien Gorge a nesting site for Ruppell's Griffon Vultures and source of red clay for Maasai.

DAY 6 :  OLEKARIEN GORGE
Today there are numerous options for walking. If wildlife is abundant on the plain we can choose to hike for an hour then board our vehicle to drive to Olekarien Gorge. If game is sparse this morning we can drive directly to Olekarien Gorge and start today's exploration here. Olekarien Gorge is a nesting site for Ruppell's Griffon Vultures and a source of the red clay that the Maasai spread on their skin and hair during celebrations. We may share these native lands with Maasai pastoralists who bring their cattle to dig in the dry riverbeds looking for water. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the gorge and drive back to camp (approx; 1.5 hours). Overnight at our private mobile camp. [BLD]

DAY 7 :  NDUTU PLAINS
Today the crew breaks camp and moves it to Ndutu, close to the twin hills that signal the beginning of the great Serengeti ecosystem. Our day begins with a game drive across the plains through vast throngs of wildebeest scattered on their migration route January-March between Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. We have the option of a short walk back to camp following a shallow gorge as it drops to the Laitoli area where one of the earliest known human footprints was discovered. This site is at the head of the Olduvai Gorge, and water from here flows through the Albalbal Depression during the rainy season. Our hike takes us across woodland and plains to our wilderness camp of Naibatat at the foot of the twin hills. Overnight at our Private Mobile Camp. [BLD]

	Walk on the short grass plains of the Serengeti filled with migrating wildebeest.

DAY 8 :  SERENGETI: WALKING AND GAME DRIVE
Today's options include walking or vehicle safari, but the day can be split according to the preferences of group members. The morning is a good time to game drive, with lunch back at camp, an afternoon game walk then a hike up the twin hills for the traditional sundowner overlooking the vast Serengeti Plain. This may well be the most beautiful sunset you ever see. So remember to bring your camera! Overnight at our private mobile camp. [BLD]

DAY 9 :  RETURN TO USA OR EXTEND YOUR SAFARI
Return drive from the Serengeti, passing back through the Ngorongoro Highlands. Arrive into Arusha in time for shopping and lunch. We have reserved a dayroom where we can shower and repack before the evening transfer to the Kilimanjaro International Airport and our flight home. [BLD]

Questions? Ask Our Program Directors.

. C o n t a c t Lyndsay Harshman 1(800)345-4453