Arrival in Arusha
Welcome to Tanzania. Upon arrival in Arusha, a local representative will be waiting at the airport to transfer you to the lodge, set in the grounds of a coffee plantation in the foothills of Mount Meru. The rest of the day is free to relax ahead of your safari adventure and if time permits visit Shanga or enjoy a tour of the plantation. Overnight at Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge.
Things to do:
Arusha & Tarangire
After breakfast at the lodge fly in a Cessna Grand Caravan plane to Tarangire. Instead of the usual 13 commuter seats there are just 8 executive club class seats, offering a very high level of comfort and a truly unique experience. Tarangire is a remote national park in northern Tanzania, with a bounty of wildlife to discover in its woodlands, lakes, grasslands, and swamps. Enjoy a full day game drive with a picnic lunch in the bush. Your base for the next 2 nights is a luxury tented camp where lavish tented rooms wrap around an ancient baobab tree, with open-fronted bedrooms to make the most of the view. Overnight at Tarangire Treetops.
Things to do:
Tarangire
Enjoy the day exploring Tarangire National Park, most famous for its vast elephant population that ramble beneath the gnarled branches of 500-year-old baobab trees. But the park is also home to all kinds of animals, from herds of zebra, impala and gazelle to big cats and rare species like oryx and wild dogs. There’s also the opportunity to go on an exciting walking safari and visit an authentic Maasai village. This evening, enjoy sundowners and an iconic African sunset. Overnight at Tarangire Treetops.
Things to do:
Tarangire & Ngorongoro
Boarding the Cessna again, with no queues or check in, enjoy a comfortable scenic flight to Ngorongoro. Here you’ll stay in a chic, farm-style cottage set on a 1,500-acre coffee plantation nestled between the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara. In the afternoon enjoy an indulgent spa treatment, followed by high tea served in the garden with views of the rolling green hills. Overnight at The Manor at Ngorongoro.
Things to do:
Ngorongoro
After breakfast, head to Lake Manyara National Park. This small but scenic park lies at the base of the Rift Valley Escarpment, with a seasonal shallow soda lake that attracts a colourful mix of birds from over 400 species. Look out for everything from elegant flamingos to pelicans, hornbills, egrets and crowned eagles soaring through the sky. But a safari here isn’t only about birdlife. Manyara is also richly populated with herds of elephant, large troops of baboons, pods of wallowing hippo and tree-climbing lions – spotting one is a rare treat. Return to The Manor for an afternoon coffee tour or horse riding. Overnight at The Manor at Ngorongoro.
Things to do:
Ngorongoro
Wake early for breakfast before descending 600 metres into the Ngorongoro Crater, an ancient volcanic amphitheatre that’s home to over 30,000 animals. Within the steep walls of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, there’s the opportunity of spotting big cats, spotted hyenas, giant-tusked elephants or even endangered black rhinos who thrive here. You’ll make the most of this unique location with a full-day game drive, including a lovely picnic lunch on the crater floor. Overnight at The Manor at Ngorongoro.
Things to do:
Ngorongoro & Serengeti
After breakfast, fly by Cessna to the Serengeti, Tanzania’s oldest and most popular national park. Your base for the next 3 nights is a luxury tented camp surrounded by endless plains. The camp is unfenced, immersing you in the sounds and rhythms of the wild. From the veranda of your tent, you can hear birds tweeting and watch buffalos, elephants and sometimes lions go about their daily business. Here you’re directly on the path of the famous Great Migration, which sees a million wildebeest, as well as tens of thousands of zebras, and Thomson’s gazelle, head to and from the Maasai Mara during their yearly migration cycle. The day ends with cocktails on a sunset deck, complete with a bonfire and the sound of hippos honking in the nearby Grumeti River. Overnight at Elewana Serengeti Migration or Serengeti Pioneer Camp (depending on the season).
Things to do:
Serengeti
Today you’ll enjoy a full day game drive in the Serengeti, but first there’s the opportunity to take a thrilling hot-air balloon safari to gain a whole new perspective of the landscape. Wake early and watch as the balloon is prepared, then take flight and drift upwards as the sun rises. The bright pink-orange haze is visible for miles across the vast savannah, as wildlife roam below. After breakfast, head into the national park in search of the big cats, rhino, buffalo and giraffe that inhabit its vast open plains. You’ll enjoy a delicious picnic lunch while admiring the monumental panorama and seemingly endless horizon. Overnight at Elewana Serengeti Migration or Serengeti Pioneer Camp (depending on the season).
Things to do:
Serengeti
After breakfast, head out for a second full day game drive in the Serengeti. Around 4,000 lions reside here, as well as cheetahs and leopards. You’ll have a good chance of spotting the Big Five, as well as everything from hyenas to various antelopes, giraffes and crocodiles in the Grumeti River - not to mention the many species of birds. Lunch at a scenic picnic spot offers a nice break, before continuing your game drive. Overnight at Elewana Serengeti Migration or Serengeti Pioneer Camp (depending on the season).
Things to do:
Serengeti & Departure
After breakfast, fly back to Arusha by Cessna and Arusha Coffee Lodge, where a day room is available, depending on your onward or return flight to the UK.
Another stop?
We recommend finishing your African adventure with a beach stay on the white sands of Zanzibar, or its small sister island of Pemba.