A Taste of Tanzania

JAMBO - Welcome to Tanzania. On arrival at Arusha's Kilimanjaro International Airport, our representative awaits with a warm welcome. You will then be transferred to the Gran Melia Arusha Hotel. Relax for the balance of the day after your flight with a swim or enjoy their spa and overnight at your hotel.

After breakfast depart for Ngorongoro, enjoying beautiful scenery as the road winds up the Rift Valley Escarpment with dramatic views of Lake Manyara. Entering the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, arrive by lunchtime for 2 nights at the Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge which perches on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater. This afternoon relax and take in the panoramic views of the world's largest caldera that is also considered one of the great wonders of the natural world. Dinner and overnight is at the lodge.

Following breakfast, descend in your safari vehicle over 600m to the crater floor for a full day of game viewing including a picnic lunch beside the hippo pool. This park is a positive Noah's ark of wildlife, home to almost all species of East African animals, including endangered Black Rhinos plus lots of lions and cheetahs. The birdlife is spectacular, especially the seasonal flamingos on the crater's Lake Magadi. In the late afternoon, return for dinner and overnight at the lodge.

This morning, en route to the Serengeti, we stop at Oldupai Gorge for a guided tour of the site often referred to as 'the cradle of mankind' where the earliest known remains of humankind were discovered. Then, entering the world-renown Serengeti, check in for 3 nights at Melia Serengeti Lodge, which overlooks the park's rolling grasslands. After lunch, take a game drive through this natural sanctuary estimated to be home to millions of animals and birds. Dinner and overnight is at the lodge.

For the next 2 days enjoy the excitement of early morning and mid-afternoon game drives while looking for the Big 5 - Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Cape Buffalo and Leopard. Serengeti's black-maned lions along with cheetah and hyena hunt for prey among the herds of different antelope plus thousands of wildebeest (during Migration season). You'll also see plenty of zebra, giraffe, warthogs, monkeys as well as an astounding variety of birdlife. Dinner and overnight is at the lodge. Optional Excursion: Hot Air Ballooning followed by a bush breakfast.

It's time to bid farewell to Tanzania and your wonderful driver-guides but you'll leave with amazing memories and photos! Travel back to Arusha, arriving in time for lunch in town before transferring to the Kilimanjaro International Airport for your onward flight home.

Hot Air Ballooning: Watch the sun rise while floating silently above the Serengeti with a bird's eye view of Africa's wildlife busy with their day. Your flight ends with a sumptuous bush breakfast served under an Acacia tree before returning to camp.