Safaris in Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, Lake Manyara, Tarangire

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Safari Extensions

While Mount Kilimanjaro is the magnet which attracts the majority of our clients to East Africa, many trekkers take advantage of spending some time on a wildlife safari either before, or usually after, their Kilimanjaro climb. We can arrange safaris with accommodations in safari lodges and permanent tented camps, strategically located in the heart of the action in Serengeti National Park and in Karatu, an ideal base for excursions into Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Eyasi and Lake Manyara. We also offer a less expensive and closer to nature experience of basic camping.

We use well maintained four wheel drive Land Rover vehicles staffed by experienced driver/guides who have intimate knowledge of the National Parks of Northern Tanzania. Our guides know where to find the wildlife, either through experience or through a network of communication with other guides. They can spot animals from great distances and do their best to bring you close for an unforgettable encounter with Africa's majestic animals.

Below are descriptions of the main parks, accomodations, and sample itineraries. Like our climbs, we only offer private, customized safaris. You decide what you want to see and for how long. You can depart on any day, for any period of time. A minimum of three days is recommended, and the five day itinerary is the most popular choice amongst our clients. Be sure to view our safari photo gallery.

Lake Manyara National Park

The park is located 75 miles (125 kms) west of Arusha between the cliff of Great Rift Valley and Lake Manyara. The park is 205 square miles (330 square kms) and 70% of that is covered by Lake Manyara itself. The park contains a large variety of habitats - such as rift wall, acacia woodlands, and an area of open grasslands. The most famous spectacle in the park are the tree climbing lions, which are occasionally seen on the branches of acacia trees. Other animal are found in the area includes large herd of buffalo's, elephants, giraffes, impalas, monkeys, baboons, hippos, as well as million pelicans and flamingos. A great variety of smaller animals which can be observed in the course of the single day.

Lake Eyasi

The meadows along the shores of the mildly alkaline Lake Eyasi are not only home to a wide variety of wildlife including leopard, hippo, monkeys, birds, flamingos, storks and pelicans, the area is also home to the Hadzabe bushmen, the last tribe of hunter-gatherers in East Africa. Some 200 to 400 Hadzabe Bushmen still live much as they have for tens of thousands of years. Their simple shelters are built from grass, branches and earth. During the rainy season they still live in caves. During your visit to Lake Eyasi, you may visit with the Hadzabe Bushmen to witness their primitive way of life, and even accompany them on a early morning hunt.

Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park park covers approximately 2,600 square miles (6,700 square kms), and lies to the south of a large open grass plain in southern Masai land, 70 miles (115 kms) from Arusha. It is the sixth largest national park in Tanzania. Tarangire is commonly famous for its abundant birdlife. Visitors are frequently entertained by encounters with browsing elephants, which inhabit this park in the large herds. Other animals that can be seen include buffalo, giraffe, zebra, elands, warthogs, greter kudu, gernuks and impalas. Huge magnificent baobab trees, the Tarangire River, and volcanic mountain ranges add to the scenic splendor of this unique national park.

Arusha National Park

Arusha National Park, although a rather small park measuring 53 square miles (137 square km), is remarkable for its range of habitats. Located 16 miles northeast of Arusha, between Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru, Arusha National Park features a miniature volcanic crater (Ngurduto Crater), a river (Jekukumia River), a highland rain forest, acacia woodlands and a string of crater lakes (Momella Lakes). The park is a home to Colobus monkeys, velvet monkeys, buffalo, hippos, elephants, and giraffe. Waterfowl is abundant here as well. Arusha National Park offers many beautiful panoramic views, including spectacular views of both Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Located in the great rift valley, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a gigantic fracture of the earth crust. Within this beautiful and unique landscape lies alkaline soda lakes, a series of peaks and volcanoes, dense rain forests, vast plains, acheological sites and Masai villages. This protected area is the land of the semi-nomadic Masai, who can be seen grazing their vast herds of cattle. Although the Tanzanian government has tried to encourage the Masai to give up their customs and adapt to modern African life, the proud Masai have resisted. During your visit, it is possible to visit nearby Masai villages, called boma, to observe their traditional dance and to go inside their mud and dung huts.

Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongoro Conversation Area houses one of the world's greatest natural spectacles - the Ngorongoro Crater, home to almost 30,000 animals. It is impossible to give a fair description of the crater, for there is nothing with which to compare it. Once an active volcano, Ngorongoro Crater collapsed leaving a caldera 12 miles (20 kms) in diameter. With no breaks at all in its steep walls, this is the largest intact caldera in existence. The bottom of the crater is 165 square miles (265 square kms), dotted with watering holes, shelters an abundance of animals in an area naturally enclosed by the slopes of the volcano. The crater is famous for viewing black rhinos, for which there are very few left. Other animals that can be seen include elephant, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, gazelle, monkeys, and ever hungry predators including lions and hyenas.

Serengeti National Park

Serengeti National Park, covering an immense 9,170 square miles (14,763 square kms), is Tanzania's largest national park and undoubtedly the best known wildlife sanctuary in the world. Over three million large game animals inhabit these rolling grasslands, known as the 'endless plains'. Here one can witness the unique migration of almost 1.5 million wildebeest undertake a circuit of 600 miles (1,000 kms) in search of new pastures, from the central plains to the permanent water holes at the the park corridors. About 35 species of plain animals can be observed including the 'big five' - elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards, buffalos - and large herds of wildebeest, gazelle and zebra.

Olduvai Gorge

Olduvai Gorge is known as the 'cradle of mankind'. Through the excavation of Dr. Louis Leakey and his wife Mary, the gorge has yielded numerous remains dating back almost two million years. The remains of the earliest human were found in this area which revolutionized theories of how man evolved. The historical findings of the famous skull, other fossils and stone artifacts have strengthened the belief that Africa is the birthplace of prehistoric man. There is a small museum here which displays some of the finds from this region. Olduvai Gorge lies between the great wildlife sanctuaries of the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park, and is a common rest stop during the bumpy ride between these parks.

Safari Accommodations

We offer two accommodation options for our safari extensions. The first option utilizes standard hotel lodges and permanent tented camps. The lodges are located in the towns of Moshi and Karatu. The permanent tented camps are located near Seronera, the center of the Serenget National Parki, and just west of the Serengeti, in the Grumeti Game Reserve. The second option is basic camping.

Standard Hotel Lodges

Our standard hotel lodges feature nice, clean rooms with twin beds and private bathrooms with hot showers. Linens are included as well as mosquito netting. Breakfast, lunch and dinner is served in either an indoor communal dining hall or (weather permitting) an outdoor garden/courtyard.

Amenities available at standard hotel lodges include:

^ Telephone services	^ Sauna	^ Swimming pool
^ Internet access	^ Bicycle rental	^ Fitness room
^ Laundry services	^ Pedicure and manicure	^ Gift shop
^ Safe deposit box	^ Massage	^ Television room
^ Bus shuttle service	^ Locked storage facilities	^ Activities/excursions

Permanent Tented Camps

Our permanent tented camps are spacious (13 ft x 25 ft x 12 ft), comfortable settings with private bathrooms and hot showers. The rooms are furnished with two king size beds, tables and chairs, linens, mosquito netting and a covered porch. Meals are served in a dining tent.

Basic Camping

Finally, for those seeking a more rustic experience, we offer basic camping in a variety of sites. We use medium sized canvas tents with mosquito netting and sleeping bags. All campgrounds have flush toilets and hot showers. Most sites have restaurants and sell beverages.

Safari Itineraries

1 Day (Arusha National Park)
Day 1 - Drive to Arusha National Park for a game drive with picnic lunch. Return to Moshi.

2 Days (Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater)
Day 1 - Drive to Lake Manyara for game drive with picnic lunch. Dinner and overnight.
Day 2 - Breakfast, Proceed to Ngorongoro for crater game drive with picnic lunch. Return to Moshi.

3 Days (Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire)
Day 1 - Drive to Lake Manyara for game drive with picnic lunch. Dinner and overnight.
Day 2 - Breakfast, Proceed to Ngorongoro Crater for game drive with picnic lunch. Dinner and overnight.
Day 3 - Breakfast, Proceed to Tarangire for game drive with picnic lunch. Return to Moshi.

4 Days (Lake Manyara, Olduvai Gorge, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater)
Day 1 - Drive to Lake Manyara for game drive with picnic lunch. Dinner and overnight.
Day 2 - Breakfast, Proceed to Serengeti for game drive, stopping at Olduvai Gorge en route for picnic lunch. Dinner and overnight.
Day 3 - Breakfast, Serengeti game drive with picnic lunch. Proceed to Ngorongoro. Dinner and overnight.
Day 4 - Breakfast, Ngorongoro Crater game drive. Return to Moshi.

5 Days (Lake Manyara, Olduvai gorge, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater)
Day 1 - Drive to Lake Manyara for game drive with picnic lunch. Dinner and overnight.
Day 2 - Breakfast, Proceed to Serengeti for game drive, stopping at Olduvai Gorge en route for picnic lunch. Dinner and overnight.
Day 3 - Breakfast, full day game drive in Serengeti. Picnic lunch. Dinner and overnight.
Day 4 - Breakfast, Serengeti game drive with picnic lunch. Proceed to Ngorongoro. Dinner and overnight.
Day 5 - Breakfast, Ngorongoro Crater game drive. Return to Moshi.

6 Days (Lake Manyara, Lake Eyasi, Olduvai Gorge, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater)
Day 1 - Drive to Lake Manyara for game drive with picnic lunch. Dinner and overnight.
Day 2 - Breakfast, Proceed to Lake Eyasi for game drive with picnic lunch. Dinner and overnight.
Day 3 - Breakfast, Proceed to Serengeti for game drive, stopping at Olduvai Gorge en route for picnic lunch. Dinner and overnight.
Day 4 - Breakfast, full day game drive in Serengeti. Picnic lunch. Dinner and overnight.
Day 5 - Breakfast, Serengeti game drive with picnic lunch. Proceed to Ngorongoro. Dinner and overnight.
Day 6 - Breakfast, Ngorongoro Crater game drive. Return to Moshi.

7 Days (Lake Manyara, Lake Natron, Lake Eyasi, Olduvai Gorge, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater)
Day 1 - Drive to Lake Manyara for game drive with picnic lunch. Dinner and overnight.
Day 2 - Breakfast, Proceed to Lake Natron for wildlife viewing and light hiking. Dinner and overnight.
Day 3 - Breakfast, Proceed to Lake Eyasi for game drive with picnic lunch. Dinner and overnight.
Day 4 - Breakfast, Proceed to Serengeti for game drive, stopping at Olduvai Gorge en route for picnic lunch. Dinner and overnight.
Day 5 - Breakfast, full day game drive in Serengeti. Picnic Lunch. Dinner and overnight.
Day 6 - Breakfast, Serengeti game drive with picnic lunch. Proceed to Ngorongoro. Dinner and overnight.
Day 7 - Breakfast, Ngorongoro Crater game drive. Return to Moshi.

Have Questions? Just Ask!