Day One, Sunday:
Meet in Arusha and depart at 10:00 for Tarangire National Park to spend the day game viewing. Late afternoon we depart for Boundary Hill Lodge for dinner and overnight. Tonight there is also the opportunity for a late evening night drive in the Tarangire Conservation Area.

Tarangire National Park and Conservation Area
This park represents perhaps the closest approximation to people's expectations of Africa. Savannah lands, acacia stands, clusters of baobab trees, large herds of elephant and large tracts of rarely visited game lands make this perhaps the epitome of the safari experience. The park is approximately 2,600 sq kms within an ecosystem of over 20,000 sq kms on the Masai steppes, and during the height of the dry season is second only to Ngorongoro in density of wildlife. Tarangire is also arguably the best park in Africa for elephants with a population of over 3,000; and during the season, these are concentrated around the permanent waters of the Tarangire River during the heat of the day.

As in all ecosystems the vegetation and the types of animals you find are closely correlated. The principle features of the ecosystem are grasslands and floodplains, Acacia tortillas and baobab parkland, riverina woodland, acacia commiphora woodland and combretum woodland. Three swamps form very important all year water sources for the large elephant populations, Silale and Gursi within the park, and Goswa within the conservation area.

Tarangire is also one of the only places in Tanzania where you are able to combine the traditional game viewing from vehicles with other activities such as night drives, walking safaris and fly camping. For avid birders, to be able to walk in the Conservation Area with one of the trained Masai guides is incredibly rewarding as it is at this pace it is far easier to spot and observe the many bird species. Night drives also enable visitors to spot the nocturnal animals such as African wildcat, Serval cats, genets, civets and bat eared foxes. The larger predators are also active at night and it is not uncommon to spot leopards hunting in the woodland margins or lions on the plains.

For birders, species to note include Hildebrandts Starling, the endemic Ashy starling, Yellow collared lovebird and Orange bellied parrot. Also seen around the camp are Brown parrots, Von der Deckens Hornbill, Northern pied babbler, Northern white crowned shrike, white bellied go away bird, plus a variety of rollers, woodpeckers and other species. On the night drives we also have the chance to see some of the many owls in the area, as well as two banded coursers and Montane nightjars.

Community Conservation
During the late eighties and early nineties, Tarangire National Park was in danger of becoming an island surrounded by marginal agricultural activities. This would have been a disaster for the Tarangire National Park and the world would have lost one of the top three wildlife migrations. The local Masai communities, seeing their natural heritage endangered entered joint partnerships with private investors and established areas set aside for habitat and wildlife preservation. It is
in these areas that we offer our walking safaris, night drives and fly camping, with economic benefits flowing back to the local Masai communities.

Day Two, Monday:
An early morning foot safari before a drive across the Rift Valley to the Serengeti, game viewing en-route. O/N Seronera Camp.

Serengeti National Park
Arguably the most famous National Park in the world, the Serengeti Ecosystem (the name comes from "siringit" the Masai word for "endless plains") consists of some 35,000 square kilometres. It extends into the Masai Mara in neighbouring Kenya and provides a vast eco-system for the wildebeest migration that takes place each year. The famed plains are found to the south of the park east of the Seronera Valley, rolling hills in the less visited Lobo area to the north and wooded riverine valleys to the remote east around Kirawira and Grumeti.

The park itself is about 14,763 sq kms in area and encompasses the main part of the Serengeti ecosystem. The ecosystem is defined by the annual migration of over 1,500,000 million wildebeest, zebras and associated predators, which occurs throughout the year and extends into the game reserves, game controlled areas and conservation area surrounding the park boundaries. As in all ecosystems, the vegetation and type of animals you will find are closely correlated, although it is impossible to say exactly where different species will occur, it is possible to build up a picture of the most likely species to be found in each area.

Day Three, Tuesday:
Full day game-viewing in the Serengeti with early morning and afternoon game-drives. Lunch and siesta are within camp. O/N Seronera Camp. There is an optional balloon safari available for $440USD per person on this morning.

Day Four, Wednesday:
A morning game drive in the Serengeti before leaving behind the great plains. We lunch at Olduvai Gorge, The Cradle Of Mankind and site of the discovery of man's earliest ancestors, before climbing into the Ngorongoro Highlands to camp on the Crater Rim.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Ngorongoro Conservation Area is the name given to the 8,300 square kilometre piece of land that surrounds the famous Crater and the Highlands of the same name. The Crater was once the headquarters of Serengeti National Park of which it was an integral part, but in 1956, after intense pressure and lobbying from the local Masai community who were dispossessed of the lands when the National Park was set up, Ngorongoro was designated a Conservation Area. The 210 square km Crater is now one of the principal attractions on the Northern Tanzanian Safari Circuit and the reputation of the Crater Highlands is slowly developing as a premier trekking destination. The Crater is all that it is made out to be, the hyperbole about Garden's Of Eden, Eighth Wonder Of The World etc all justified by its perennial animal population. This cross-section of wildlife is about as convenient as you will find, dispersed amongst an amazing array of eco-systems within the Natural Amphitheatre created by 600 metre high cliffs around it. It is home to one of the few remaining populations of black rhino in Tanzania and just about every other East African mammal, with the exception of giraffe (walls are too steep) and impala, all unafraid and used to the constant retinue of vehicles.

The crater has the highest density of lions in Africa, with over 30 lions per 100 sq kms, compared to the Serengeti, which has about 14 lions per 100 sq kms; and Kruger National Park in South Africa with about 10 lions per 100 sq kms. In Ngorongoro it is not uncommon to find the lions lying in the shade of the parked tourist vehicle!

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is unique in that the area is shared between the pastoralist Masai tribe and the wildlife the area was established to preserve.

Day Five, Thursday:
A full day exploring Ngorongoro Crater, a wildlife amphitheatre justifiably dubbed the eighth wonder of the world and Garden of Eden. It is the best place to put the last ticks on your wildlife checklist before the safari finishes. Late this afternoon we head down the escarpment to Twiga campsite in Mto Wa Mbu near Manyara National Park for dinner and overnight.

Day Six, Friday:
After breakfast we spend the morning game viewing in Manyara before we make our way back to Arusha arriving in time for flights to Zanzibar or shuttles to Nairobi.

End Of Services

INCLUDED:
This is a group safari with all game viewing in 4WD Land Rover or Land Cruiser with English speaking guide, all full board accommodation throughout, all park fees and conservation fees, unlimited kilometers on game drives, all walking safaris and night drives as stated. Services of camp chef and all camping equipment.

NOT INCLUDED:
Soft and alcoholic drinks, all items of a personal nature, visas and international flights.

Quotes: $1,300 USD per person.

Departure Dates (the following Sundays)

23rd March, 6th April, 6th July, 20th July, 10thAugust, 24th August, 14th September,
21st September, 12th October, 9th November, 23rd November, 14th December

The safari is confirmed departure with a minimum of two persons. If there is only one client then please check availability of departures first.

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