Tanzania Lodge Safari - (ex Kili Airport)

(Driving time: approx 3 hours)This morning is free to enjoy at leisure in Arusha before joining up with other guests on the safari for lunch. In Arusha you may wish to visit a very special local school that the Peregrine Community Trust is helping to support. This morning activity can be pre-booked with us. A short trip briefing is held and we also meet your safari guide and special 4WD safari vehicle. A three-hour drive takes us through the village of Mto Wa Mbu before we climb up part of the great Rift Valley to our lodge. We arrive at the Lake Manyara Serena Lodge in the late afternoon. Spectacularly perched high on the escarpment overlooking the alkaline Lake Manyara, this is a wonderful place to spend the first night on our Tanzanian safari.

(Driving time: approx 6 hours including game drives)In the morning we explore Lake Manyara National Park on a short game drive. This picturesque lake is home to a large number of birds, including flamingos and pelicans, which are often to be seen in the water or on shore. The area is also renowned for black-maned, tree-climbing lions, who have developed this habit due to the marshy soil. Witnessing one of these can be a real highlight of any safari. Large herds of buffalo and elephant are also often sighted. We depart Lake Manyara for the wide open plains of the Serengeti. To reach the Serengeti we must travel through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, skirting the Ngorongoro Crater before entering into the Serengeti. We will spend the afternoon on a game drive covering the more southern regions of the Serengeti before reaching the Serengeti Sopa Lodge.

(Game drive time: approx 8 hours)The seemingly endless Serengeti Plains portray the essence of Africa. They are home to massive numbers of grazing animals and also various predators, and the interaction between the many species often provide some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities in the world. Today we will start around sunrise for a morning game drive and follow that up later on with an afternoon game drive, as the animals tend to be more active in the cooler hours of the day. We will usually return to camp during the hotter hours in the middle of the day, where we get to enjoy a hearty meal, relax and maybe take a siesta. Depending on wildlife movements and opportunities for sightings, our drive could sometimes be a continuous one that last all day and involves returning to the lodge in the late afternoon.

(Driving time: approx 8 hours including game drives)This morning there is time to further explore the Serengeti and perhaps visit Simba Kopjes, an outcrop of rocks favoured by lion and cheetah, who can often be seen basking in the morning sun. We spend our time game viewing and stop for a picnic lunch en route, as we drive from Serengeti National Park back toward the Ngorongoro Conservation area. Along the way we have the option to visit Olduvai Gorge, an site famous for the discovery of fossilised remains of pre-historic man. Our lodge for the next two nights is beautifully located on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater. It is highly recommended to take time in the late afternoon to pause and take in this incredible vista, as the sun sets over the crater.

(Game drive time: approx 6 hours)Today we explore the world-renowned Ngorongoro Crater, widely regarded as a microcosm of natural habitats in Africa and often touted as a veritable Garden of Eden. Within this crater lies every type of ecosystem, including riverine forests, open plains, freshwater and alkaline lakes. Ngorongoro Crater is the remnants of an ancient volcano caldera, and within its 300 square kilometres is a remarkable concentration of wildlife. The scenery is spectacular as we descend almost 600 metres down to the crater floor. There is every chance of seeing considerable quantities and varieties of wildlife in this compact area, including the highly endangered black rhinoceros. In the afternoon we leave the crater and return to our lodge for a second night. (National park regulations stipulate that vehicles are only allowed a maximum of six hours in Ngorongoro Crater.) The late afternoon can be spent relaxing at the lodge, enjoying the wonderful views.

(Driving time: approx 4½ hours; game drive: approx 3½ hours)Bidding farewell to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area we travel back down the Rift Valley escarpment and through Mto Wa Mbu before reaching Tarangire National Park - our final Tanzanian national park. Tarangire National Park lies to the south of the Masailands and is defined by large open savannahs dotted with acacia woodland and large baobab trees. With the presence of the Tarangire River, this park forms a refuge during the dry season for many migratory animals, ensuring that Tarangire's wildlife concentration is second only to that of Ngorongoro Crater. At Tarangire we enjoy an afternoon game drive en route to our safari lodge, situated inside the park.