On Foot in the Serengeti

Day 1: Arrive Arusha

Rendezvous at the group hotel in Arusha. Complimentary airport transfers are provided for all flights into Kilimanjaro Airport on this day. Arusha is a pleasant town at the base of Mount Meru and the starting point for safaris in Northern Tanzania. We stay at the comfortable Hotel Impala, which is about a mile from the town centre. KE Land Only services begin with the evening meal. Included meals (D)

Day 2: Tarangire National Park

We make an early start for the drive to the Tarangire National Park. There is the option of making this drive on a tarmac road, which takes about 2 hours. Alternatively, if there has been little recent rain, we can enter the park via the Silale Gate and drive across country. Tarangire is set in a rift valley and has as its focus the Tarangire River and adjacent swampland. It is a dry park with one rainy season in March and April and it is also a hot park (very similar to Tsavo in Kenya). There are good game viewing opportunities along the boabab-lined Tarangire River, particularly for elephant, lion and other large plains game. We will spend the afternoon in our vehicles, taking up the best viewpoints along the edge of the marsh, with the possibility of seeing large numbers of elephants. The waterholes attract lots of game and this is probably the best place to see lions hunting in the whole of East Africa. The park is also home to over 300 nesting bird species, which makes it one of the richest ornithological sites in the world. Overnight camping in the Park, which gives us our first taste of the night sounds of Africa. (B,L,D)

Day 3: Ngorongoro Crater

Breaking camp after an early breakfast, we leave the park and make the 2 to 3-hour drive to the Ngorongoro Crater Area (NCA) park gate (The Lodoare Gate), taking lunch at a viewpoint outside the park whilst our permits are processed. Once inside the park, we drop our gear off at the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge and head straight down into the crater for an afternoon’s game viewing. Almost 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) in diameter and with a depression of 600 metres (2000 feet), this giant crater is regarded as one of the natural wonders of the world. The wildlife viewing is excellent and we have a good chance of seeing lion and cheetah, elephant and rhino, as well as the other plains game. We return to the crater rim and our hotel in time for sunset views and sundowners. (B,L,D)

Day 4: Via the Olduvai Gorge to Sanjan

Leaving after breakfast, we head off in a north westerly direction, descending from the crater rim to the Olduvai Gorge. This is about an hour’s drive on a dirt road. We stop off for an hour or so at the Olduvai Museum, which provides a quick and easy way to check out the most important elements in the history of this fascinating region. It is in this area that some of the oldest of all human remains have been found and there are, for example, fossilised human footprints which are 2.5 million years old. Driving out from Olduvai, our road takes us around the Gol Mountains to the mouth of the Sanjan Gorge where we set up camp which will be our base for the next 3 days of exploration in the Gol Mountains. The camp itself is in a spectacular location at a junction point for the animals of the Masai who come to the gorge to drink. (B,L,D)

Day 5: Day hike to Engurika Viewpoint

The Gol is an ancient mountain range, partially covered by volcanic dust from the Rift Valley and the Crater Highlands. Accompanied by our guides and probably by a couple of Masai warriors, we have a full day's walk up to Engurika viewpoint which provides us with magnificent views over the Salei Plains, Lengai and the crater highlands. We make the return descent to Sanjan camp via an old ‘Orapul’ which is a feasting cave for warriors. The Masai hereabouts continue to follow a very traditional way of life, tending their large herds of cattle on the open plains. (B,L,D)

Day 6: Following the Sanjan River Gorge

Our route today follows the gorge of the Sanjan River. The Sanjan is a vital dry season river for the Masai, since it is the only permanent water source in the region. The gorge is something of a mini national park and has an interesting mix of wildlife, including baboon, klipspringer and leopard. It is also home to thousands of nesting vultures and lovebirds. This is a very interesting day’s walk - at times we are obliged to scramble over boulders in the bed of the gorge and (depending on river level) there may also be a couple of occasions where we are obliged to wade or even swim through the biggest of the pools. (Note: if there has been significant recent rain, the gorge can become impassable and we will take an alternative route). In the late afternoon we will make a visit to our Masai guides’ nearby village and visit their homes, before returning to camp. (B,L,D)

Day 7: Trek to Enkare Sero

We start out today in our vehicles, driving across country, to the top of the escarpment overlooking Lake Natron. Leaving the vehicles behind, we then have a 2-hour walk to the crest of the rift, beneath the Masonic Mountains (1700m / 5580ft), followed by a 600 metre (2000 foot) descent, with spectacular views of the lake and of the peaks of Gelai and Lengai. This is a further 2 hours of walking and it can be very hot indeed, as we descend over broken lava formations. Our vehicles are obliged to do a 60 kilometre (40 mile) detour to reach camp. (For those who want to save their energy for the optional Mount Lengai climb, there is the option of taking a ride in one of the support vehicles). Arriving at our camp at Enkare Sero, between Mount Lengai and Lake Natron, at midday, the afternoon is free and we arrange a late afternoon drive to the shores of Lake Natron to see the flocks of flamingos which make their home on this spectacular soda lake. Our campsite is alongside a clear and fast flowing river and the most popular option, immediately on arrival at camp, is to jump straight in. In the afternoon, there is the option of a short and interesting gorge walk to a pretty waterfall, upstream of the campsite. Young Masai children will happily act as guides for this walk, for a few shillings. (B,L,D)

Day 8: Optional ascent of Mount Lengai

For those of the group who wish to climb Mount Lengai (Ol Doinyo Lengai), there is a very early start (leaving at midnight) for the very rough one and a half hour drive across country to the foot of the mountain. We will start climbing at around 2 a.m., and hope to make the almost 1500 metre (5000 foot) ascent before dawn. This is a steep ascent with no zig zags and becomes even steeper as we near the summit. The final section is made more difficult by loose scree and care is needed particularly whilst descending. We will take a couple of our Masai staff on the climb to carry extra water for the group. Arriving at the crater rim (2800m / 9190ft) after a 4 or 5-hour climb, it can be quite cold. But, the heat of the day will soon begin to make itself felt. The crater is about 200 metres in diameter and in places lava has begun to spill over the side. The crater has numerous fumeroles (smoking lava towers) and there are often small lava flows. Lengai’s last eruption was in 2007-2008 and the crater changed shape significantly. This relatively recent eruption also means that it is likely to be ash under foot when ascending the volcano. The descent takes 2 to 3 hours and this is followed by an hour’s drive back to our camp. After taking lunch, we set off at around 2 p.m. over a rough track towards Longido, passing the volcano, Gelai, en route. We reach our final camp in the African Bush in the late afternoon. (B,L,D)

Day 9: Drive to Arusha

Today, we make a 4 to 5-hour drive on a remote track to Arusha, where we check in to the Hotel Impala. In the evening we have a celebratory meal at the hotel. If there has been recent rain (which makes the direct track impassable), we will take an alternative route back to Arusha via Mto wa Mbu. (B,L,D)

Day 10: Free day in Arusha. Evening depart

A free day in Arusha for souvenir buying. In the late afternoon, we make the 1-hour transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport to check in for our return flight, which departs in the evening. KE Land Only services end on arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport. (B,L)