Tanzania’s is not only home to the ‘cradle of mankind’ it is also here that the word ‘safari’ originated, coming from the Swahili word for journey. Game viewing experiences are widely regarded as among the best in Africa. It is the place to see seemingly endless herds of wildebeest, zebra and gazelles trekking across the plains on their annual migration – followed by the predatory lions, leopards, cheetah and hyena. This is also elephant country, boasting some of the largest populations in the world.
Birding at Ngorongoro Swamp
© A & J Binns
© A & J Binns
Spend 12 days and nights in glorious Tanzania visiting world-renowned national parks and reserves such as Amboseli, Arusha, Tarangire and the Serengeti plains along with one of the great wonders of the world ‘Africa’s Garden of Eden’ the Ngorongoro Crater. We’ll encounter myriads of birds, including colorful bee-eaters, kingfishers, sunbirds and rollers, hornbills, Secretary Birds, Gray-crowned Cranes, Ostriches and a wide assortment of bustards, raptors and vultures.
Overnight flight from the US to London
Day 2: Arrive in Nairobi.
Morning flight from London to Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta international Airport we will meet you and transfer you to Nairobi Serena Hotel.
After breakfast and our safari program orientation we depart Nairobi driving through Athi-Kapiti plains to Amboseli National Park arriving in time for lunch at Amboseli Serena Lodge. Early afternoon will be spent at leisure and later embark on our evening game and bird watching drive, mainly along the Amboseli swamps in search of the waterbirds and the numerous plain game that favour the swamps. Overnight: Amboseli Serena Lodge.
Mt. Kilimanjaro
© Ben Mugambi
© Ben Mugambi
Full day at the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro the highest mountain in Africa with a series of game drives as we enjoy the breath-taking views of the snow cupped Kibo and Mawenzi peaks that offer a backdrop to the gracefully grazing animals that roam this vast wilderness. Overnight: Amboseli Serena Lodge
Amboseli is the second most popular park in Kenya after Maasai Mara, mainly because of the spectacular backdrop of Africa’s highest peak, Mt. Kilimanjaro, which broods over the southern boundary of the park. Amboseli is under Kenya gazette a biosphere park with research on African Elephants being carried out in the park by a British Biologist Cynthia Moss. Due to salinity and damage by elephants leading to terrible erosion, the landscape provides limited vegetation cover for wildlife, so we have a good chance of seeing some of the larger predators.Buffaloes, lions, cheetahs, Wildebeests, Hyenas, Jackals, Warthogs, Zebras, Maasai Giraffes and Baboons are among a wealth of animals to be seen here. Birdlife is prolific with over 350 species recorded. There are two permanent swamps Ekongo Narok and Ol-Kenya that host big herds of grazing and wallowing animals and numerous waders; needless to say that it’s probably the best place for the Kenya wildlife shot and almost every visitor ends up with an “elephants in front of Mt. Kilimanjaro” photo in their album. |
© A & J Binns |
Day 5: Tanzania Arusha National Park
This morning after breakfast we will transfer to the Namanga border where after immigration procedures we proceed on to the town of Arusha for lunch at Serena Mountain Village. Later drive to Arusha National Park for an en route game drive. Overnight: Momella Wildlife Lodge.
Arusha National Park lying between the peaks of Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru is an outstandingly beautiful area. The park has a wide range of habitats, from the string of crater lakes where many water birds can be watched, through the highland montane forest. The forests contain a wealth of birds and animals such as the bushbuck easily glimpsed in the glades between the ancient cedar trees, or the black and white Colobus monkeys climbing along the branches. The interesting geology of the area is reflected in the impressive view of the ash cone and cliff face to the summit of Mt. Meru. Key species here include: Narina Trogon, Maccoa Duck, Brown-hooded Kingfisher Lesser and Greater Flamingoes, African Crowned Eagle, Long-crested Eagle, Mountain Buzzard, White-fronted Bee-eater, African Grey Hornbill, Crowned Hornbill, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill and Hartlaub’s Turaco. |
© A & J Binns |
Today we will have a full day of birding and photography in Arusha NP.
Overnight: Momella Wildlife Lodge.
Vehicles at Arusha
© Ben Mugambi
© Ben Mugambi
Day 7: Tarangire National Park
After breakfast we shall drive to Tarangire National Park, arriving in time for lunch at the Tarangire Safari Lodge (though a Tented Camp, which it is called a lodge). Early afternoon will be spent at leisure (sometimes it gets reasonably hot here), enjoying the panoramic views from the lodge and its’ facilities. We will embark on an afternoon game drive after a cup of coffee or tea and return to the lodge by sunset for our dinner. Overnight: Tarangire Safari Lodge.
Full day at Tarangire National Park with a set of game drives. Overnight: Tarangire Safari Lodge.
Tarangire National Park (also known as the place of the tree - climbing pythons) covers approximately 2600 square kilometers and it lies on the south of a large open grassland plain, interspersed by huge baobab and acacia trees. The park is about 2 hours drive from Arusha heading towards the west. Tarangire National Park gets its name from the river Tarangire that threads its way through the length of the reserve. However, legend says that it gets its name from the local name of Warthogs-(Ngiri); the park has a considerably huge number of warthogs.
© A & J Binns |
Tarangire is home to a number of dry country birds including Tanzanian endemics such as the Ashy Starling and the Rufous-tailed Weaver. Other specialties include, the Yellow-collard Lovebird, Coqui Francolin, White-headed Vulture, Brown and Black-chested Snake Eagle. |
The River at Tarangire will also reward us with a number of waders including snipes, Marsh, Common and Green Sandpipers among others. It is its huge concentration of Elephants, Impalas, Grants Gazelles, Giraffes, Reedbucks, Wildebeest, Hyenas and Buffalo that make this place one of the best wildlife areas of East Africa.
After our breakfast we depart with picnic lunch boxes for Ngorongoro Crater and the Conservation area and descend to the crater for a half day of birding and photography. Later, we will ascend and drive to our nearby lodge for dinner. Overnght: Ngorongoro Serena Lodge
Ngorongoro Crater from the rim
© Ben Mugambi
© Ben Mugambi
Ngorongoro Crater is surely one of the “wonders of the world” as it has been depicted by the late Prof. Bernhard Grzimek in his film “Serengeti Shall not Die”. Ngorongoro Crater rises up through lichen-bearded forests to an altitude of 7000 feet above sea level. Nearly three million years old the ancient caldera of the once – volcanic Ngorongoro shelters one of the most beautiful wildlife havens in the world. It is more like the animal kingdom or Paradise; here some of Africa’s last Black Rhinos are still well protected. Also inside the crater, black-maned Lions stalk through the grasslands, flamingos crowd the Magadi Lake and the giant-tusked Elephants mostly seen along the permanent swamps. Towering euphorbias cling to the crater walls and on the floor, fever- and fig tree forests provide shade for the awe-inspiring array of wildlife flanked by lone, Maasai, resplendent in blends and furled in scarlet kanga robes. Birdlife is prolific here, mostly with grasslands species and waterbirds; Ngorongoro Crater is probably one of the best place to see the Kori Bustard!
Wildebeest with calves
© Ben Mugambi
© Ben Mugambi
We will have two full days to explore this expansive and game studded park and today we will start by exploring the Ndutu Area, Lake Ndutu and if time allows Lake Masek before moving on towards another section of this vast park. Overnight: Serengeti Serena Lodge
Serengeti National Park shares the same ecosystem with Kenya’s Maasai Mara. The ecosystem boasts the greatest wildlife concentrations of Ungulates; over more than one million wildebeest and nearly half a million zebra annually follow the rains from the plains to savannah to woodlands. It has been described, as the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth. Just like the Mara, Lions, Cheetahs, Jackals, Hyenas, and probably Leopards are reasonably common. Antelopes include Topi, Hartebeest, Dik-dik, Eland, Steinbok, and Grants and Thompson’s Gazelles among other small creatures.
Lion
© A & J Binns
© A & J Binns
The Serengeti is not only famous for the big game roaming over the plains, but also with its great ornithological spectacle. The highlight includes; the endemic Grey-breasted Spurfowl and the `true` Fischer’s Lovebirds, Tanzanian Red-billed Hornbill, Silverbird, Magpie Shrike, Winding, Desert and Rattling Cisticolas, Ashy Starlings and Rufous-tailed Weaver among others.
This morning, we will depart for Lake Manyara National Park and stop at the Gibbs Farm for lunch. After lunch we proceed on to Lake Manyara National Park arriving in time for our evening game drive. Overnight: Lake Manyara Serena Lodge.
Lake Manyara National Park is yet another Rift Valley lake park, renowned for its unique rainforest microclimate, woodland, and marshy swamps. The swampy Forest is incorporated within the park and it is a heaven for forest birds and primates. The diverse habitats are the home of a great variety of mammals and birds, making this park one of the world-best-small-parks. The ground waters from the west of the lake, flow through the forest into a permanent swamp.
This carpet of wetlands are well known as the breeding and feeding sites for thousands of Pink-backed Pelicans, Yellow-billed Storks, Marabou Storks, Cattle and Little Egrets, Black-headed, Black and Grey Herons. It is an incredible place for snipes, plovers, sand pipers, jacanas, swamp warblers, stilts and ibises as well as other migratory waterbirds. Notable species of mammals here are Buffalos, Elephants, Impalas, Spotted Hyena, Olive Baboon; Giraffe; Hippopotamus, as well as its famous tree climbing Lions. |
© A & J Binns |
Day 14: Manyara-Nairobi-Home. |
Day 15: Arrive in London; Fly onto the US
Gray-crowned Cranes
© A & J Binns
© A & J Binns
Cost:
$5200 per person from Nairobi based upon double occupancy.
Single supplement: $775. Please note that if you do not request a single room, and we are unable to find you a roommate, you will be charged the single supplement.
Deposit: $500 sent in with your registration form.
Final payment and balance is due November 20, 2007
What is included: All ground transportation, accommodations, meals and services of your guides from Nairobi; all entrance fees to National Parks and Reserves; temporary flying doctor medical insurance; mineral water while on safaris
What is not included: flight to Nairobi; visa fees for both Kenya and Tanzania; travel insurance; tips to porters and guides; items of a personal nature; beverages
Number of participants: A minimum of 4 participants and maximum of 10 (2 vehicles)
Policy Information |
Trip Insurance |
Registration Form |