Tanzania Northern Parks and Lake Natron

Day 1: Arusha Kilimanjaro

Arrival in Arusha at the international Airport of Kilimanjaro. At the airport you will be met by our representative and you will be transferred to the hotel for accommodation. Dinner at your leisure.

Rivertrees Country Inn (comfort) or Arusha Coffee Lodge (deluxe)
Bed and Breakfast

Day 2: Arusha – Lake Natron

After breakfast you will be met by your guide that will drive you to Lake Natron.
Arrival at lunch time and accommodation at the selected tented camp. In the afternoon you will be heading towards the Lake colored by the beautiful pink flamingos. Lake Natron seems like a color pallet, with colors that go from white to pink then red and brown, this because of the water’s alkalinity. The only species that populate the lake are the flamingos and between August and October they can reach the number of 2.5 millions.
On the background of the Lake the Ol Doinyo Lengai which means ‘Mountain of God’ in Masaai language. This is an active volcano located in the Gregory Rift, south of Lake Natron. Part of the volcanic system of the Eastern Rift, it uniquely produces natrocarbonatite lava. This is a liquid lava and is the coldest of the world with its 500/590 degrees. At night the mountain shows a beautiful dark red color. At sunset you will take a guided walk to the lake flats. Dinner and accommodation at the lodge. You can also hike to the Oldoinyo Lengai, this adventurous hike leaves at dawn from camp, you are transferred to the base of the rift valley wall. You then scale the wall on foot, ascending close to the Ngare Sero gorge to enjoy the dawn. A picnic breakfast is taken with you and once on top this is the perfect place to enjoy, one of the most dramatic view points in this region. After breakfast descend back down another route, or select the same way depending on time (activity to be arranged in advance).

Lake Natron Camp or Lake Natron Halisi Camp
Full board

Day 4: Lake Natron – Serengeti National Park (northern area)

After breakfast, before hitting the road to the Serengeti, you will get to admire the beautiful falls near the lodge.
The Serengeti is what the Maasai call “the endless plain” and it is probably the most beautiful safari you will experience in Tanzania. This park extents for about 14.763 sq/km and it’s the biggest of the country. Your way to the lodge will be your first game viewing at the Serengeti. After a picnic lunch you will continue your safari towards the tented camp, once you get there you will enjoy a bit of relaxing time before dinner at the tented restaurant.

Bologonya Under Canvas or Ang’ata Migration Camp (comfort) or Klein’s Camp (luxury)
Full Board

Day 5: Serengeti National Park (northern area)

Today will be totally dedicated to the game viewing inside the park. Picnic lunch during the safari and dinner at the camp. The northern Serengeti is a little-visited sector of the Serengeti National Park
The most interesting part is undoubtedly the impressive Lobo area, where a broad valley offers a mix of light woodland, open savannah and riverine vegetation and ensures reasonably reliable resident wildlife, notably lions and leopards. The Lobo area can also be particularly good for elephants, much more so than the rest of the Serengeti.
The main wildebeest and zebra migration tends to pass through headed north during Jun/Jul and returns southward some time during Oct/Dec, although the timing is very unpredictable.

Bologonya Under Canvas or Ang’ata Migration Camp (comfort) or Klein’s Camp (luxury)
Full Board

Day 6: Serengeti National Park (northern area) – Serengeti National Park (central area)

This whole day will be spent game viewing. You will be travelling to the central area of the National Park and having your picnic during the journey. Late in the afternoon you will be experiencing a stunning sunset safari and then, back to the lodge for dinner. South Serengeti is characterized by vast plains and below the layers of volcanic rock and ash that form the soil of the Serengeti is a thick layer of extremely old metamorphic rock. Many years ago a giant bubble of liquid granite forced its way up below earth crust and today, a the softer metamorphic rocks wear away, The uneven top of the granite layer is exposed forming kopjes. The granite is cracked by the repeated heating and cooling under the African sun, and weathered into interesting shapes by the wind.

Ang’ata Seronera Camp (comfort) or Elewana Pioneer Camp (deluxe)
Full board

Day 7: Serengeti National Park – Ngorongoro Crater

Breakfast at the lodge and proceed to the Ngorongoro Crater. Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest inactive, intact and unfilled volcanic caldera. It is a 600 m deep crater with a 19 km diameter and covers an area of 300 sq km.
Visitors can take a nice walk to the upper edge of the crater through dense forests in order to arrive at “Crater View Point” (2.216 m). At the top, there is a spectacular view, and, if the weather is clear, it is possible to enjoy a stunning view of the vast caldera. The walk continues around the rim of the volcano and eventually comes to the trail head that descends into the crater. The inside of the crater is an amazing portrait of colours; deep greens and yellows contrast with the silver blue reflection of the sky in Lake Magadi, a soda lake at the bottom of the crater that is host to thousands of flamingos, not to mention all kinds of other wildlife (wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, antelopes, hippos, elephants and a small number of black rhinos) and their predators such as lions, leopards and cheetahs. Lions can be somewhat easy to spot in the dry season; the leopards and cheetahs, on the other hand, are a bit more tricky to spot in any season. There are several other interesting sites in the various parts of the park. Visitors are not allowed to stay in the crater for more than 6 hours; after this amazing safari and a picnic lunch you will head back to the lodge located along the crater rim with a stunning view. Enjoy some rest at the lodge before dinner.

Ngorongoro Serena Lodge (comfort) or &Beyond Crater Lodge (deluxe)
Full board

Day 8: Ngorongoro Crater – Tarangire National Park

After breakfast hit the road destination Tarangire National Park: the most loved park by elephants. Picnic lunch on the way to the park. Arrival at Tarangire in the afternoon and explore the park in your first safari. Back at the camp for dinner and accommodation. The National Park covers an area of 2600sq km, is crossed by the homonymous Tarangire River. The only source of water for wild animals during dry season, the Tarangire River creates the most diverse vegetation: a hilly landscape is dotted with vast numbers of Baobab trees, dense bush and high grasses. During the dry season thousands of animals like elephants, kudu, lions cheetahs and leopards migrate to the National Park to find water. This is the best season to visit the Tarangire.

Tarangire River Lodge (comfort) or Oliver’s Camp or Tarangire Tree Top (deluxe)
Full board

Day 9: Tarangire National Park – Arusha

Breakfast at the camp and you will be transferred to the International Airport in Arusha for your flight back home or for your next destination.