8 Days Tanzania Lodge Safaris is a exclusive boutique lodge, set amidst acres of coffee plantations, is designed like a traditional colonial era farmhouse and radiates warmth and comfort. Here you will be accommodated in opulent style and enjoy fine dining beside cosy open fires as you relax in preparation for your safari adventure.
DEPARTURE/RETURN LOCATION | Arusha |
DEPARTURE TIME | If availability permits, this tour can start on any day. |
RETURN TIME | Depending on your flight plans. |
WEAR | Casual, comfortable and light |
INCLUDED |
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NOT INCLUDED |
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Day 1 - ArushaWhen you arrive in Arusha we will pick you up and take you to the luxurious Arusha hotel/ Lodge on the outskirts of the city. This exclusive boutique lodge, set amidst acres of coffee plantations, is designed like a traditional colonial era farmhouse and radiates warmth and comfort. Here you will be accommodated in opulent style and enjoy fine dining beside cosy open fires as you relax in preparation for your safari adventure. Take advantage of the swimming pool and enjoy a sundowner at the Safari Bar as you unwind after a delectable meal with a good liquor and a fireside chat. Day 2 - Arusha to Tarangire National ParkToday you will wake up to the glorious sounds of the birds at the coffee plantation. After a delightful breakfast we will leave the plantation and drive to the wonderful Tarangire National Park. Here, at the Tarangire TreeTops lodge you will be served lunch and given some time to relax. The lodge is situated in a private game reserve bordering the national park and the Masai Steppe amidst rolling, baobab-studded hills and with views all the way to Lake Manyara and the Rift Valley. Tarangire TreeTops is a magical place to stay as the rooms are actually open-fronted tree houses perched in the trees. Constructed from natural materials and tastefully furnished with African decor, each tree house features a private balcony with a stunning view. There is a splendid dining room and an infinity swimming pool, as well as a watering hole that attracts wildlife for guests to view from the conform of the lodge. After lunch we will enter the park for an afternoon of game viewing, returning to TreeTops in time for a quintessential sundowner before dinner. Day 3 - Tarangire National ParkAfter breakfast you will spend the day game in Tarangire National Park, which hosts the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem – a smorgasbord for predators – and the one place in Tanzania where dry-country antelope such as the stately fringe-eared oryx can be spotted regularly. Lunch will be taken in one Tanzania’s most stunning picnic locations overlooking an evergreen swamp populated with elephants as you enjoy some delightful bush-inspired cuisine. For the more ardent bird-lovers you might want to keep an eye open for the noisy flocks of the dazzlingly colourful yellow-collared lovebirds, and the rufous-tailed weaver and ashy starling – all of which are endemic to the dry savannah of north-central Tanzania. As evening settles we will return to TreeTops for another lovely evening meal. Day 4 - Tarangire National Park to Ngorongoro Conservation AreaLeaving the baobabs behind us, we will drive to the foothills of the Ngorongoro Highlands where you will stay at the luxurious Manor lodge, set within the Shangri-La Estate. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a UNESCO World Heritage area that is both part of the Serengeti ecosystem and a cradle of humanity. It is here, of course, that we will visit the famous Ngorongoro Crater. The Manor at Ngorongoro is reminiscent of a sophisticated, up-country farm home in the Cape Dutch style of architecture. Each luxurious guest cottage suite is an indulgent safari experience fusing East African hospitality with old world Afro-European architecture. After a tasty lunch incorporating intercontinental and African cuisine, you can get to see and enjoy the Manor’s surroundings by taking a horseback ride, participating in a coffee tasting and/or taking a guided estate tour on foot or bike. If you prefer to completely relax, you could instead simply head to the snooker or library room to enjoy their extensive list of wines in the cellar. Day 5 - Ngorongoro CraterThe best way to experience the Ngorongoro Crater is to do so without the crowds so today we will rise early for a half day game drive. Reaching the crater floor as the sun begins to rise you will be amazed by the natural phenomenon that lies before you. The Ngorongoro Crater is home to about 25,000 large animals and is one of the last places in Tanzania where the Big 5 can all be seen. Additionally, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is unique because it is a multi-use conservation area - where the animals and environment are protected but the Masai are allowed to live and continue their pastoral lifestyle. Today you will enjoy a picnic on the edge of one of the crater’s lakes as you watch elephants quench their thirst from afar. Later we will return to the Manor to relax and enjoy a well-earned feast. Day 6 - Ngorongoro Conservation Area to Serengeti National ParkToday we say goodbye to the rolling hills of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area as you are transported to Mayara airstrip and flown to the seemingly endless plains of the Serengeti National Park. Picked up from the airstrip, you are taken to your accommodation, Serengeti Migration Camp, with a short game drive en route. Hidden among the rocky outcrops or kopjes, this camp exudes indulgence and luxury. Richly furnished throughout, the Serengeti Migration Camp is a comfortable haven amidst the raw splendour of the surrounding bush. Overlooking the Grumeti River and its resident hippos the camp’s spacious tents have been carefully placed to provide privacy and blend into nature’s architecture. Surrounded by a 360 degree veranda deck and with a capacious 45sqm internal floor space, each guest tent is a private sanctuary. The split level lounge, cigar bar, restaurant, sundecks and swimming pool are perched among the rocky outcrops and overlook the panorama that is home to the world’s greatest mammal migration. Once installed at the camp you will enjoy an afternoon game drive followed by sundowners taken at a picturesque location. Day 7 - Serengeti National ParkThere’s nothing like an early morning start to allow you to experience one of the ultimate game-viewing experiences. After a hot cup of tea or coffee you will soon be wide-awake for one of the best wildlife experiences on Earth. The cat family love to make appearances in the morning, while the early morning light makes snapping herds of wildlife a photographer’s dream. Serengeti National Park is renowned for its annual migration; when some six million hooves pound the open plains, as more than 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson's gazelle join the wildebeests’ trek for fresh grazing. Yet even when the migration is quiet, the Serengeti offers arguably the most scintillating game-viewing in Africa. Great herds of buffalo, smaller groups of elephant and giraffe, and thousands upon thousands of eland, topi, kongoni, impala and Grant’s gazelle all roam here. After lunch at camp, we return to the park’s open plains in search of more wildlife viewing and experiences. A delectable dinner is held at camp underneath the stunning starry African sky this evening. Day 8 - Serengeti National Park to ArushaAfter breakfast you will be transferred to the airstrip and connect with your schedule flight to Arusha over the dramatic Rift Valley. After lunch in Arusha you will be transferred to the international airport or your hotel for your onward journey. |