Arrive Kilimanjaro International airport.  On arrival you will be met and transferred to Kigongoni Lodge, or similar, near Arusha for the night.  No meals included tonight.

Kigongoni Lodge is located on an historical 70-acre coffee farm near Arusha, amid natural forest.  Sitting on a hilltop with lush gardens, the lodge offers breathtaking views of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru.

The rooms, cocktail lounge and restaurant – all with fireplaces – are furnished in an intimate and comfortable manner, maximizing the site’s unique views and natural features.

The 18 large, 60²m cottages are all built in African styles and materials.  They all have large verandas with views of either Mount Meru or Mount Kilimanjaro.  Each cottage has a four-poster bed with large mosquito net, a large bathroom area with separate shower and bathtub, writing- and sitting area, and a fireplace.

We will set off this morning, after breakfast and a short briefing, to Ngorongoro Highlands, via the Rift Valley and the beautiful Lake Manyara National Park – where we will spend most of the day.

We will enjoy the balance of the day exploring the park, with a picnic lunch.

For those interested, we can include a visit to a local village/community on the edge of the park.

Toward the end of the day, we will climb steadily up the steep escarpment to the bustling farming town of Karatu, and into the Ngorongoro Highlands… to overnight at a lodge on the crater rim.

All meals included.  Overnight Ngorongoro Serena Lodge or similar.

Remember it’s cold on the crater rim at night, so bring some warm clothing!

We have selected one of the lodges on the crater rim, in order to allow photography from the top of the crater…. during sunrise/sunset.

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Today we head down into the caldera of Ngorongoro Crater, where you will spend the balance of the day game viewing and taking some fantastic scenic photographs.

Ngorongoro Crater is one of the natural wonders of the world.  A large volcanic caldera, with an area of 259 square kilometres, it contains a huge variety of game and birds and is often referred to as a microcosm of Africa with its dramatic weather changes and varied terrains consisting of forest, grasslands and both freshwater and soda lakes.

Late in the day we head down to the open plains of the Serengeti eco-system, staying in the Ndutu region of the Ngorongoro Conservation area, in the south where we anticipate a lot of action !!

Nights here will be spent at our Ngorongoro Wilderness Camp, a small (10 tents) intimate, eco-friendly tented camp – in the heart of the bush!  The camp has comfortably appointed tents, with quality beds and linens, bush-shower and toilet ensuite… a lounge and dining area where guests can unwind at the end of the day and where we plan to ‘compare notes’ on the day’s photography.  Recharging facilities will be available for camera batteries etc, via inverters from batteries charged by solar panels.

We will spend three nights here.

We will slowly meander our way toward the central region of the Serengeti, to spend time at our seasonal camp – Serengeti Wilderness Camp.  Three nights will be spent here, allowing time to photograph some of the resident game, and capture some of the potential early movement of game – and possibly enjoy a balloon safari (optional – must be pre booked).

The central area is well known for its good viewing of cats particularly leopard and cheetah… as well as lion hiding out in some of the pretty koppies nearby.

Our ‘seasonal’  Serengeti Wilderness Camp is designed in the safari style of olden days – simple, but comfortable with every need being taken care of.  Each camp comprises of only 10 tents, each comfortably furnished with proper beds, duvets, eco friendly toilet and shower ensuite.

The Serengeti is unequalled for its beauty and contains more than three million large mammals spread over the vast endless plains.  It is here, at certain times of the year, that we may encounter the breathtaking spectacle of the annual wildebeest migration, where one and a quarter million wildebeest trek in columns of up to forty kilometres long in search of grazing, drawing with them their predators and numerous other species of game.  From January to March the herds can largely be found in the southern area, proceeding north through the centre and Western Corridor during June and July before entering Kenya’s Masai Mara.  They return south in November to repeat this amazing instinctive procession all over again.

Africa’s most famous national park covers an area of almost 15000 sq km and is world-renowned for its dense predator population and the annual wildebeest migration.  The park is part of the much larger Serengeti eco-system, which includes Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Reserve, and encompasses more than double this area.  The greater park of the park is open grassland, patches of acacia woodland and isolated areas of granite rock outcrops called koppies.  Animal migration is linked to the annual rainfall patterns and its effect on their feeding habitats.  Formerly the home of the Maasai tribe who displaced the Datoga pastoralists in the 17^th century, the name Serengeti is derived from the Maasai word serengit, meaning ‘endless plain’.  The national park was created by the Tanzania Government in 1951 and became famous through the work of Professor Bernard Grzimek (in particular his book ‘Serengeti Shall Not Die’).

Huge herds of wildebeest and zebra can be found here along with smaller concentrations of Thomson’s gazelle, Grant’s gazelle, impala, kongoni, Kirk’s did dik, klipspringer and small numbers of roan, oryx, oribi, eland and waterbuck.  There are also significant numbers of buffalo, giraffe and warthog.  Elephants are relatively scarce on the open plains, more common in the northern areas and the western corridor.  The few remaining black rhinos are restricted to an inaccessible part of the park.  But the most popular animals to be found here in greater abundance than elsewhere on the northern circuit are the cats.  Lions, cheetahs and leopard may all be seen here along with other predators, such as the spotted hyena, golden and black-backed jackals, wild cats and servals.

From the central area of Serengeti, we will fly back to Arusha, a pretty flight over the Ngorongoro highlands.

Met on arrival and transferred to Kigongoni Lodge or similar, for the final night.

Picnic lunch will be supplied for the flight out.

Dinner for own account this evening.

Breakfast at your lodge, and a transfer to the Kilimanjaro Intl Apt, ends your safari.

Balloon safari

If you would like to go on an early morning balloon safari over the Serengeti, this will be possible.  Please note that balloon safaris can only be organised by PRE-ARRANGEMENT and there is an additional cost for this, detailed below.

We can assist you with flight bookings to the region, or if you prefer – book your own and advise us of your arrival / departure times.                                                                 

Price includes:

• airport transfers from Kilimanjaro, or Arusha, return
• bed and breakfast in Kigongoni Lodge (or similar)
• all meals on safari
• game viewing activities as indicated
• services of our Professional Photographic Guide, as well as our local Tanzania guides
• services of support crew and cook as appropriate
• bedding, pillows and towels supplied on the mobile camp nights
• bottled water for game drives / in vehicle (not at hotels/lodges)

Excludes – visas, travel insurance, health requirements, gratuities, drinks, all items of a personal nature and any service not specified.  There is a cash bar at the Serengeti Wilderness camps, but for the MOBILE CAMP nights, drinks will need to be organised in advance.

Optional extras:

Balloon safari – must be pre-booked  USD 500 per person (2011 rates, subject to change)

Masai Village Visit  USD50 per vehicle, payable in cash locally

Health Requirements – Yellow Fever inoculations are necessary if you are travelling from or via another endemic area, or into South Africa afterwards.  This must be done no later than 10 days prior to departure.  Anti-malaria tablets are also necessary.  Please enquire for details of travel clinics operating in your area.

Visas – Are required by most citizens for entry into Tanzania.  Visas can generally be organised on arrival.  Please enquire for further details.

Travel insurance – Travel insurance is compulsory for the duration of your trip

Contact Details:

Wild Frontiers

Email  etienne@wildfrontiers.com

www.wildfrontiers.com

Tel: +27 (0) 87 941 3892  or  Tel: +27 (0) 72 927 7529 

Fax: +27 (0) 86 689 6759

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Prices are subject to change without prior notification due to circumstances beyond our control, namely fuel surcharges, supplier increases, government taxes, exchange rate fluctuations, etc.  Please refer to our full booking terms and conditions.
• Any airfares quoted will be done on the lowest fare class and are subject to availability at time of booking.  We are not holding flights.
• Airport taxes can only be confirmed at time of booking due to exchange rate fluctuations and may change the costs accordingly.
• All costs are valid for the itinerary travel dates.
• Should any details change, we reserve the right to recalculate the tour price accordingly.