Whatever your arrival time at Kilimanjaro International Airport, your Africa Uncovered Safaris driver-guide will be waiting for you with a warm welcoming smile. Kick back and relax in your comfortable vehicle as he takes you to your hotel in Arusha (Tanzania’s self-styled Safari Capital). Depending on your time of arrival, you will get a brief impression of this large bustling commercial city on the way to your hotel. You may have your pre-safari briefing today; if not, it will take place early tomorrow morning.
This morning, you will get picked up from your hotel and driven to the first stop on the safari -Tarangire National Park. Often considered Tanzania’s most underrated park, the Tarangire is one of Africa’s gems known for its huge Baobab trees and large herds of elephants. This park owes its name to Tarangire River which flows across the area and attracts high numbers of animals during the dry months. Its sparse vegetation scattered with Acacia trees and mixed woodland makes it a beautiful location. Up to 300 elephants can be found, looking for underground streams in the riverbeds. During the drier months, migratory wildebeest, zebra, and buffalo can also be seen crowding the shrinking lagoons.
Best time to visit: Tarangire is excellent all year-round for game viewing. However, during the dry season (August to October & December) the wildlife is at its most concentrated and wildlife viewing is best. Some safari operators skip this park during the wetter months (April to June) because the overgrown vegetation will make it more difficult to see some animals.Most common animals: elephants, giraffes, hippos, buffalos, zebras, wildebeests and lions.
On this day, we will drive to one of the most famous game parks in Africa, the Serengeti- known to host one of the most incredible wildlife spectacles on earth (the great migration of wildebeests and zebras) The Serengeti’s vast plains and grasslands are also home to a haven of other wildlife including lions, cheetahs, leopards and many other predators. Stretching across 14,763 sq km, it is impossible to see it all in just one day.
As for the scenery? It is truly mind-blowing and is definitely the place to be if you want to feel like you are in the heart of the African bush. When the weather is hot and dry, the savannah is a dusty sunburnt red. Then after the rains have visited, the plains transform to lush green grassland dotted with pretty wildflowers and blooming Fig and Acacia trees.
Best time to visit: A Serengeti safari offers top wildlife viewing all year-round. However, if your goal is to witness the wildebeest migration, you need to time it right. The wildebeest migration takes one full year to complete before the cycle starts again. This means there is a good chance to witness it throughout the year. But certain highlights only occur in certain months`, for instance the dramatic river crossings occur between July and August in the far west.
The calving season starts from December to March. Between April and June, you’ll find huge herds migrating to the Grumeti region before making their way back to Kenya.
Most common animals: elephants, giraffes, hippos, buffalos, zebras, wildebeests, lions, cheetahs, hyenas and ostrich.
Full day excursion of discovery, a chance to enjoy the varied landscapes of the Central Serengeti. The Seronera River weaves its way through this area providing waters for all species of wildlife. You will also see the distinctive rocky outcrops, the famous kopjes which characterize the Serengeti landscape. Lunch will be an unforgettable experience enjoyed in the middle of the bush. Everything here varies with the seasons but in May, November and December migrating herds join the already rich population of resident animals which live here year-round. During the rainy season, the landscape turns black with hundreds of thousands of wildebeest – a simply incredible sight.
After breakfast we drive a 4-hour journey covering 250km to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and visit the incomparable crater. We set off at 6am in-order to reach the rim and then descend into the vast crater lake itself. At one side there’s the Lerai Forest, classic mountain forest landscape with almost tropical characteristics. This is good elephant country so keep your eyes peeled. By the side of the nearby swampland is what is sometimes called the ‘elephant graveyard’ as the mighty male tuskers at the end of their lives come to chew on the soft swampland grasses once their teeth have failed them.
The crater has a population of around 120 lions, with well-defined territories; 15,000 wildebeests, 9,000 zebras, 400 hyenas and around 50 black rhinos. Many wildebeests and other herd animals are resident benefiting from the many sources of year-round waters.
After breakfast, you will depart for Lake Manyara National Park. The park is known for its over 400 bird species, primate-filled forests, and grassy plains. A large area of the park is covered by the alkaline Lake Manyara, the seasonal breeding grounds for large colonies of flamingos and many more waterfowls. The park is also home to giraffes, hippos, wildebeests, impalas, and groups of noisy monkeys and baboons.