14 days 13 nights Adventure Walking Safaris plus Game viewing in Tanzania

The following tour should be done during dry Season, June to December

Day 01 – Upon arrival:

Upon arrival, you will be met by your driver guide and transfer you to the hotel in Arusha for stay overnight on Bed and Breakfast basis.

Day 02 – 4 – Luxury Tented Campsite, Tarangire National Park:

Drive to Tarangire National Park in the lowlands of the Rift Valley. Here we will spend three days observing first hand a classic southern savannah ecosystem in the dry season. In the dry season the Tarangire River provides the only water source in the ecosystem and wildlife pours into the Park. Tarangire boasts one of the biggest and most conspicuous elephant populations in East Africa with large family groups and many young individuals being born each year as the population continues to recover from the devastating effects of poaching in the eighties.

We will drive in our open top safari vehicles around the Park, investigating its various habitats and animal populations. We will also have the opportunity to take a walk in the semi-wilderness area of the park which is set aside for hiking only. Another day will be spent in the company of one of the researchers from the Tarangire Elephant Project, a long term program which aims to discover more about the movement and requirements of the elephants within and around the Tarangire ecosystem.

Day 04 – Kirurumu Tented Campsite, Rift Escarpment:

Leaving Tarangire we will drive up the escarpment of the Rift Valley and spend the night at a beautifully positioned tented camp overlooking the plains below. We can hike in the afternoon, exploring the nearby river gorge and enjoying the views over the mountain studded rift.

Day 05 – Luxury Tented Camp, Ngorongoro Highlands:

The Ngorongoro Highlands rises between the dry floor of the Rift Valley and the sweeping plains of the Serengeti to the west, and harbors the world famous Ngorongoro Crater. We will be concentrating our hiking in this remarkable landscape of extinct volcanoes, mist shrouded forests and wildlife filled grasslands for the rest of our trip. Our luxury private tented camp is set near to the traditional home of our friend the Masai village chairman Ole Dorup. An afternoon hike will take us from the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater itself, along a ridge that separates the highlands from the Serengeti, and into Camp nestled in a river valley at the foot of Lemagrut Mountain.

Day 06 – Luxury Tented Campsite, Ngorongoro Highlands:

Lemagrut Mountain commands wide views of the surrounding landscape: the Gregory Rift that sweeps down to the shore of Lake Eyasi, and around to the broad plains surrounding Lake Ndutu and Oldupai Gorge. For those who relish the challenge of a strenuous hike, we will aim to climb to the summit the old volcano whose rim is dominated by the gnarled forms of the Maasai Tree of God, Ol Chani Lengai. Once back at camp we can either rest or take a short walk in to the local Masai village to watch the evening activities around the traditional homesteads, called bomas.

Day 07 – Ngorongoro Serena Hotel – overlooking the Crater:

After our time with the Maasai and our refreshing hiking around Lemagrut Mountain we will spend the next few days exploring the Ngorongoro Crater from the luxury of the Ngorongoro Serena Hotel. However, before checking into the lodge we will take the opportunity to visit the Oldupai Gorge, the famous archeological site founded by Lewis Leakey. We will take a guided tour and have a talk by researchers working in the area. After enjoying a picnic lunch in the historic gorge, we will drive to the Lodge.

Day 08 – Ngorongoro Serena Hotel – Overlooking the Crater:

Spend the whole day at Ngorongoro Conservation Area. In the morning we will descend the 610 meters Crater by a Four Wheel Drive vehicle and spend the day exploring the floor of the 12 mile wide Crater. Ngorongoro wildlife populations are resident year round and are particularly good for photographing as they are well habituated. We will have a picnic lunch and ascend back up to our lodge in the late afternoon.

Day 09 – Wilderness Campsite, Embakai one:

After a relaxing morning we will make our way to the remote northern Nainokanoka area of the Ngorongoro Highlands. We will hike into the first "Wilderness Campsite" situated between the villages of Irkepus and Nainokanoka 8000 ft above sea level. The name Nainokanoka derives from the Maasai word for “mist” and reflects the conditions often encountered in this unique African environment. We will have cool mornings, clear air and vigorous hiking in a landscape of extinct volcanoes where the Maasai have established a lifestyle which differs radically from their ancestors' of the hot plains of the central Rift Valley.

Day 10 – Embakaai Two, Special Campsite:

During our days hike visit the village of Nainokanoka the center of life for the many Masai in the area. Then we hike through the nearby crater of Olmoti Mountain, which is a critical watershed source for the Ngorongoro Crater itself, and into our second Wilderness Camp which commands unparalleled views of the Serengeti's eastern plains and the distant Gol Mountains, devoid of wildlife during this dry and dusty season.

Day 11 – Embakaai Three, Special Campsite:

Our hike today will take us around the flank of Olmoti Mountain among the many herds and flocks of Masai cattle, sheep and goats which are kept by the local tribe. The focus of the day is a visit to one of these highland dwellings where we will see daily life in close-up. In the afternoon we will make our way across the wide expanse of the Embulbul depression, an occasional retreat for wildlife from the Ngorongoro Crater. Our hike continues into the third Wilderness Camp which is situated on the knife edge rim of the highland's greatest volcano, Embakai Crater. This extinct caldera is one of the best kept secrets of the area with its thickly forested sides, and the sparkling lake covering half of its floor, frequented by flamingos and their lurking predators, hyenas and jackals.

Day 12 – Embakai four Special Campsite:

The day is dedicated to a full exploration of Empakai Crater. We will hike down the steep forested slopes of the caldera where we may catch glimpses of rarely seen forest animals such as bushbuck, duikers and even leopards. Around the lake shore we will find many water birds, especially the celebrated flamingos of East Africa. Up to four million of these birds roam the Rift Valley lakes in great flocks throughout the year searching for the best feeding and bathing conditions.

Day 13 – Gibbs Farm Coffee Lodge:

Its time to leave the Highlands and to begin your journey back to Arusha and you will take a short morning hike out of campsite and down the flank of Embakai to where we will link up with the cars and drive to Ngorongoro Farm House Lodge, a picturesque lodge in the coffee farms on the lower edge of the Ngorongoro Forest. The afternoon is free for relaxing, catching up on diary entries or even...

Day 14 – Drive Back to Arusha:

After breakfast you will drive back to Arusha, stopping for last minute souvenir shopping, and after lunch in the town we will have day rooms available for everyone. Those leaving on the KLM flight will depart after a short farewell dinner at the hotel

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