13 Days 12 nights northern Tanzania Safari

Our Tanzania safari begins at Kilimanjaro Airport near Arusha, with a transfer from the airport to our secluded lodge in the forested foothills of Mount Meru. Wander the lush gardens that offer a refreshing respite after long travels, relax by the pool, indulge in a massage in the open-air yurt, or enjoy the view of the rolling lawn from your private veranda before our welcome dinner this evening

Set off by road this morning for Tarangire National Park, with our first exhilarating wildlife drive en route once we enter the park bounds. Tarangire, the “Home Of Elephants,” teems with wildlife. Herds of up to 250 elephants scratch the dry riverbed for underground streams while migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle and eland crowd the shrinking lagoons. Tarangire is also one place in northern Tanzania where we occasionally see dry-country antelope such as oryx and gerenuk.

Our remote camp in the southern reaches of the park is perfectly positioned for viewing some of Africa’s densest wildlife concentrations. Though far from the standard safari circuit, our deluxe tented camp spares nothing in comfort, from hot showers to gourmet dining in view of a crackling campfire under the stars. Diverse activities include wildlife drives, guided walking safaris, bush breakfasts, picnic lunches beneath a baobab tree, and sundowner cocktails followed by game drives after
dusk to see nocturnal wildlife.

After breakfast, depart by road, enjoying a last wildlife drive before we exit Tarangire National Park and continue to Karatu. Along the way you’ll travel near small towns and villages, passing typical scenes of daily life as you go. Eventually, you enter a landscape of undulating green hills and rich red dirt, the heart of Tanzania’s coffee country. Coffee was introduced into the Tanzanian region from Ethiopia in the 16th century and today constitutes the country’s largest export crop. A highlight of your trip to Africa is a chance to meet people from other cultures, broadening an understanding of the human experience. A visit to a local Maasai village and school this afternoon will enrich your knowledge of this traditional tribal people and their distinctive heritage.

During your time in the village, activities may include Maasai dancing, watching warriors demonstrate how to make fire, witnessing women craft intricate beaded jewelry and accessories, learning about medicinal plants, and possibly a chance to herd cattle if time permits. And depending on your itinerary, we may also be able to arrange an opportunity for you to write to children in the local school prior to your trip, then meet them when you arrive, enjoying a more personal cultural exchange with your “pen pal.”

At morning’s first light, board 4×4 safari vehicles to descend the steep wall of the world’s largest unbroken volcanic caldera. Here, we find Africa’s densest concentration of wildlife, attracted to the constant water present on the 100-square-mile crater floor. Some 25,000 animals reside in the crater year-round, a veritable Eden of creatures thriving within an ecosystem of abundant resources. Among a multitude of species, look for zebra, wildebeest, gazelle and eland, and the lion and hyena that prey upon them. We’re also likely to see elephant and buffalo, and if we are exceptionally fortunate, we may spot an endangered black rhinoceros. Flocks of pink flamingos cover the soda lakes, while large land birds like ostrich and Kori bustard roam the grassy plain. Spend a full day exploring the crater, with a picnic lunch along the way. We exit the crater this afternoon and drive to the Lodge, a short distance away in the Ngorongoro Highlands. Enjoy a chance to relax at this beautiful lodge, and surrounded by working coffee, flower, and vegetable plantations.

The Serengeti is legendary. Here on Tanzania’s Great Plains, herds of wildebeest traverse the savanna in enormous numbers, while thousands of antelope and gazelle are ever-present. Giraffes lope among the acacia trees, while the big cats race after prey. You stay amidst it all at your intimate tented camp in a remote sector of the park. The mobile tents ensure that you experience all the natural wonder of this fabled setting, rather than crowded tourist centers. It also allows you to follow the herds, as the camp is moved seasonally to follow the migration. Your accommodations are steeped in the safari atmosphere of yesteryear, yet they offer surprising luxury and comfort in an authentically rustic setting.

Drive to the northern Serengeti with Game en route, we reach at the selected lodge/camp, our base for a three-day immersion in Africa’s Great Migration. In accord with the herds’ seasonal movements, the camp/lodge is located in the northern Serengeti from June through October. This tented camp/lodge rests within one of the main movement corridors for more than 2 million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle that make this annual trek, plus and an accompanying cast of predators. Each year, the herds follow an ancient circuit covering 1,750 miles from Kenya’s Maasai Mara to the southern Serengeti and back again. On daily game drives, witness this remarkable spectacle as the enormous herds traverse the savanna while big cats and hyenas steal behind. We may behold stunning scenes of predator-prey interaction as a lion takes down a sick wildebeest or a cheetah snatches an infant gazelle. Tracking the area’s prolific wildlife in private 4×4 vehicles allows optimal mobility and proximity. This camp/lodge ensures seclusion, yet we enjoy impressive amenities despite our remote location. Walk-in canvas tents are reminiscent of the classic safari era of a century ago, with all the comforts of today. And there’s nothing more romantic than a candlelight dinner served on white linen under a canopy of stars.

After a final wildlife drive this morning, drive back to Arusha, where we’ll share a farewell dinner together before our Tanzania safari comes to a close. You’ll have time to relax and refresh in at African Tulip before transferring to Kilimanjaro International Airport to meet departing flights the next morning.