Itinerary

1. Day 1: Moshi to Arusha National Park

   • The adventure will start at Moshi, a cheerful, bustling town filled with coffee houses and a lively buzz. Continue to the Arusha National Park, the setting for the jewel-like Lake Momella, which you’ll glimpse through the bronze bush where the Ngurduto Crater buffalo, waterbuck, giraffe, warthogs, zebra and gazelle reside throughout the year. 
   • Set out on foot for a stroll that will allow you to feel Africa’s vibrant pulse through the soles of your shoes and experience the bush in infinite detail. You’ll be safe, though, as an armed ranger will accompany you as you explore the landscape of buzzing insects and birds calling, with the cries of the savannah further off. 
   • Hike through the lush forest to a sparkling waterfall and, further, to a magical place famous for the antics of the black and white colobus monkeys. 
   • Spend the evening gazing at the stars at a camp close to the park while the chef prepares a delicious meal.

2. Day 2: Arusha National Park - Tarangire National Park - Mto Wa Mbu

   • After breakfast, head off to the Tarangire National Park. It’s a huge park with a diverse concentration of wildlife, especially between July and October when the Tarangire River is in full flood. If you love elephants, then this is the park for you. You’ll spot the majestic African elephant, the largest land mammal in the world. At Tarangire, herds of these beautiful, intelligent creatures wander leisurely, looking after their young ones. 
   • Explore a dizzying variety of wildlife, including lions, giraffes, warthogs, ostrich, impalas, cheetahs, mongooses, buffalo, and baboons. The birdlife is magnificent, too, and you’ll catch the flash of a red-and-yellow barbet or gaze on the slow circling of the tawny eagle. 
   • After a picnic lunch, drive to Mto wa Mbu and reach the campsite in the late afternoon. You’ll have plenty of time to relax and enjoy the African evening while enjoying a tasty dinner.

3. Day 3: Mto Wa Mbu to Lake Natron

   • After breakfast, depart for Lake Natron, which is famous for its salinity and the unique consequences of this. The microorganisms that prefer an alkaline environment cause the lake’s russet tone, and you’ll see salt-crust rafts scattered in the shallows. Over half the world’s lesser flamingoes are born in the lake, and you will likely see clouds of shimmering pink as the flamingoes settle and stalk on the still waters. Explore a curious terrain of salt marshes and freshwater wetlands with its unique flora, leading to sparkling waterfalls. The lake is framed by the incredible Oldoinyo Lengai (Mountain of God in Maa, the language of Maasai people), an active volcano that carves out hornitos - incredible statues of cooled lava. (We can arrange a climb up Oldoinyo Lengai – it’s an extra day to your adventure. Just ask us when you book).
   • Spend the evening watching the sun set pink and gold over this incredible landscape, and dinner will be served.

4. Day 4: Lake Natron to Serengeti National Park

   • After breakfast, continue to the world-famous Serengeti National Park. But first, you’ll travel through the bustling towns of Loliondo and Wasso through Klein’s Gate at the northeast entrance to the park. This road trip takes in an array of sites: towns and villages, savannah and forest, and you’ll be able to spot animals like antelope, wildebeest and zebra. 
   • Arrive at the campsite in the centre of the Serengeti, where you can stretch your legs and fill up with a delicious dinner in time for a good night’s sleep.

5. Day 5: Serengeti National Park

   • Have breakfast and continue into the vast plains of the magnificent Serengeti, home to a diverse array of hundreds of species of animal and bird – you’ll likely see lions, leopards, elephants, cheetahs and water buffalo - and all within a few feet of your jeep. It’s also home to one of the natural wonders of the world – the Great Migration of zebra and wildebeest as they traverse the plains in their thousands, risking their lives with the predators they attract. 
   • Spot some of the park’s lesser-known but equally beautiful creatures, including eland, hyenas, gazelle, crocodiles, giraffes, zebra, monkeys, baboons, hippos and rhinos. The hundreds of bird species, endemic and migrating from Eurasia, are a special bonus for bird watchers.

   Dinner and overnight at the campsite in Seronera.

6. Day 6: Serengeti National Park to Ngorongoro Crater

   • Wake up early and after breakfast, go for another drive through the sights and sounds of the Serengeti: the golden grasslands dotted with acacia, the endless blue of the skies and the ever-changing sites: over here, you might see a rare tree-climbing lion – not as graceful as the leopard who is a lithe, natural climber – and towards the horizon a mixed herd of zebra and wildebeest grazing gently. 
   • After lunch, set off for the next adventure, an exploration of the unique Ngorongoro Crater.

   Overnight at Simba Camp, which is on the rim of the Crater itself.

7. Day 7: Ngorongoro Crater to Lake Eyasi

   • Get up early and have breakfast because early mornings are the best time to spot the animals – especially the Big Five. The volcanic landscape is rich and fertile and attracts thousands of grazing animals – and their predators. The high walls of the crater form a protective shelter for many animals and prevent migration, so the diversity is dizzying, and you’ll spot zebra, wildebeest and cackling hyenas, amongst others. 
   • After a busy morning, enjoy a leisurely picnic lunch near a pond full of hippos and then gaze on the sites at Soda Lake: the flocks of graceful flamingos and storks, ibis, and cranes. Circling in the indigo blue sky are vultures and hawks eagerly searching for discarded carcases. 
   • In the afternoon, set off for Lake Eyasi in time for a peaceful sunset walk at the lakeshore before a well-deserved rest at the Lake Eyasi campsite.

8. Day 8: Lake Eyasi to Mto Wa Mbu

   • Arrive at Lake Eyasi. It is a special place, the home of one of the world’s last tribes of hunter-gatherers. The Hadzabe bushpeople grow no food, raise no livestock, and live without rules or calendars. They live a hunter-gatherer existence that is little changed in 10,000 years. 
   • Watch the Hadzabe's traditional methods of survival, including how they hunt. The Hadzabe way respects the land and all of its inhabitants, and you’ll find beauty and peace in their way of life. 
   • After lunch, move to Mto wa Mbu, which is very close to the gate of the next national park, the Lake Manyara National Park. 
   • Spend the evening reflecting on the adventures so far and relaxing with a drink as you listen to the calls of the evening.

9. Day 9: Lake Manyara National Park To Moshi

   • Another early start to spot the wildlife as they are starting their day. Lake Manyara National Park nestles at the foot of the Great Rift Valley escarpment and is a patchwork of diverse landscapes: the shrubby expanse of the golden savannah, the narrow shores teeming with wildlife and the still waters of Lake Manyara itself. This park is famous for elephants and for its tribes of baboons, who swoop and call each other and never seem to stop for breath. It’s also home to legendary tree-climbing lions and mighty water buffalo, the majestic African elephant, giraffe, impala and hippo. With over four hundred species of dazzling birds, some of which are migratory, it’s a birdwatcher's paradise. 
   • Enjoy a picnic lunch in the park's heart, to the birds' calls and the insects' buzzing while the sun turns everything to gold. 
   • After more wildlife spotting, say goodbye to the Lake and drive through Maasai bomas, baobab forest and rolling savannah plains en route to Moshi, where your safari adventure will end.