5-Day Tanzania Wildlife Safari with Hadzabe and Datoga Visits

You will be picked up at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to Arusha town. There, you will meet your driver-guide, who will brief you on your upcoming safari before you rest until the next morning.

After breakfast at your lodge, the Back to Africa Safaris driver-guide and chef will meet you in the lobby, and you will begin driving via Arusha city to Lake Manyara National Park for a game drive. Manyara Park is set in one of the most dramatic wildlife areas in Tanzania and consists of a huge shallow salt lake covering almost two-thirds of the park. It lies at the base of the Great Rift Valley's western escarpment.

The rich and varied habitats in this park attract a variety of animal species, including herds of buffalo, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, warthog, African elephant, the famous Lake Manyara tree-climbing lions, and countless flamingos drawn by the green algae in the lake. A packed lunch will be served inside the park.

In the afternoon, drive across the Great East African Rift Valley, where you can stop for nice pictures of Lake Manyara and its forest before continuing on your way to Lake Eyasi.

On arrival at Lake Eyasi, you will visit the Datoga tribe, known as "blacksmiths," accompanied by a local guide. You will go around their homes to experience their livelihood and meet family members and children. Later, you will visit the blacksmith, followed by a sunset walk at the lakeshore before going to your campsite for dinner and an overnight stay.

Overnight at Bushman Campsite close to the lake. All meals included.

On this day, we will take you for an early morning hunt with the bushmen, including short tuition in survival skills. The bushmen at Lake Eyasi are divided into small groups of Hadzebe, Tindiga, and Datoga, living by hunting with bows and arrows and feeding on roots and wild fruits, much as humankind lived in the Stone Age.

Afterwards, you will return to the campsite for a full breakfast before departing for Serengeti National Park. The drive passes through the beautiful high-lying farmland of Karatu up to the Ngorongoro main gate and across the Ngorongoro Conservation Area at 2,300 m. You will stop at the crater viewpoint for great pictures of the Ngorongoro Crater floor from the rim.

Then drive down to the heart of "the wild Africa," Serengeti National Park, with its endless rolling plains. You can have your packed lunch at Naabi Hill Gate or at the kopjes (rocky outcrops) before starting your en-route game drive toward the central park area called Soronera. Enjoy a sunset game drive while searching for the Wildebeest Migration, if it is in Serengeti. In the late afternoon, drive to your campsite for dinner and an overnight stay.

Overnight at Seronera Public Campsite, Central Serengeti. All meals included.

On the 3rd day of your Tanzania camping safari, we will take you for an early morning game drive in the Serengeti starting at 06:30. You will spend plenty of time in the Serengeti before driving to Ngorongoro with an en-route game drive.

A morning game drive in the Serengeti can allow you to spot cat families on the road as they avoid the morning mist. You may also see other predators returning from their long night of hunting, or a group of lionesses organizing a morning ambush, along with other animals waking up ready to begin their new day.

If the Wildebeest Migration is in the Serengeti, you will go straight to where they are and spend plenty of time with the herds before continuing your en-route game drive toward the Ngorongoro Highlands. An optional Maasai village visit is available on your way to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area at an extra cost of $40 per car. Reach the Ngorongoro Conservation Area for sunset viewing, dinner, and an overnight stay.

Overnight at Simba Public Campsite at the crater rim. All meals included.

As early as 06:30, you will descend 600 meters to the crater floor for excellent game viewing. Ngorongoro Crater is believed to be one of the natural wonders of the world. Sustained year-round by water supply and fodder, the crater supports a variety of wildlife, including herds of buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, eland, warthog, hippos, African elephant, and the rare black rhino. This is among the few places where you can find black rhinos in their natural habitat.

Another drawcard in this picturesque crater is its dense population of predators, including lions, cheetahs, jackals, hyenas, and the mysterious leopard, which requires a keen eye and binoculars to spot. You will also visit Lake Magadi, a large but shallow salt lake at the southwest corner of the crater floor, frequently visited by hippos, flocks of flamingos, and other aquatic birds.

After the picnic lunch, enjoy more game driving before returning to Arusha for an overnight stay or drop-off at Kilimanjaro International Airport for a late flight. Accommodation on this day can be included upon request at an extra cost.