9-Day Great Migration Safari in Serengeti with Mara River Crossing

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Day 01

Arusha – Fly to Northern Serengeti

• After breakfast, you will be picked up from your hotel early in the morning, buy Kitano Tours and Safaris guide and drive to Arusha airport for a flight to North Serengeti. After you arrive, proceed to a game drive in the wilderness, tracking the Great Migration trails. We arrive in time for lunch at the lodge, and after lunch, we will enjoy an afternoon game drive in the area. The wildebeest migration can usually be found in the Wagakuria area from Mid-July to October, depending on rainfall patterns. A long stretch of the Mara River runs through the northern Serengeti National Park, and the Mara River provides the migration with its most challenging obstacle. Witnessing the frantic herds of wildebeest crossing the Mara River is fantastic. In the evening, drive to the lodge for evening leisure and overnight.

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Day 02

Northern Serengeti (Kogatende/Wagakuria Area)

• After breakfast, enjoy a full-day game drive in the Kogatende/Wagakuria area. Resident wildlife numbers are exceptionally high in this park area, with a pride of lions up to 30 substantial; however, from Mid-July to October, the area turns into a wildlife paradise. The key feature is the Mara River, and it is not uncommon to see the herds cross the Mara River north on one day and then back south a few days later. Finding a crossing is complicated and sometimes a matter of luck. A herd can be seen next to the river and only decide to cross or not cross until a couple of days later. This is a stunning region with kopjes, woodland, riverine vegetation, and open plains, similar to Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Reserve.
• (An option of doing a Hot Air Balloon is also in this area)
• Serengeti Balloon Safaris: No words can do the experience of floating over the Serengeti justice.” Get a birds-eye view of the park as you rise alongside the sun and witness the millions of wildebeest crossing the Mara River. The balloon Tour lasts about an hour, after which passengers gather around a table, surrounded by the park’s lush plains, for an “Out of Africa” English-style breakfast.

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Day 03

Central Serengeti Full Day Game Drive (Seronera Area)

• After breakfast, enjoy a full-day game drive in the park. The area around Lobo and the Grumeti River has good resident games throughout the year. Non-migrating animals like elephants, buffalo, gazelle, zebra, lion, leopards and cheetahs can be seen here all year round. The game viewing is excellent, and you can follow the game for long periods without seeing other vehicles – truly one of the forgotten corners of the Serengeti Plains. Magnificent riverine trees can be found along the river lines, and bird species such as kingfishers and fish eagles can be found here.

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Day 04

Serengeti (Central) – Ngorongoro

• Proceed with morning and afternoon game drives in the Serengeti with a lunch and leisure break at the lodge in the midafternoon. The term Serengeti means endless plains in the Masai language. The central plains have carnivores like leopards, lions, hyenas and cheetahs. This park is usually the scene of the annual wildebeest and zebra migration between the Kenyan Mara and the Serengeti. Varied bird species include eagles, ducks, geese, egrets, vultures, secretary birds, ibis, storks, herons, kites, pelicans, cranes and cranes and guinea fowl.
• The Serengeti National Park is arguably the world's best-known wildlife sanctuary, with over 3 million large mammals. About 35 species of plains animals can be seen there, including the "big 5" - Elephant, Rhino, Lion, Leopard and Buffalo. Other common species found here include hippo, giraffe, eland, impala and other antelope types, baboons, monkeys and a profusion of over 500 species of birds. In May or early June, huge herds of wildebeest, gazelle and zebra begin their annual spectacular migration northwards. In their wake, follow predators, lions, cheetahs and wild dogs with vultures circling overhead! After lunch, you will continue with a game view in Serengeti, heading to the gate of Serengeti to check out of Serengeti National Park; after that, you will proceed with the game on route heading to Ngorongoro Crater. Dinner and overnight at a Camp or Lodge at the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater.
• (An option of doing a Hot Air Balloon is also in this area)
• Serengeti Balloon Safaris: No words can do the experience floating over the Serengeti justice." Get a bird's eye view of the park as you rise alongside the sun and witness the millions of wildebeest crossing the Mara River. The flight lasts about an hour, after which passengers gather around a table, surrounded by the park's lush plains, for an "Out of Africa" English-style breakfast.
• NOTE THAT:
• You can break up the drive with some or both of the below activities:
• Olduvai Gorge Museum: Sometimes known as the Cradle of Mankind, the Olduvai Gorge Museum commemorates some of the oldest evidence of human habitation ever found. Here you will see some of the oldest fossil evidence in the world of human habitation, visit the Olduvai Gorge Museum to learn more about the human journey, and take in the stunning views of this stark gorge country.
• Maasai boma visit: You will visit one of the famous Maasai bomas, where you'll have the opportunity to witness (and participate in) traditional Maasai dance, tour an authentic Maasai village, and even do a little souvenir shopping at the local market.
• Both activities above are excluded from your Tour (additional cost is Needed).

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Day 05

Ngorongoro Crater- Full Day Tour

• After breakfast, descend into the crater with lunch box, enjoying the game drive for over 7 hours. Millions of years ago, a volcano the size of Mount Kilimanjaro rose from the highlands of northern Tanzania. Its eruption formed the largest unflooded caldera in the world, the Ngorongoro Crater. Now inactive and filled with wildlife, the crater is a playground where you can enjoy game drives in search of the Big Five.
• The natural protection of the crater’s 600 m (1,968 ft) high walls, “Ngorongoro Crater”, helps many species to thrive; it is one of the most densely crowded African wildlife areas in the world. It is home to an estimated 30,000 animals and is the best place in Tanzania to see critically endangered black rhinos. A year-round water supply and fodder support the park; the crater supports a wide variety of animals, which include herds of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippo, and giant African elephants. Another big draw card to this picturesque national park is its vast predator population, including lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs and the ever-elusive leopard crater floor. After a picnic lunch, you will have a game drive; after the game Drive, we will drive to Manyara overnight.

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Day 06

Manyara/Karatu – Lake Eyasi – Back Manyara/Karatu

• Explore wild, uncharted territory in southern Serengeti. Lake Eyasi, located in the immediate southwest of Ngorongoro Crater in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania, is one of the several beautiful lakes in the East African Rift Valley. The mildly alkaline lake stretches for about 50 km to the southwest, with the vast plains of the Serengeti in its north. Enjoy walks along the shores of the lake and spend afternoons exploring the area dotted with ancient Baobab trees. Go on a hunting expedition with a Hadzabe family – Africa's last remaining hunter-gatherers, to see their astonishing ability to track and hunt small game! Early morning, we depart the village for a local hunting experience with Hadzabe and Datonga tribes. This is not a mere performance. The bushmen rely on these techniques to survive, and you'll need to be very attentive and, sometimes, quiet. At the same time, they demonstrate their use of locally made poisons in incapacitating the poor creatures on which they depend for survival. We return to your Accommodation for a late breakfast.
• After Breakfast, you will be introduced to the extraordinary people of an indigenous tribe known as the 'Hadzabe' (hunter-gatherer bushmen). The tribe inhabits the shores of Lake Eyasi, as do the Nilotic-speaking Datoga tribe. You will visit these tribes, including visiting their homesteads, learning about their way of life, animal tracking, medicinal plants, and much more. Some wildlife and a wide range of bird species can be viewed during walks around the lake, which will be arranged. In late Afternoon we drive back to Manyara/Karatu for an overnight

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Day 07

Lake Manyara Full-Day Tour – Back to Manyara

• Today we drive to Lake Manyara National Park for a full day of game drives. This is one of Tanzania’s smaller parks, offering a rewarding and diverse safari experience.
• Lake Manyara National Park is an unspoiled paradise of groundwater forest fed by underground springs and teeming with wildlife such as elephants, hippos, giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes, and some of the most prominent baboon troupes in Africa. The lake shore at Manyara teems with birdlife, and while you are looking for the birds, you might spot one of the elusive tree-climbing lions, and people flock from all over the world to see these iconic predators lounging in the trees. There are many other large mammals, and the striking cliffs on the Rift escarpment form a dramatic backdrop. After the game Drive, we drive back to Manyara overnight.

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Day 08

Tarangire (Full-Day Game drive) – Back to Arusha/Moshi

• You leave Manyara and drive towards the Tarangire National Park on this day. You will arrive at Tarangire in 1 and a half hour-time. Your driver will take care of the paperwork at the park’s gate then you will embark on your last game drive. The Tarangire National Park has the highest density of elephants and giant baobab trees that dot the grassland in North Tanzania. You can view these animals all year round in. The herds often can reach an impressive number of 300 animals. The Tarangire River has water all year round, and during the dry season, between July and October, many animals from the surrounding areas come to the river for drinking. 
• You will witness a unique natural wonder as you can observe beautiful creatures such as lions, giraffes, buffaloes, wildebeests and zebras, and various types of antelopes and gazelles and with a bit of luck; you can also spot a python! During the dry season, this area is also a haven for bird watchers with over 550 species, including the Masai Ostrich -the world's giant bird. 
• Around lunchtime, you will stop at a suitable picnic place before the afternoon is dedicated to more wildlife watching. Before sunset, we will drive back to Arusha/Moshi overnight.