8-Day Serengeti Migration Safari in Tanzania with Lake Eyasi

1

Day 01

Arusha – Tarangire National Park

• On this day you leave Arusha town; the base town for safaris in the northern Tanzania and along the Arusha – Dodoma highway, a scenic drive towards the Tarangire National Park. You will pass by a supermarket (if you wish) for some last-minute shopping of any personal effects that you may need then drive through a scenic Masai Steppe and arrive at Tarangire in 2 hour-time. Your driver will take care of the paper work at the park’s gate then you will embark on your first game drive The Tarangire National Park has the highest density of elephants and large baobab trees that dot the grassland in North Tanzania and you can view these animals all year round in which 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. 
• Visit the park during the dry season. You will witness an unforgettable natural wonder as you can observe wonderful creatures such as lions, giraffes, buffaloes, wildebeests and zebras as well as various types of antelopes and gazelles and with a little luck, you can also spot a python! This area is during the dry season also a haven for bird watchers with over 550 different species including the Masai Ostrich -the world largest bird. Around lunchtime, you will stop at a suitable picnic place before the afternoon is dedicated to more wildlife watching. Before sunset, you will be taken to your Camp or Lodge in Manyara (MtowaMbu) for overnight.

2

Day 02

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!
• We depart to the village early in the morning 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 the late afternoon, we drive back to Manyara/Karatu for an overnight.

3

Day 03

Manyara/Karatu – Serengeti (Central Serengeti)

• From Manyara (Mto wa mbu) we depart early after breakfast and head across the Great Rift Valley’s floor, up the escarpment and traverse the Ngorongoro Conservation area in what will ultimately end up being a pleasant and enjoyable scenic drive as you enjoy the beautiful scenery and breathtaking visitors on your way to the Serengeti National Park. Serengeti National Park – with its endless plains, rolling into the distance as far as the eye can see. We’ll proceed to the Lobo area which is located just north of the Seronera area (central Serengeti National Park). The wildebeest migration, normally pass through the Lobo area every year around July / August end-route to Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Reserve and again in late October / November end-route to the southern Serengeti National Park.
• 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 of the above activities are excluded in your Tour (additional cost is Needed). Arrive the Serengeti in the late afternoon for an Evening game drive until Evening when you will check in at a Camp/lodge, dinner and overnight. Lunch is taken at one of the Picnic sites most likely at the Naabi Hill Gate where you will also get the chance to stretch your legs as your guide sorts out the registration and relevant paperwork. Dinner and overnight at Serengeti. All meals included.

4

Day 04

Serengeti (Central) – Western Serengeti (Western Corridor)

• After breakfast, we head towards the western reaches of the Serengeti National Park, also known as the Western Corridor. We will do a game drive en route from the Seronera area to the Western Corridor area.
• 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 normally be found in the Western Corridor area in Late April – May – June or early July, depending on rainfall patterns. Dinner and overnight in the Western Corridor area, as per the standard and type of accommodation option requested.

5

Day 05

Full Day Game-Drive (Western Corridor) - Central Serengeti

• After breakfast, enjoy a full day game drive in the Western Corridor. The key feature in the Western Corridor is the Grumeti and Mbalageti rivers, running almost parallel to each other, each support a band of evergreen forest. The rivers sustain a permanent game population of zebra, wildebeest, all the predators and birdlife. It is also possible to find large pods of hippos and huge crocodiles in the Grumeti River. The wildebeest normally gather around waterholes midmorning in such densities, that they look like ants swarming around a nest. After game drive we drive we drive back to central Serengeti Dinner and overnight in the Western Corridor area, as per the standard and type of accommodation option requested.

6

Day 06

Days 6: 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. In the central plains, there are carnivores like leopards, lions, hyenas, and cheetahs. This park is normally the scene of the annual migration of wildebeest and zebra that occurs between the Kenyan Mara and the Serengeti. Varied bird species can be seen here including eagles, ducks, geese, egrets, vultures, secretary birds, ibis, storks, herons, kites, pelicans, cranes, and guinea fowl.
• The Serengeti National Park is arguably the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world 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 having your lunch, you will continue with the game view in Serengeti heading to the gate of Serengeti to check out of Serengeti National Park, after there you will proceed with a game on route heading to Ngorongoro Crater. Dinner and overnight at a Camp or Lodge at the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater.

7

Day 07

Ngorongoro Crater – Manyara

• After breakfast, descend into the crater with lunch box enjoying the game drive for more than 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, is one of the most densely crowded African wildlife areas in the world and is home to an estimated 30,000 animals and this is the best place in Tanzania to see critically endangered black rhino. The park is supported by a year-round water supply and fodder, the crater supports a vast 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 huge population of predators, which include lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs and the ever-elusive leopard crater floor. After a picnic lunch you will have a game drive, after game drive we drive back to Manyara for overnight.

8

Day 08

Days 8: Lake Manyara (game drive) – Back to Arusha/Moshi

• Today we drive to Lake Manyara National Park for a full day of game drives. This is one of Tanzania’s smaller parks, but still offers 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 largest 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 a surprising number of other large mammals and the striking cliffs on the Rift escarpment form a dramatic backdrop. After game drive, we drive back to Arusha or Moshi for overnight.