8-Day Tanzania Wildlife Safari with Ndutu Migration and Ngorongoro

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Day 01

Arrival in Arusha

• Thank you for visiting Tanzania! A representative of Jairos Adventure will pick you up from the airport and transfer you to your accommodation in Arusha.
• Depending on your arrival time, you should have time to unwind and prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
• The majority of tourists visit bustling Arusha at some point, and it is an essential part of safari life in northern Tanzania.
• Accommodation: Mrimba Palm Lodge

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Day 02

Arusha to Tarangire National Park

• After breakfast, your Jairos Adventure safari guide will collect you from your accommodation. This morning, you will drive to Tarangire National Park. The transit drive takes approximately two and a half hours on good tarmac roads.
• The park is named after the Tarangire River, which runs through it. This 'river of warthogs' is the only source of water for wildlife in the region during the dry season.
• The park is well known for its elephant families, which can often be seen congregating by the river.
• You may also see giraffes, bushbucks, and hartebeests. These animals are closely followed by a range of predators, including lions and leopards.
• There are more breeding species of birds found in Tarangire than anywhere else on the planet. The huge and ancient baobab trees can also be seen here, and some are said to have lived for more than a thousand years.
• Lunch will be at a picnic site inside the park. After your game drive, you will transfer to your accommodation in Karatu.
• Accommodation: Crater Rim View Karatu

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Day 03

Karatu to Serengeti National Park

• After breakfast, you will drive up into the cooler regions of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. There will be a chance to stop and see the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater.
• You will then continue through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the Serengeti, entering the southern part of the park.
• The Serengeti is truly spectacular. It is famous for its vast open grasslands, which allow for excellent wildlife sightings. The Serengeti boasts an abundance of wildlife such as impalas, buffalos, crocodiles, and hippos.
• In addition to the iconic landscapes, you have a good chance of encountering predators, and you may see lions, cheetahs, and leopards.
• Accommodation: Central Serengeti Camp

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Day 04

Full-Day Serengeti Game Drives

• This is another day set aside for game drives in the Serengeti. It is possible to enjoy a more relaxed pace, with early morning and late afternoon game drives, returning to your accommodation for lunch and some relaxation.
• Every day is different in the Serengeti, and there is always plenty to explore.
• Accommodation: Central Serengeti Camp

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Day 05

Central Serengeti to Southern Serengeti and Ndutu

• After breakfast, you will wend your way through the Serengeti towards Ndutu, stopping along the way to experience more wonder. While this area boasts abundant wildlife, it is perhaps best known for the annual Great Migration.
• Vast numbers of wildebeests, zebras, and antelopes move in an annual pattern, constantly seeking fresh grazing.
• The migration can be found during any given month; you just need to know where to look.
• At this time of year, the migration is normally in Southern Serengeti and Ndutu. Ndutu is actually part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
• One of the main features of this area is Lake Ndutu. It is an alkaline lake, like most of the other Rift Valley lakes, and is a treasured source of water.
• The overnight stay will be in a mid-range seasonal tented camp.
• Accommodation: Heritage Ndutu

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Day 06

Full-Day Game Drive in Ndutu

• After a hearty breakfast, you will head out to enjoy a full-day game drive in Ndutu.
• You will explore the range of different habitats found here, including swamps, woodlands, and savannah. With luck, you will see vast crowds of wildebeests, zebras, and antelopes, sometimes stretching to the horizon. The sound of the wildebeests gently mooing is hauntingly beautiful.
• During a short time frame, normally in February, many of the female wildebeests give birth to their young, dropping over half a million calves in this incredible act of synchronized birthing.
• The grass provides little cover, and the young are easy pickings for a variety of predators, including cheetahs, lions, hyenas, and leopards.
• Wildebeest calves can run minutes after they are born, and within three days they are normally strong enough to keep up with the herd.
• After a full day of exploration, you will return to your tented camp in time for dinner and an overnight stay.
• Accommodation: Heritage Ndutu

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Day 07

Ndutu to Ngorongoro Crater

• This morning, you will gently wend your way through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, spotting more animals along the way. It is common to see a journey of giraffe on the lush slopes. You should reach the crater by lunchtime.
• When you first see Ngorongoro Crater, it looks like a forgotten world. Concealed by steep volcanic walls is a pristine wilderness of sweeping savannah, pockets of acacia woodland, and glistening lakes and swamps.
• The crater was created when a large volcano exploded and collapsed in on itself two to three million years ago.
• The drive down into the crater is an adventure in itself, and once you reach the crater floor, you quickly find yourself among large numbers of wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, and more than 500 bird species.
• The crater gives you one of the best chances to see the endangered black rhino, which can sometimes be spotted in the open grasslands.
• After an afternoon game drive, you will drive to your accommodation in Karatu.
• Accommodation: Crater Rim View Lodge Karatu

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Day 08

Lake Manyara National Park to Arusha

• This morning, you will drive to Lake Manyara National Park.
• This is your final destination on this epic safari. Manyara is a small but diverse park, 120 km west of Arusha.
• Everything you see here is on a different scale. It is both compact, as one of the narrowest parks in Africa, and epic, with the Great Rift Escarpment towering over Lake Manyara's western boundary.
• The park's namesake is a shallow salt lake.
• It covers a large area of the park, flooding and drying with the seasons, and is home to thousands of wading birds, including flamingos and more than 500 other bird species.
• You may see baboons and elephants in the park's thick evergreen forest, and you should watch for the tree-climbing lions that have become famous throughout Africa.
• You will enjoy a picnic lunch inside the park.
• After your game drive, you will be dropped off at a place of your choosing, such as Arusha, Kilimanjaro Airport, or Arusha Airport. We hope you have enjoyed your adventure with Jairos Adventure!