DJ TANZANIA SAFARI 15 Days 14 Nights

Tour Code DJT01
Best of Tanzania Safari

Day 1 - Arusha
On arrival at Arusha Kilimanjaro Airport, our representative will welcome you to Tanzania and transfer to the hotel, where you spend the night in BB basis, Impala Hotel (C) or Arumeru River Lodge (E). BB

Day 2 – From Arusha to Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast leave Arusha and drive to Ngorongoro Crater area. The first stop over will be made to view the Great Rift Valley escarpment above Lake Manyara. Lunch en route. In the afternoon you will reach Ngorongoro gate. Proceed to the ridge of the Ngorongoro Crater for dinner and overnight at your lodge, Serena Ngorongoro or Sopa Ngorongoro (C) or at the camping site Simba (E), and enjoy the evening view of the crater. FB

Day 3 – Ngorongoro Crater, one of the wonders on Earth
After breakfast, you descend into the caldera of Ngorongoro Crater for an unforgettable experience of wildlife. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area covers an area of 8.292 sq km, ranges in altitude from 1020 to 3.587 meters. The crater itself is only a small part of this; the caldera is large 19.2 km, is 610 meters deep and covers 304 sq km. The permanent presence of water in the floor of the crater supports a large resident population of wildlife. This includes wildebeests, zebras, impalas, dikdik, elephants, buffaloes. Large predators are easily seen, with families of lions, cheetah, spotted hyenas, leopard. The main water body inside the crater is Lake Magadi, which is an alkaline lake. The lunch with pic nic boxes can be taken from the hippo pool point. In the evening you go back to the lodge for dinner and overnight, Serena Ngorongoro or Sopa Ngorongoro (C) or at the camping site Simba (E). FB

Day 4 – From Ngorongoro to Serengeti National Park
After breakfast leave Ngorongoro in the direction for Serengeti National Park. Along the road you see the typical Maasai “bomas” – villages and their cattle (you are advised not to take photographs unless in exchange of payment). Optional: you can visit one of the Maasai “bomas”, the typical village of the Maasai. This tribe has migrated to the Ngorongoro area about 200 years ago and it has always lived in harmony with the rest of the environment. There are about 42 thousand Maasai pastoralists living within the Ngorongoro area, with their cattle, donkeys, goats and sheep. The maasai are allowed to graze freely within the protected areas.
Stop over is made at Oldupai Gorge (this is the original name of the so called “Olduvai Gorge”). This is found to the North West of the Ngorongoro crater; it is about 55 km in length and its depth varies from 30 to 100 meters. Movements of Earth produced various fault in the sediment and led to the exposure of five different layers which provide documentation of ancient life through fossils and artifacts dating back to 2 million years. You can visit the Oldupai Gorge museum and ask questions concerning the importance of the site for the history of the humanity.
You proceed through the grass plains and semi arid area after entering the gate of Serengeti National Park. This is a unique experience of vastness and wilderness. “Serengeti” in the language of the Maasai comes from “siringet”, the “endless plains”, which were formed 3-4 million years ago when ash from volcanic eruption in the Ngorongoro covered this land. Covering 14.763 sq km the park is the largest in Tanzania; it is part of the Serengeti ecosystem with Ngorongoro Crater Area and Masai Mara in Kenya. The first game drive is on route to your lodge, Serena Serengeti or Sopa Serengeti (C) or to the campsite in Seronera area (E) for dinner and overnight. FB

Day 5 - Serengeti National Park the legend of wilderness
After early breakfast, you go for long game drive. You can choose if you wish to come back for lunch and rest at the lodge or if you wish to leave with packed lunch and spend more time in game drive. The Seronera Valley is a transitional are between the open grassland in the South and the wooded grassland in the North -West, criss-crossed by rivers like Seronera and Orangi which end into Grumeti River and provide water reserve all year long. For this reasons you will find in this area a very high concentration of wildlife. Among the resident mammals are included giraffes, buffaloes, impalas, Thompson’s gazelles, bushbucks, leopards, lions, spotted hyenas and the endangered black rhino. Visit Retima Hippo pool to see high concentration of hippos. In Serengeti you will become familiar with all the species of Acacias trees, like the fever tree and the Umbrella Thorn acacia. Typical of the Serengeti plains are the Maasai Kopjes, beautiful rocks which often become shelters for predators. The number of animals is higher when the migration is back from the Northern plains to the South, between December and May, which is normally a rainy period. This phenomenon interests species like the wildebeests or gnus, the zebras, elands, Thompson’s gazelles. It is amazing to see the long columns of the animals move in one direction in search for water until the next dry season. Return to your lodge, Serena Serengeti or Sopa Serengeti (C) or to the campsite in Seronera area (E) for dinner and overnight. FB

Day 6 – From Serengeti to Lake Manyara National Park
After breakfast, game drive in the park. After lunch, your journey proceeds to Lake Manyara National Park. This small park covers only 330 sq km of which 220 sq km is the lake. The name derived from the plant Euphorbia tiruccalli, known as Emanyara in Maasai language. Check in at your lodge for dinner and overnight, Lake Manyara Hotel – Kudu Lodge (C) or Jambo – Kudu camping sites (E). FB

Day 7 – From Lake Manyara to Tarangire National Park
After breakfast go for game drive in Lake Manyara, through the ground water jungle forest home to large families of baboons, blue and vervet monkeys down to the lake. On the shores of the soda lake and its swamps and woodlands live large mammals, including giraffe, herds of elephants, impalas, zebras, buffaloes as well as water birds like flamingoes, pelicans, Egyptian gees, species of storks, crested cranes. The bird list of Lake Manyara counts over 400 species. Sometimes visitors can spot tree climbing lions in the acacia woodland, however it is not frequent.
After lunch at your lodge, drive to Tarangire National Park. After Makuyuni trading centre follow the direction for Dodoma and enter the park through the main gate. Expect a game drive en route before reaching the lodge. Dinner and overnight at Tarangire Sopa Lodge (C) or Kigingoni camping site (E). FB

Day 8 – Tarangire National Park / Arusha / Dar
After breakfast, go for long game drive in Tarangire. The park is home to more elephants per square kilometer than anywhere else in the world. It covers 2.850 sq kilometers and its ecosystem is based on the Tarangire river and large swamps. These provide water reserves all year round and therefore animals are abundant also during the dry season generally from July to November. The concentration of wildlife is the largest outside the Serengeti system and includes the migratory wildebeests, zebras, buffaloes, impalas, elands, as well as the orix and gerenuk, only found in this area. During the rainy season many animals scattered outside the park area, but the permanent resident are also in good number. The bird list of Tarangire is high with over 550 species recorded, including some easily spotted like the Kori bustard, ostrich, hornbills, the yellow collared lovebirds. The vegetation is characteristic for the presence of ancient, spectacular baobab trees. One element of disturbance for the visitor is the presence of the tsetse flies, therefore it is recommended to use repellents as you enter the park. After lunch from the lodge and another game drive, drive back to Arusha for connection flight to Dar Es Salaam OR Selous Game Reserve.
On arrival at the international airport of Dar Es Salaam, you will be welcomed and transferred to the hotel for overnight in BB basis, Peacock Hotel – Slipway Hotel. HB

Day 9 - Dar / Selous Game Reserve
After breakfast, leave Dar in the direction of Selous Game Reserve, the oldest protected area in Africa. Lunch en route. Expect a game drive as you enter the reserve in the direction to your lodge. Selous with its 50.000 sq km is the largest game reserve in Africa and covers 5 per cent of Tanzania’s total land. The area was named after Frederick Selous, a hunter and naturalist, who died in World War I and he is buried in this ground. The reserve is a sort of expanded bush, bisected by the Rufiji River, which flows through the area and provides the focal point of much of the game viewing. Selous boasts Tanzania’s largest population of elephants, big numbers of lions, leopards, hunting dogs, buffaloes. There remain few hundreds black rhinos, but sightings are possible. Dinner and overnight at Osprey Camp Lake Manze - Mbega Camp or Rufiji River Camp (C) or Selous River Camp (E). FB

Day 10 - Selous Game Reserve
After breakfast, leave the camp for photographic game drives along the trails of the reserve. Pic nic lunch. Another exciting experience is the walk safari, whereby you can see closer species of birds as well as the mammals. The reserve hosts the world’s largest population of African wild dogs, rare and protected specie. Boat trips down the river offer visitors a chance to see hippos, bird life and crocodiles. There are several hot spings or “Maji Moto” and you might even find lions or other mammals bathing in the surrounding pools down the springs. Selous Reserve will capture your heart with its vastness and unspoilt nature. This reserve is visited the whole year long, however it is advisable to avoid the rainy season between April and May when the road conditions might deteriorate.
Dinner and overnight at at Osprey Camp Lake Manze - Mbega Camp or Rufiji River Camp (C) or Selous River Camp (E). FB

Day 11 - Selous - Ruaha National Park
After breakfast, the journey proceeds to Ruaha National Park. With its 12.950 sq km this national park is the most remote and it is located in central Tanzania. The focal point of the wildlife is the river Ruaha, where you can find a large number of animals, including giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, lions, waterbuck, impalas, kudus, leopards, hyenas and jackal. The area is interesting also for the beautiful landscape and the baobab forests. Game drive en route and packed lunch boxes. Dinner and overnight at Midonya Old River Camp. FB

Day 12 - Ruaha National Park
After breakfast, you will start a full day of game drives in the National Park. Pic nic lunch boxes. Possible to organize a boat trip along the Great Ruaha river. In the evening you return to your lodge for relaxing, dinner and overnight, Midonya Old River Camp. FB

Day 13 - Ruaha – Mikumi
After breakfast, you can take another game drive in Ruaha. After lunch, you will drive to Mikumi National Park in time for evening game drive en route. With 3.230 sq km, Mikumi National Park is forming the northern border of Selous Reserve. The main feature is the Mkata plain, open grasslands with the mountain ranges bordering on the two sides. The park is accessible through the all year. Game animals are abundant, including lions, herds of elephants, giraffes, zebras, impalas, buffaloes, Eland and kudu. There have been recorded over 400 species of birds.
Dinner and overnight at Bush Camp – Vuma Hill Camp. FB

Day 14 - Mikumi National Park
After breakfast, you will enjoy a full day of photographic safaris and explorations along the trails of Mikumi National Park. Lunch at the lodge. Dinner and overnight at Bush Camp – Vuma Hill Camp. FB

Day 15 – Mikumi - Dar
After breakfast, drive back to Dar Es Salam. Lunch en route. Reserved to the departure from the international airport. HB
Note: we can arrange the extension for beach vacations in the coast, in Zanzibar or other islands.

Book this Tour / Safari
Inquire on the tariffs and departures.
Choose between Comfort or Economy tariffs

The tariff includes:
- Airport transfers
- Full board accommodation (FB) excluding drinks
- All ground transportation in a comfortable 4x4 safari Land cruiser
- All park entrance fees to include local government taxes
- Service of an English speaking professional driver/guide
- All game drives and activities as detailed in the itinerary
- Complimentary bottled water whilst on safari

The tariff excludes:
- International flights and domestic flights (quotation specifically on the requested dates)
- Visas and passports
- Beverages/Drinks
- Optional activities i.e. Maasai village walk, etc.
- Items of personal nature, Laundry, tips