From May- July - This is the period that the wildebeest, after having feasted on the short green grasses of the southeastern Serengeti and after having giving birth to their offspring, start getting ready for their 800 kilometer long trek. The actual starting date may be anytime between late April and early June. This is the time to you may have the privilege to see one of the greatest natural phenomena in the world: more than a million marching animals in a column up to 40 kilometers long. During the migration, the herd will move towards the Western Corridor, where they will face the first major obstacle: crossing the Grumeti River. Many animals don’t survive the crossing as they are being awaited by the area’s population of oversized crocodiles ready to feast. The herd may congregate on the southern bank of the river and stay there for up to two weeks before crossing the river.
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport you will be met by a member of the Expect in Africa Safari team who will transfer you by road to your hotel.
Pick up from your hotel in Arusha and depart for Tarangire National Park with a picnic lunch for a full day game drive. Tanzania’s third largest National park is known for its majestic baobab trees that dot the landscape, dwarfing the animals that feed beneath them. The Tarangire River is the centerpiece of this park which is famous for some of the largest herds of elephants in Africa. Here you may see lion, leopard, cheetah, lesser kudu, buffalo, Oryx, eland, giraffe and zebra. Post the game drive, you will head back to your lodge where a delicious dinner awaits you.
The lodge has a main building raised on a wood and concrete platform, with extraordinary views to the Rift Valley and to Lake Manyara that includes an area to relax with comfortable sofas, outside and inside dining and a swimming pool. Every evening a camp fire is lit and guests can enjoy the sunset with drinks and appetizers.
Two days game tour in Tarangire National Park with our packed lunch, After picnic we will continue with game tour in the special Tarangire savannah, which contains many animals, among them: Kodo and Island antelopes, Grenok (giraffe deer), lions that climb trees! Hippos and other herds of animals that arrive in season, or live there permanently, Among hundreds of ancient baobab trees, and vast areas.
Today we will leave very early in the morning (after a very early breakfast) and rive to the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater. There we will have a full day game drive, as we will be carrying our picnic lunch with us. The Crater is wonderful place - you descend more than 2,000 feet on steep tracks cut into the crater wall to reach the open plains of the Crater floor. The Ngorongoro Crater is undoubtedly the best place in Tanzania to view black rhino as well as large prides of lion that include magnificent black-manned males. It is also home to huge herds of wildebeest and zebra and many other plains game. We will have our picnic lunch at the hippo pool and later in the afternoon drive to the lodge for dinner and rooms for the night.
Departure to Ndutu located in Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Ngorongoro) where you will notice the landscape changing from hilly forests to plain and green grasslands as you drive further. The Ndutu is also the home ground for 6 species of big cats – leopard, lion, cheetah, caracal, serval and wildcat. The action-packed game drive will end late in the evening by around 5pm. You will now head towards your choice of accommodation, where a freshly prepared dinner awaits you. Ensure you get some good rest and recharge yourself for another eventful day.
Masek Tented Lodge: Witness the early morning mist rise on the banks of Lake Masek Elegant tents built on raised wood platforms with en-suite facilities and an outside shower. After a day on safari guests can enjoy a refreshing shower under the stars. Each tent has its own private terrace where guests can enjoy the landscape and the surroundings. The family tent consists of two interconnected tents and a shared bathroom and private porch.
After breakfast, enjoy a full day game drive in the Ndutu area. Explore the range of different habitats that include swamps, woodland, soda lakes and the world famous Serengeti short grass plains. See great herds of wildebeest and zebra. During a short time frame around February, normally lasting for about 3 weeks, the majority of the wildebeest calve. The sea of grass provides little cover and the young are easy pickings for a variety of predators. Wildebeest calves can run minutes after they are born and within 3 days they are normally strong enough to keep up with the herd.
Lake Ndutu is alkaline, like most of the other Rift lakes; however the water is still drinkable and used by a wide array of local wildlife. We arrive in time for lunch at the camp, and after lunch we will do an afternoon game drive in the Ndutu area. The majority of the wildebeest migration can normally be found on the short-grass plains from December to April. The area is usually heavily populated with elephant, birds and resident game,
Serengeti, means endless plains in the local African language and watching the grassland stretch out as far as the eye can see and eventually merging with the sky at the horizon is an absolutely breathtaking view. With an overall land area of 14,763 Sq Kms, It puts our notion about distance to shame. The Serengeti also houses the glorious “Big 5” (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard). Along with the “Big 5”, a very pleasant sighting would be one of Africa’s most beautiful animals – The Impala. The Serengeti ecosystem supports the greatest remaining concentration of plains game in Africa. You must also look out for the Serengeti “Kopjes” which are massive boulders of granite standing in a sea of grass. They provide ample shelter to a large variety of flora and fauna. A picnic lunch will be done during the day long game drive itself.
Lahia Tented Lodge
Explore Serengeti Ecosystem from Lahia Tented Lodge : The camp is strategically located at the top of a hill overlooking Central Serengeti with views towards Western Serengeti, within reach of mythical locations such as the famous kopjes masais, the museum at the Olduvai gorge, Seronera valley and the Grumeti river. The main house offers a unique 360 º panoramic view of the landscape. The building contains lounges, a dining room and a swimming pool. It has been decorated in a modern African style creating a fresh and bright atmosphere, cosy, but with a touch of luxury. Guests can observe the Great Migration spectacle from the comfort of their tents.
Enjoy views and your breakfast, followed by a game drive at the Moru Kopjes! Mornings are a great time for watching lions in action and getting a glimpse of the endangered black rhino. If you’re interested in the park’s ties to the indigenous Maasai community, visit Gong Rock and the region’s famous Maasai rock paintings.
The central portion of the Serengeti - known as Seronera area is one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park. It features the Seronera River, which provides a valuable water source to this area and therefore attracts wildlife well representative of most of the Serengeti’s species. During the off season of the migration, one must really look out for the many lion pride that thrive in this region. The interactions and survival of these lion pride provide an excellent game viewing experience all year round. Along with a picnic lunch during the full day game drive, the day will come to a close by around 5pm. The long day comes to an end with a heavy dinner and a good night’s rest in your accommodation.
After breakfast you will leave the camp for Seronera airstrip for bush flight from Serengeti to Arusha. After arrive Arusha airport Expect In Africa Safari member will drive you to Arusha for hot lunch and day room, Depend on your international flight schedule an early dinner can be arranged also before a transfer to the airport for your return flight home.
SEASON & DATES | SOLO | 1 ROOM | 2 PAX -1 ROOM | 3 PAX -1 ROOM | 4 PAX -2 ROOMS | 5 PAX -2 ROOMS | 6 PAX -3 ROOMS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan 1- Feb 29 | High Season | $ 6,989 | $ 4,633 | $ 4,355 | $ 4,160 | $ 4,019 | $ 3,972 |
Mar 1- Mar 31 | Shoulder Season | $ 6,950 | $ 4,600 | $ 4,300 | $ 4,110 | $ 3,969 | $ 3,922 |
Apr 1- May 31| Low Season | $ 6,890 | $ 4,394 | $ 3,537 | $ 3,086 | $ 2,816 | $ 2,697 |
Jun 1- Sep 30 | High Season | $ 6,989 | $ 4,633 | $ 4,355 | $ 4,160 | $ 4,019 | $ 3,972 |
Oct 1- Oct 31 | High Season | $ 6,989 | $ 4,633 | $ 4,355 | $ 4,160 | $ 4,019 | $ 3,972 |
Nov 1- Dec 15 | Shoulder Season | $ 6,950 | $ 4,600 | $ 4,300 | $ 4,110 | $ 3,969 | $ 3,922 |
Dec 16- Dec 31 | High Season | $ 6,989 | $ 4,633 | $ 4,355 | $ 4,160 | $ 4,019 | $ 3,972 |