Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where our driver-¬‐guide will transfer you to Arusha City. Located below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley, Arusha has a temperate and comfortable climate. The city is close to many of Tanzania’s greatest attractions and is a major international diplomatic hub. You will be given a briefing about your upcoming safari and your overnight stay will be at the Planet Lodge BB Basis.
After breakfast you will depart at 0800hrs with your naturalist guide for Tarangire National Park. Tarangire is Tanzania's third largest national park and a sanctuary for an unusually large elephant population. Majestic baobab trees are another interesting feature of the park, dwarfing the animals that feed beneath them. Animals concentrate along the Tarangire River, which provides the only permanent water supply in the area. You may catch glimpses of lions, leopards and cheetahs. Your dinner and overnight stay will be at the Sangaiwe Tented Lodge –FB basis.
Go on an early morning hike along the Sangaiwe hills and then depart at 0800s hrs for Lake Manyara National Park, which stretches from the base of the dramatic Rift Valley escarpment to its famous soda lake. It is truly one of the most beautiful places in Africa. As you enter the gate, the park is dramatically marked off by lush green vegetation consisting of tall trees emerging from the groundwater forest, which provides a home to troops of baboons and blue monkeys. Further down, the forest opens up into woodland, grassland and swamps. Further down lies the soda lake itself, where over 350 species of birds, including the lively flamingo, pelican, sacred ibis, grebe and stork, can be viewed. This park is a bird watcher’s paradise! Manyara is also known for its numerous buffalo, elephant, giraffe, impala, hippo, large variety of smaller animals, and of course: the very elusive tree-¬‐ climbing lions. Proceed to Karatu area for dinner & overnight at Bougainvillea – FB basis.
After breakfast, proceed to Eyasi Area, Lunch at Lake Eyasi Safari Lodge Afternoon activities with Datoga tribes who are famers
Lake Eyasi is a seasonal shallow endorheic (closed basin) salt lake on the floor of the Great Rift Valley at the base of the Serengeti Plateau, just south of the Serengeti National Park and
Immediately southwest of the Ngorongoro Crater in the Crater Highlands of Tanzania. Dinner & Overnight at Lake Eyasi Safari Lodge – FB basis
Lake Eyasi
Lake Eyasi is a seasonal shallow endorheic salt lake on the floor of the Great Rift Valley at the base of the Serengeti Plateau, just south of the Serengeti National Park and immediately southwest of the Ngorongoro Crater in the Crater Highlands of Tanzania. The lake is elongated, orientated southwest to northeast, and lies in the Eyasi-¬‐Wembere branch of the Great Rift Valley
The Hadzabe bushmen live in this region, as do the Datoga and Mbulu tribes. A visit with the bushmen is worthwhile and they will graciously show you where and how they live and hunt. They subsist entirely off the bush and by bow hunting. Everything they use is made from local materials, including their bows which are strung with giraffe tendon and their arrows which are coated in lethal poison. Their language resembles that of Kalahari bushmen tribe (who were featured in the 1980 film ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy’) with clicking noises used.
The Datoga and Mbulu people are pastoralists, like the Masai people.
The scenery of Lake Eyasi differs dramatically to that of the surrounding areas. Compared to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Highlands this area seems downright tropical. Palm trees border the lake and make homes for birds such as Fischer’s lovebird. Other trees in this area include the umbrella thorn acacia and sand paper bush. The weather is nearly always very hot and intense, as the lake is located in floor of the Rift Valley, the oldest rift in the world. The rift is thought to have opened over 65 million years ago, shortly after dinosaurs became extinct. To view Lake Eyasi on our Tanzania map please click here.
Lake Eyasi’s water levels vary greatly between the rainy and dry seasons. During the dry season the lake is virtually nonexistent and animals are forced to share what water is left, which makes for easier wildlife viewing. The lake can get quite deep during the rainy season and it attracts hippos who like to cool off in its brackish waters.
Bird lovers will be in paradise here, as the lake attracts vast numbers of birds of all sizes and colors. Some main birds to be found here include: Africa spoonbill, flamingos, gray headed gulls, great white pelicans, pied avocet and yellow-¬‐billed storks. The main fish found in the lake are catfish and lungfish.
Lake Eyasi palm trees sunset This region is particularly suited for exploring on foot, and day or half day hikes are highly recommended. It is also possible to go on a hunting trip with the Hadzabe or to visit the other tribes. Almost any time of year is a good time to visit Lake Eyasi with only April and May being questionable as they are when the long rains occur.
Early morning hunting with Hadzabe tribe, experience how these local people gain food from hunting wild animals and learn more about their life in general Late breakfast at the Lodge
With packed lunch proceed to Serengeti National Park, en route game drive Dinner & Overnight at Osinon Tented Camp – FB basis
Your day will be spent on morning and evening game drives through the Serengeti plains. These vast, seemingly unending plains are inhabited during the migration by enormous herds of wildebeest and zebra. There is a great diversity of wildlife here, including lion, leopard, cheetah, impala, buffalo, birds and up to ten thousand elephants. Your dinner and overnight stay will be at Osinon Tented Camp – FB basis
Area After breakfast you will drive to Ngorongoro Conservation area Descend down the crater floor for game viewing
The bottom of the crater is dotted with watering-¬‐holes, shelters and almost 30,000 animals in an area naturally enclosed by the slopes of the volcano. You will also find the ‘Big Five’: lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard. The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unbroken caldera in the world and is surrounded by very steep walls rising 610m from the floor. It is considered to be one of the natural wonders of the world and is an amazing haven for wildlife throughout the year due to the permanent availability of grass and water. Picnic lunches will be served at the site on the crater floor
Afternoon drive to Karatu area for Dinner & Overnight at Ngorongoro Lodge – FB basis
After breakfast at the Lodge, you will be driven to Mto wa Mbu area for a cultural visit with the local women. Learn about their farming and financing groups, you will have local lunch with them and taste the local African food. After lunch, drive back to Arusha and transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your outbound flight
