After breakfast our Safari Guide will collect you with a Tanzanian smile from your lodgings for the drive to Lake Manyara National Park.  Manyara, a relatively small but diverse park 120km west of Arusha, is so named for the shallow salt lake that occupies a good seventy percent of the parklands. Flooding and drying seasonally, this soda lake is home to thousands of flamingowith the park being host to about 500 other bird species.  On our exploration of the park we see monkey, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, elephant and, with some luck, lions lounging in the trees. The park is known for its diverse landscapes, not only open grassy plains but also primate-filled woodlands and baobab dotted cliffs.  After our full day in the park, we drive to our lodgings, where we will be afforded the opportunity to relax and enjoy a sumptuous meal with our comfortable quarters awaiting us. Accommodation Manyara wild life lodge

After breakfast we set out for the fertile highlands where wheat, coffee and corn are grown by the Iraqw people. Passing through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, we have the opportunity to see the breath-taking Ngorongoro Crater before traveling onwards to the Serengeti National Park which we will reach by midday. The Serengeti National Park, the largest park in Tanzania, is a land of diverse landscapes and habitats such as grassy plains, swamps, lakes, savannah, and mountains. Here the great wildebeest and zebra migration makes its circuitous journey along with a range of other animals and, depending on the season, we may have the opportunity to witness thousands of animals on their search for food and water.

After our extensive game drive, we head for our carefully selected lodgings for rest, delectable dining, and a night below the endlessly starred sky upon the ‘Endless Plain’,

Accommodation Seronera  wild life lodge 

This entire day is set aside for further game drives upon the Serengeti. The Serengeti is the habitat for an abundance of wildlife, such as impala, buffalo, crocodile, and hippo, but is more well-known for its great migrating herds of zebra and wildebeest. The animals’ trek is determined by the rainfall and varies from year to year. In November and December the animals move from the northern region dominated by woodlands and hills to the grassy plains of the south. During the longer rainy season from April to June the horde return to the north. Apart from the migrating herds we may have the chance to spot the predators such as leopard, cheetah, and lion, ever and always lurking close by. With our days adventure upon the plain drawing to a close we wend our way to our lodge in anticipation of a delicious meal and a digestif perhaps by the fire with hyena slinking past drawn in by the scents of our repast.  Our commodious rooms await to harbour our sleep and dreams of wild cats.

Accommodation Seronera  wild life lodge

This will be our final full day spent on the Serengeti, the ‘Endless Plain’ in Maa, the tongue of the Maasai, warrior tribe who have called this scape of land their home for millennia, truly one of the most spectacular places on Earth. We continue to enjoy the wide range of animals and birds. By now, you will be an expert! Make sure you ask your guide to take you to the locations that you most desire!  we take our dinner and rest at the our carefully selected lodgings and rest in anticipation of our coming day with its safari to the highlands and, thence, into the largest caldera on Planet Earth.

After an early breakfast we head out for another game drive on the Serengeti. We may be afforded the opportunity to spot the “Big Five” – lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard – before, after lunch at our lodge, embarking on our journey to the Ngorongoro Crater. The animals roam freely through the unfenced reserves offering us an uninterrupted game viewing experience. Arriving at the edge of the crater we have our first glimpse of what awaits us the following day – glistening streams, open grassland and a myriad number of animals. We spend the night at our lodge directly on the crater’s edge with the orange glow of sunset surrounding us as we drift off to sleep.

Early risers are rewarded with breath-taking views of the rising sun over the crater’s edge and, after our hearty breakfast, we drive down the adventurous track into the crater. This UNESCO world heritage site, formed millions of years ago in the massive explosion of a volcano once taller than Kilimanjaro, is 610 metres deep and covers roughly around 304 square kilometres. Due to its dense animal population of approximately 25 000 large mammals, the crater offers the best game viewing of all the parks in Tanzania. In a matter of minutes we will see wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, elephant, and some of the more than 500 bird species that here inhabit. With a little  luck we may catch a glimpse of the endangered black rhino through the grass.  After lunch we ascend again the steep walls of the crater and head onwards to our accommodation at Tarangire safari lodge .

Tarangire, well known for its large elephant herds, seasonal swamps, savanna, and The Tarangire River which wends its way through the park inviting the wildlife to imbibe her soothing waters.  From the open roof of our state of the art safari truck we experience the landscape as we seek sightings of the many animals including zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, elephant and giraffe. It is possible we will catch a glimpse of a lion stalking its prey or leopards watching and relaxing in the trees above.

After extensive game drives through the park, with our adventure coming to its close, we head back to Arusha, choc full of images of the African Wild.

Accommodation at ilboru safari lodge