On this day you leave Arusha town; the base town for safaris in the northern Tanzania and along the Arusha – Dodoma highway a scenic drive towards the Lake Manyara National Park. You will pass by a supermarket (if you wish) for some last-minute shopping of any personal effects that you may need then driveand arrive at Lake Manyara in 2 hour-time. Your driver will take care of the paper work at the park’s gate then you will embark on your first game drive

This is one of Tanzania’s smaller parks but still offers a rewarding and diverse safari experience.

Lake Manyara National Park is an unspoiled paradise of ground water forest fed by underground springs and teeming with wildlife such as elephants, hippos, giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes, and some of the largest baboon troupes in Africa. The lake shore at Manyara teems with birdlife, and while you are looking for the birds, you might spot one of the elusive tree-climbing lions, and people flock from all over the world to see these iconic predators lounging in the trees

There are a surprising number of other large mammals and the striking cliffs on the Rift escarpment form a dramatic backdrop. After game Drive we drive back toManyara or Karatu for overnight.

From Manyara (Mto wa mbu) we depart early after breakfast and head across the Great Rift Valley’s floor, up the escarpment and traverse the Ngorongoro Conservation area in what will ultimately end up being a pleasant and enjoyable scenic drive as you enjoy the beautiful scenery and breathtaking visitors on your way to the Serengeti National Park.

Serengeti National Park – with its endless plains, rolling into the distance as far as the eye can see. We’ll proceed to the Lobo area which is located just north of the Seronera area (central Serengeti National Park). The wildebeest migration, normally pass through the Lobo area every year around July / August en-route to the Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Reserve and again in late October / November en-route to the southern Serengeti National Park.

After breakfast, enjoy a full day game drive in the park. The area around Lobo and the Grumeti River has good resident game throughout the year. Non-migrating animals like elephant, buffalo, gazelle, zebra, lion, leopard and cheetah can be seen here all year round. The game viewing is very good and you can follow game for long periods without seeing other vehicles – truly one of the forgotten corners of the Serengeti Plains. Magnificent riverine trees can be found along the river lines and bird species such as kingfishers and fish eagles can be found here.

After breakfast, we head towards the far northern reach of the Serengeti National Park, also known as the Wagakuria. We will do a game drive en-route from the Lobo area to the Wagakuria area. As we head north, good sightings of giraffe, plain game, herds of buffalo and elephants can often be seen.

We arrive in time for lunch at the lodge and after lunch we will enjoy an afternoon game drive in the area. The wildebeest migration can normally be found in the Wagakuria area from Mid-july to October, depending on rainfall patterns. A long stretch of the Mara River runs through the northern Serengeti National Park and the Mara River provides the migration with its most difficult obstacle. Witnessing the frantic herds of wildebeest crossing the Mara River is amazing

After breakfast, enjoy a full day game drive in the Wagakuria area. Resident wildlife numbers are exceptionally high in this area of the park, with prides of lion up to 30 strong, however, from Mid-July to October the area turns into a wildlife paradise. The key feature is the Mara River and it is not uncommon to see the herds cross the Mara River north on one day and then back south a few days later. Please take note –Finding a crossing is very difficult and is sometimes a matter of luck. A herd can be seen next to river and only decide to cross or not cross until a couple of days later. This area is a stunning region with kopjes, woodland, riverine vegetation and open plains, similar to Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Reserve.

(An option of doing a Hot Air Balloon is also in this area)

Serengeti Balloon Safaris: There are no words that can do the experience of floating over the Serengeti justice.” Get a birds-eye view of the park as you rise alongside the sun.

The flight lasts about an hour, after which passengers gather round a table, surrounded by the park’s lush plains, for an “Out of Africa” English-style breakfast.

Proceed with morning and afternoon game drives in the Serengeti with a lunch and leisure break at the lodge in the midafternoon. The term Serengeti means endless plains in Masai language. In the central plains there are carnivores like leopard, lion, hyena and cheetah.

This park is normally the scene of the annual migration of wildebeest and zebra that occurs between the Kenyan Mara and the Serengeti. Varied bird species can be seen here including eagles, ducks, geese, egrets, vultures, secretary birds, ibis, stork, herons, kites, pelicans, cranes and guinea fowl.

The Serengeti National park is a arguably the best known wildlife sanctuary in the world with over 3 million large mammals. About 35 species of plains animals can be seen there including the “big 5” - Elephant, Rhino, Lion, Leopard and Buffalo. Other common species found here includes hippo, giraffe, eland, impala and other antelope types, baboons, monkey and a profusion of over 500 species of birds.

After breakfast, descend into the crater with lunch box enjoying the game drive for more than 7 hours.

Millions of years ago, a volcano the size of Mount Kilimanjaro rose from the highlands of northern Tanzania. Its eruption formed the largest unflooded caldera in the world, the Ngorongoro Crater. Now inactive and filled with wildlife, the crater is a playground where you can enjoy game drives in in search of the Big Five.

The natural protection of the crater’s 600 m (1,968 ft) high walls “Ngorongoro Crater” helps many species to thrive, is one of the most densely crowded African wildlife areas in the world and is home to an estimated 30,000 animals and this is the best place in Tanzania to see critically endangered black rhino.

The park is supported by a year-round water supply and fodder, the crater supports a vast variety of animals, which include herds of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippo, and giant African elephants.