From private chefs at a mobile tented camp in the remote reaches of the Serengeti to the treetop luxury of Lake Manyara and the sheer opulence of the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, this trip is incredible even without the richest concentration of predators & wildlife in the world. Join us in the shadow of Kilimanjaro as we traverse the great plains.

Itinerary

Day 1 & 2 - Lake Manyara National Park

Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where you will be met by our local representative and transferred to Arusha Airport for the flight to Manyara Airstrip. Upon arrival you will be met by your lodge representative and experience your first game drive of the trip (2½ - 3½ hours), then later settle into amidst boughs of mahogany trees in a luxury tree house (complete with an ensuite and outdoor shower) at Lake Manyara Tree Lodge. Adventures include spotting wildlife in Lake Manyara National Park, as well as optional night game drives.

Hotel: Lake Manyara Tree Lodge
Meals: BLD
 
Day 3, 4 &5 - Serengeti National Park

After an early breakfast, you head to Manyara Airstrip (with a game-drive on the way) for your flight into the Serengeti. Upon arrival at Grumeti private concession, you settle into a luxurious tent under a canopy of stars. For three magical nights you will enjoy the true safari experience in the most famous National Park in Africa, in search of the famed predators of the Serengeti: lions, cheetah, and leopard. Daily activities include morning and evening game-drives in the Serengeti National Park, with optional day trips to Lake Victoria (Lukubo Island).

Hotel: Grumeti Tented Camp
Meals: BLD
 
Day 6 & 7  - Ngorongoro Crater

After an early morning Serengeti game drive and breakfast, you will board your flight to Manyara Airstrip. Upon arrival you will be met by your guide from Ngorongoro Crater Lodge who leads us to your home for two nights. Amidst the awe-inspiring setting of the Ngorongoro Crater, you can indulge in game-drives, take a trek to Empakai Crater, experience Olduvai Gorge and Shifting Sands, and take an excursion to visit the Maasai people in a Maasai village.

Hotel: Ngorongoro Crater Lodge
Meals: BLD
 
Day 8 - Arusha/Depart

Today you transfer back to Manyara Airstrip for a morning flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport.  From here you can continue home or take a post-trip extension to Zanzibar

Luxury Lodges & Tented Camps

Lake Manyara Tree Lodge.

Crafted from local timber and makuti (palm fronds), Lake Manyara Tree Lodge is discreetly tucked away in an ancient mahogany forest in close proximity to the exquisite soda lake.Each tree house suite features large windows to invite the lush forest inside. The classically elegant rooms are fitted with contemporary furnishings in neutral colours and textures. Bedrooms have overhead fans, mosquito nets and earthy, understated features.

Overlooking a forest boma (outdoor dining area), guest areas are soaring spaces housing Dodoma artworks and tactile fabrics. An interactive kitchen allows guests to observe the preparation of delicious Pan-African cuisine which may be enjoyed in the theatrical boma, on dining decks, or on your private viewing deck with spectacular forest views. Breakfasts and picnics are also served on the lakeshore.

Grumeti Tented River Camp.

A splendid tented camp set in the remote western corridor of the Serengeti National Park, Grumeti River Camp offers a comfortable, contemporary haven from which to experience the truly wild pulse of Africa. Boasting abundant resident game year round, the Camp overlooks a bywater of the Grumeti River where wildebeest plunge through the waters, running the gauntlet of gigantic crocodiles, on their annual Migration during June and July.

10 spacious tents under thatch – set along the banks of the River and its hippo pools – each have a viewing deck and en suite bathroom with hand-basin, w.c and a shower open to the starlit sky. Furnished with vibrant décor, the accommodation brings alive the excitement and romance of Africa. An open-fronted dining area, sitting area and domed bar, all in colourful décor with unusual beaded, antique artefacts, make up the main guest area. There is also a plunge pool on the banks of the River and a spacious deck from which to enjoy sundowners whilst watching pods of hippo in the pools.
 
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge.

Perched on the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater at the eastern edge of the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is without doubt one of the most architecturally spectacular lodges in Africa. The Crater is a World Heritage Site and shelters one of the most beautiful wildlife havens on earth – some of Africa’s last black rhino are protected within its rim and black-maned lions stalk the grasslands.

Inspired in design by the Maasai mud-and-stick manyatta, the Lodge comprises three separate and intimate camps, North Camp and South Camp (12 suites each) and Tree Camp (6 suites). The sumptuous suites are steeped in romance reminiscent of a bygone era, with stilted, handcrafted structures adorned in graceful antiques, grand chandeliers and Pan African treasures. All of this, however, remains subordinate to the magnificence of the verdant Crater views through the window of every room. Each suite is discreetly tended by a personal butler, who will bring you tea in bed, stoke your fireplace and even draw your bath, ready for your return from your safari and lavish picnic on the Crater floor.

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