Day 1 – Sunday - ArushaDistance: 55 km
Drive time: 1 hour
Depart from Johannesburg on your flight to Tanzania. After arriving at Kilimanjaro Airport one of our representatives will meet and transfer you to your hotel located just a short drive from Arusha town centre in the midst of a tree-shaded coffee plantation.
Overnight Serena Mountain Village on bed and breakfast basis Serena Mountain VillageWreathed in multi-coloured tresses of tumbling bougainvillea, Mountain Village is hidden in the depths of a beautiful coffee plantation just outside the hustle and bustle of Arusha, Tanzania’s premier ‘Safari Town’. Strung like a necklace around the shores of an idyllic wooded lake, a haven of calm and serenity is found here. Set in the flowered gardens of a coffee planter’s farm house and surrounded by rolling groves of wax-green coffee bushes, Mountain Village offers wide timbered decks with panoramic views over Lake Duluti and a selection of ethnically-styled ‘Rondoval’ village-cluster rooms. Each of these is neatly thatched with ‘Makuti’ stems, lavishly embellished with ‘Makonde’ carvings and comfortably furnished in traditional safari style. It’s a great location to simply relax and enjoy strolls around the farm or gentle canoeing trips on the lake.
Day 2 - Monday Arusha - Lake ManyaraDistance: 130 km
Drive time: 2 ½ hours
After breakfast, drive through the local town of Mto wa Mbu (Maasai for Mosquito Village) to Lake Manyara National Park followed by afternoon Game drive in the park with a picnic lunch.
Overnight at Lake Manyara Serena on full board basis. Lake Manyara Serena LodgeIt would be difficult to find a more dramatic setting than the Lake Manyara Serena Lodge. Situated at the edge of an escarpment, this deluxe lodge overlooks both the Great Rift Valley, which formed millions of years ago, and the beautiful soda lake of Manyara with is lavish supply of bird life. The birds themselves have provided the inspiration for the lodge's architecture. Graceful, curving and free flowing, it is built in the local circular style and exudes an atmosphere of peacefulness where man and nature co-exist. From the patterns in the reception area resembling bird migration paths, to the soft geometric designs in the bedrooms, there is barely a single straight line in its design. The bar and restaurant offer guests both indoor and outdoor seating at each meal. Sumptuous menus, buffets and barbecues are served to guests alongside authentic African dishes.
Day 3 - Tuesday Lake Manyara -SerengetiDistance: 205 km
Drive time: 6 hours
After breakfast drive from Lake Manyara to Serengeti National Park. Enjoy your picnic lunches at the Naabi Gate followed by a late afternoon game drive en-route.
Overnight at Serengeti Serena Lodge on Full Board Serengeti Serena LodgeThe Serengeti Serena reflects both the local culture and the surrounding environment. Set high on a hill with magnificent views of the sweeping Serengeti, the lodge is reminiscent of a traditional African village. Rondovals built in the time-honoured hut style, house luxury bedrooms with en suite facilities. Simple in design, yet sophisticated in content, the Serengeti Serena's decor highlights African arts and crafts, including woodcarving, bead making and pottery. Everything from key tags to headboards for the beds has been specially made. This uniquely African design skilfully incorporates the comforts and attention to detail that is the hallmark of every Serena Lodge. Therefore, if you wish to stay in a lodge, but want more of an African experience, then you will thoroughly enjoy your experience here.
DAY 4 - Wednesday- SerengetiFull day game drive in Serengeti National Park
Breakfast. Enjoy your full day in Serengeti National Park with Morning and afternoon game drives with a choice of hot lunch at the lodge OR Picnic lunch box. Witness this incredible untamed wilderness where lion, elephant, cheetah and millions of antelopes roam. The Serengeti is one of the few places in Africa where game sanctuaries have remained completely unspoiled
Overnight at Serengeti Serena Lodge on Full BoardSerengetiIn the local vernacular, Serengeti means ‘the endless plains that go up to the sky’. And they do just that. It is therefore easy to understand why this is the most popular and spectacular of all game parks in East Africa. Covering 14,765 sq km, one of the striking features of this park is the series of large granite outcrops that dominate the vast plains, making it very different to the Masai Mara. Life in the park centres on the triangular trek of several million hooves. This movement never stops, as the animals constantly seek out new grazing pastures. Every year, after the south’s short November rains, wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, eland, topi and hartebeest gather in their thousands on the Serengeti’s southern plains and the Ngorongoro Highlands. Then, around April, they head towards the western corridor of the Serengeti, where many overflow into the Masai Mara around August/September. They remain here until late October/November, when Tanzania’s new rains prompt the move south again, towards Lake Ndutu and Lagaja. This yearly phenomenon also affects the lives of hundreds of thousands of other species, who rely on the migratory herds for their survival. These include predators, gazelles, birds and lowly insects, not to mention the grasses and trees that are fertilised by droppings.
DAY 5 - Thursday- SerengetiFull day game drive in Serengeti National Park
Breakfast. Enjoy your full day in Serengeti National Park with Morning and afternoon game drives with a choice of hot lunch at the lodge OR Picnic lunch box.
Overnight at Serengeti Serena Lodge on Full BoardDAY 6 - Friday- Serengeti - Ngorongoro CraterDistance: 145 km
Drive time: 4 hours
After Breakfast, enjoy another Morning game drive in Serengeti National Park with a choice of hot lunch at the lodge OR picnic lunch box. After lunch en-route to Ngorongoro Crater you will visit the Olduvai Gorge the famous archaeological site. The gorge lies on the site of an ancient lake, covered by thick layers of volcanic ash, which carefully preserved the world's earliest records of mankind and which was unearthed by the dedicated Leakey family. The museum displays some of these fascinating discoveries and remarkable finds.
Overnight at Ngorongoro Serena Lodge on Full Board
Ngorongoro Serena LodgeYour accommodation is at the stunning Ngorongoro Serena Lodge. Built of stone and covered with a profusion of flowering plants, the lodge feels as if it's actually part of the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. The walls and terraces were designed around the existing contours of the site, making this beautiful lodge appear to be absorbed into the very earth on which it is built. The result is a unique accommodation with unhindered views of the wealth of animal and bird life that fill the vast crater below.
DAY 7 - Saturday- Ngorongoro CraterAfter breakfast, descend 600m into this magnificent crater for a half-day (6 Hours) Crater tour. You will witness an unforgettable spectacle of African wildlife - a world teeming with animals. Supported by a year round water supply and fodder, the park supports a vast variety of animals, which also includes the black rhino. Another big draw to this picturesque park is it dense population of predators, which include lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs and the ever elusive leopard. We will enjoy a picnic lunch at the hippo pool near the Mandusi Swamp. Afternoon ascend to the crater rim, drive back to Arusha.
Overnight at the Mountain Village Serena Lodge at Half BoardDAY 8 - Sunday- ArushaDistance: 55 km
Drive time: 1 hour
Early morning breakfast before you depart to the airport for your flight home.
Health requirements:
· Yellow fever inoculations are compulsory. These can be obtained from any travel clinic.
· Malaria medication is recommended
Visas:
All visitors to Zanzibar and Tanzania needs to have Visas. International clients outside of South Africa will need to contact the Tanzanian Consulate or ask one of our consultants for more information. Visas for South African passport holders can be obtained:
Upon arrival in Tanzania: This will cost you $50 and you only need to present your passport. You will not need to complete any forms or take any photographs.
From African Encounters: This will cost you $50 plus and additional R160 admin fee per application. We will require you to complete the visa application forms and supply us with two passport size photos per applicant.
Direct: Directly from the Tanzanian embassy at 822 George Avenue, Arcadia, Pretoria, Tel: (012) 342-4393.
We recommend that you obtain them when arriving in Tanzania, as this will save you time and money.
Travel Insurance:
Although not compulsory to have travel insurance, we highly recommend that you obtain adequate cover for you and your family. Please contact us for details.
Additional remarks
We may have to reroute the itinerary or accommodate in similar lodges in case of non-availability.
Prices for domestic flights, airport taxes or park fees may be changed without prior notice. This is beyond our control and any increase levied will be passed to you.
In order to qualify for the low season rates tour must start and finish within the specified dates. If any brochure safari starts in low season and ends in high season, we have to pro rata the cost accordingly.
Passenger Information
Passengers should bring only soft sided bags on safaris.
All the passengers must have Identification Card/Passport with them for internal flights.
Baggage on internal flights is strictly limited to 15kgs per person (including hand luggage). Any excess baggage will be charged by the airline at check-in.
