8 Days Best of Tanzania Safari Tour
Day 1: Arrival and Arusha Safari
As you arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport, a Friendly Gorillas representative will greet you and take you in a private car to your accommodation. You have the rest of the day to do whatever you want. The Arusha Coffee Lodge is located on a coffee plantation on the outskirts of Arusha. The décor is opulent and exquisite, with hints of the early days of exploration, and is created in the style of the original plantation houses but completely rebuilt to meet the best standards of comfort. Each of the 18 plantation houses is attractively designed and features a split-level living room with a private porch. The lodge also has a coffee shop, patisserie, and a swimming pool.
Day 2: Arusha to Tarangire National Park
In the early morning, you will be greeted and brought to the Arusha airfield for your flight to Tarangire National Park. Your guide will greet you at the airport and transport you in our specially equipped open safari vehicle to Sanctuary Swala. The drive takes around 30 minutes, with breaks along the way for game viewing. Sanctuary Swala’s twelve tents are covered by large acacia trees and ancient baobabs and are within walking distance of the famous waterhole. Sanctuary Swala’s canvas pavilions are unapologetically sumptuous but close enough to nature to allow for an exhilarating night beneath the stars. There will be time to unwind in the afternoon before your first game drive. There are elephants, greater kudu, impala, and zebra herds to be observed, as well as leopards lurking in the woodland. Due to the camp’s remote position, you are unlikely to see many cars when venturing out into the national park.
Day 3: Relaxation or Tarangire exploration
Wake up to the sounds of the forest as a steaming hot cup of tea or coffee is brought to the deck of your tent. This morning, you have the option of sleeping in and enjoying your surroundings or going on an early morning game drive across the park before returning to camp for a relaxed drink and lunch. Take a break on your private terrace this afternoon with a cool beverage and gaze out over the waterhole, where the wildlife congregates in the shade to avoid the sun.
As the day unfolds, you might want to go on an afternoon game drive in Tarangire. The splendor of Tarangire becomes clear as you step out into the park’s baobab-strewn environment. In terms of wildlife concentration during the dry season, the Tarangire ecosystem is second only to the Serengeti habitat. Return to camp for a brief wash before meeting around the campfire for a pre-dinner cocktail and a day’s activities recap.
Day 4: Transfer to Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast, transfer to the airstrip for your light plane ride to Manyara. Our Sanctuary Retreats guide will meet you at the airfield and transport you to the camp, a 30-minute drive with opportunities for wildlife viewing along the way. The Sanctuary Ngorongoro Crater Camp is located on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Conservation Area. There are eleven magnificent safari tents to choose from. Each walk-in tent is big, with an en-suite bathroom, flush toilet, shower, and hot water available throughout the day. A room safe, hair dryer, and mosquito nets are included in each tent. The three main area tents are a dining tent, a lounge tent, and a bar and lounge tent.
Day 5: After breakfast, transfer to Ngorongoro Crater.
This morning, a hot cup of tea or coffee will be waiting for you on the veranda of your tent. After a hearty lunch, you can engage in the following activities: Game drives in and around the Ngorongoro Crater with an English-speaking driver/guide, as well as visits to Masai villages and bush lunches. The crater wall provides a beautiful backdrop for game viewing at every turn. This huge crater is home to over 30,000 species, with a high concentration of predators. The zebra and wildebeest make up over half of the species, with gazelle, buffalo, hartebeest, warthog, and bull elephants also present. On the lake at the crater’s center, thousands of flamingos flutter and shimmer like a pink heat haze. Return to camp this afternoon in time for a hot shower before pre-dinner beverages around the campfire as you reflect over the day’s adventures.
Day 6: Lake Manyara to Serengeti National Park.
Return to the Manyara airstrip this morning for your flight to the Serengeti, which departs at 0915 and takes around an hour. When you arrive, a representative from Sanctuary Kusini will greet you and drive you to the camp. It takes 30 minutes to get to camp via the Serengeti, with plenty of opportunity for wildlife viewing along the way. Guests can stay in one of twelve double tents scattered around the main kopje. Each unit has its own private veranda with comfy furnishings, where your personal tent attendant will serve you tea and coffee so you can rest and enjoy the peace and quiet of your surroundings. The eating area, lounge, and library are located in the main area, which has a wooden deck and offers wonderful views of the adjacent kopje. After dinner, head to kopje for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go on a star safari as the camp manager unravels the mysteries of the night sky.
Day 7: Full-day wildlife drive in Serengeti National Park
You can go on a full-day game drive into the Serengeti with a picnic lunch, or you can stay close to camp with morning and afternoon game drives. The Sanctuary Kusini area is well-known for its cheetah population. When staying at Sanctuary Kusini, you can donate to cheetah conservation through the Serengeti Cheetah Project. Learn how to use field ID kits to classify cheetahs and how to track their behavior on a cheetah watch drive. Your sighting photographs will be integrated with the location data and sent to the research center. In exchange, the center will provide you with a detailed history of your cheetah, including its family and most recent sighting. This night, return to camp and hike to the kopje’s crest for 360-degree views of the Serengeti. Relax with your favorite beverage as the sunset colors the Serengeti in pinks, oranges, and reds.
Day 8: Relax and then depart in the morning.
Spend the morning relaxing at camp or going on one last morning game drive before heading to the airfield for your light aircraft flight to Kilimanjaro via Arusha. Once in Kilimanjaro, connect with your next flight.
