Follow Mandy and Jason's safari adventure to Tanzania. An amazing trip covering Arusha National Park, Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and the Northern Serengeti in search of game viewing and spectacular scenery. All photos in this article were taken by Mandy and Jason on this trip. They took thousands of photos. This is just a selection.
Wow Africa, you are truly amazing and I can’t thank our Guide Shaban of Masai Wanderings and the Nasikia Camps enough. My mind has been blown yet again from Africa. Jason.
Our Tanzania safari itinerary
Day 1: Fly into Kilimanjaro Airport, spend the day exploring Kilimanjaro.
Day 2: Explore Arusha National Park
Day 3 - Day 6: Tarangine National Park
Day 7 - Day 8: Lake Manyara National Park
Day 9 - Day 12: Northern Serengeti and transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport for return flight
What does a typical safari day look like?
Arusha National Park
In a time arranged around 9.00 am meet with our guide and transfer to Arusha National Park, home of the highest concentration of giraffe of any park in Africa. Situated near to Arusha town, and your lodge, it also homes Tanzania’s 2nd highest mountain, Mt Meru (4562m). We take a hike to waterfalls with a park ranger for a scenic picnic lunch before heading off for a game drive and the ‘secret’ crater of Ngurdoto. We returned to the accommodation in the afternoon to relax for the evening.
Tarangine National Park
We are picked up from our Kilimanjaro accommodation around 9am and transferred to Tarangire National Park for game drives and exploration. We are staying at the Tarangire Ndovu Tented Lodge for 3 nights. We enjoy morning and afternoon game drives in the park. This park is famed for its massive elephant herds, a true sense of wilderness and backdrop of baobabs.
Lake Manyara National Park
After breakfast, we start our drive to the Lake Manyara National Park for morning game drives and lunch. In the late afternoon, we zigzag our way up to the Rift Valley Escarpment wall for overnight. We are staying at the Mandhari Lodge for 2 nights. The next day we take a short drive to Ngorongoro Conservation area. Ngorongoro is a collapsed volcano an incredible natural amphitheater, 25 km and teeming with all the African big game. We have an early morning descent into the crater for spectacular scenery and game viewing in what has been described as the eighth wonder of the world. We return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Northern Serengeti
We transfer to the Northern Serengeti to view the wildebeest migration and their predators. We are staying at the Kaskaz Mara Camp for 4 nights. We have morning and afternoon game driving and we enjoy further exploration of the Ndutu area. Each afternoon we return to the camp for evening relaxation.
What does a typical safari day look like?
The Alarm clock goes off around 5:30am before sunrise, the staff bring coffee to your room to help you get started. A warm shower then breakfast (we actually had to tell them to give us less food), which is usually fruits, and a full cooked breakfast with tea or coffee. Then it’s off out on the first drive, trying to catch the predators as they finish up their night. Sunrise is spectacular, all the animals are on the move as it is a cool period of the day. A morning drive can last about 6 hours, then it's back to the lodge for lunch. Snacks and beverages are provided for the drive.
Lunch is served and again it is plentiful. After lunch a few hours of rest, reading, napping or whatever you decide, then back out around 3:30pm for the afternoon drive and sunset. This time trying to catch the animals as they retreat for the night, always watching for a Rhino looking for a shady spot to bed down. Back to the lodge for a shower and a glass of wine or beer by the fire before dinner is served. Dinners were fantastic, and typically we were in bed by 9pm, alarm set ready for the next day.
Some days we would do a full day game drive, typically they start a little later, and a lunch is brought in the vehicle for us to eat remotely. The days can be long and bumpy, however you are free to make changes as suits you. We wanted to get as much in as possible. But if you wanted to rest in the afternoon, the guides and staff are always open to what it is you want to do. It’s all your choice.
Trip summary
The Safari experience is amazing and we strongly recommend it to everyone to try it once in their life. Safari is an upfront cost, so the price may seem daunting to some, but it includes all meals, game drives, all drinks, all accommodations, even laundry. Tips are the only thing not included. The price point is comparable to a luxury all-inclusive in the Caribbean.
If you are interested in doing a safari, we suggest you get in touch. We have small group tours you can join, or we can help you arrange an independent safari based on your requirements. Either way, we have a wealth of knowledge we can share.