Tembelea Tanzania Safari

Safaris

This is our most iconic itinerary as it represents what our company is all about. During this safari, you will have the chance of visiting all the parks of the Northern Safari Circuit of Tanzania (including 3 nights in the Serengeti which is, for us, the ideal timeframe).

8Days/ 7 Nights

Arusha National Park
Tarangire National Park
Lake Manyara National Park
Ngorongoro Crater
Serengeti National Park

This day could also include a cultural / local tour of Arusha or a historical tour of Arusha which would include vsiting historical sites and museums.

There are plenty of accommodation that serve this park both near the park and within the town of Arusha.

Day 1

ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK

Pickup from your hotel at 8 am After a healthy breakfast, you will then depart for Arusha national park for game drives. You will stop for a picnic lunch in the park then proceed with evening game drives. Arusha National park is at the foot of Mount Meru. The second tallest mountain in Tanzania. shadowy montane forest inhabited by inquisitive blue monkeys and colourful turacos and trogons – the only place on the northern safari circuit where the acrobatic black-and-white colobus monkey is easily seen. In the midst of the forest stands the spectacular Ngurdoto Crater, whose steep, rocky cliffs enclose a wide marshy floor dotted with herds of buffalo and warthog. Giraffes glide across the grassy hills, between grazing zebra herds, while pairs of wide-eyed dik-dik dart into the scrubby bush like overgrown hares on spindly legs.

Recommended Accommodations; Arusha Coffee Lodge | Lake Momela Lodge | Mount Meru Hotel | Rivertrees Lodge Arusha

This Park also gives you the ability of doing Night game drives

Like in Lake Manyara, plenty of accommodation options can serve this park. However, only a few are inside the park and those are the ones we recommend the most.

Day 2

TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK

Tarangire is famous for its diverse landscape with nine different vegetation zones. The park is particularly known for the abundance of Ancient Baobab trees (the largest trees in the continent) which fill the landscape and dwarf the animals next to them. The river of the park is full of wildlife ranging from a large variety of birds to lions, leopards, zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes and, of course, elephants. In fact, the park has the largest concentration of elephants in the whole country and provides unique chances to observe the interaction between elephant families. The lunch area is fascinating, boasting an observatory with amazing views to the river and wildlife (with good chances of seeing a hunt while having your picnic). In the afternoon we will still do a game drive before continuing to your accommodation.

Recommended Accommodations; Tarangire Simba Lodge | Tarangire Sopa Lodge | Tarangire Ang’ata Lodge | Olivers Camp

We recommend also doing a Cultural bike tour in Mto Wa Mbu village

There is plenty of accommodation that serves this park. All of them (except for AndBeyond Manyara Tree Lodge) are outside the park, in Manyara and Mto Wa Mbu Region.

Day 3

LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK

Beautiful short journey across the Great Rift Valley until Lake Manyara National Park for a full day game drive. Although small in dimension (205 sq. miles), the park has breathtaking scenery and well famous for its lush acacia forest, giant figs and mahogany trees, as well as to a growing population of baboons and blue monkeys. Permanent residents of this park also include giraffes, elephants, impalas and a huge amount of buffaloes. The lake is also home to a large number of hippos. Some unique facts about this park include the tree climbing lions, flamingos in the lake shore, as well as the Ground Hornbill and the Crested Eagle. The landscapes of Lake Manyara are something that can not be described with words, and the game drives along the lake provide stunning photo opportunities of giraffes and buffaloes in the foreground and the lake (and its flamingos) in the background. During this day, some extra tours are possible, including a bike tour or a boat excursion. In the afternoon, transfer to the camp for dinner.

Recommended Accommodations; Wildlife Camp | Manyara Serena Lodge | Gibbs Farm | Manyara Tree Lodge

After a long but spectacular journey, you will arrive in the park in time for a fantastic afternoon game drive

There is accommodation for all budgets and styles in the Serengeti.

You also have the option of visiting Olduvai Gorge.

Day 4

SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK

After an early breakfast, depart towards the most famous National park in the World, the Serengeti. The driving itself, although long, is spectacular. You will drive up the crater highlands, making a quick stop at the rim for an out of this world view of Ngorongoro Crater. This will be an unforgettable moment for anyone seeing it for the first time. As you progress well into the Serengeti, you will see why the name means, in local language, “endless plains”. The park has 6,900 sq. mile (18,000 sq. km) and for most of it, the plains will stretch to the horizon defying your senses and perception of distances. It is the home of the Great Migration and to 2 million wildebeests, hundreds of thousands of zebras and all kinds of antelopes including the abundant impalas and Thomson’s gazelles. As for Big Cats and large predators, it’s the place of choice to look out for lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, with many television scenes like the famous river crossings having been filmed in this park. Smaller animals like foxes, mongoose, honey badgers, jackals, monkeys, baboons, rock hyrax and african hares, together with more than 500 species of birds, also inhabit this park.

Recommended Accommodations; Kilima Valley Lodge | Sopa Lodge | Chaka Camps | Four Seasons Lodge

Extra tour recommended: The wonderful balloon flight over the Serengeti plains.

We recommend sleeping in the same camp/lodge as the night before.

Day 5

SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK

Full day in the Serengeti National Park. We are completely flexible with your preferences and this day will be organized according to your wishes. On every day of the safari, your guide will discuss with you the best timings for you, including the game drives and the wake up time. For example, on this day, you could do a morning game drive, return to the camp for lunch and relaxation and finish with an afternoon game drive, or you could do a full day game drive with picnic lunch.

Recommended Accommodations; Kilima Valley Lodge | Sopa Lodge | Chaka Camps | Four Seasons Lodge

Possibility for an afternoon walking safari in Ngorongoro highlands.

Most accommodation options for Ngorongoro are outside Ngorongoro Conservation Area. However, there are some amazing options inside the park and those are the ones we usually recommend.

Day 6

SERENGETI TO NGORONGORO

On this day we suggest a very early wake up in order to do an early morning game drive (when the animals are more active) and see one of the best sunrises you’ll ever witness. It’s really one of the most beautiful experiences to have. After the game drive, we return to the camp for a rewarding brunch and then we’ll proceed to Ngorongoro, the 8th wonder of the Natural World. The crater spreads for 102 sq. miles and has 2.000 ft high walls, making it virtually Noah’s ark and inhabiting almost every species of wildlife that is indigenous to East Africa. It’s one of the very rare locations in the whole continent where you can witness the black Rhino. The concentration of African wildlife if the greatest in the continent. The crater has a river, several swamps, a soda lake with a great concentration of flamingos, a forest and open plains. It’s also famous for its elephants which are the largest in the world and have huge tusks. This is due to the rich mineral content of the volcanic soil and its grasses. Ngorongoro Crater is truly a Wonder of the Natural World.

Recommended Accommodations; Rhino Lodge | Sopa Lodge | Pakulala Camp | The Highlands

Possibility to add a walking safari in the afternoon, after the game drive in the Crater.

Day 7

NGORONGORO CRATER

We will start the day very early and descend into the crater floor for an incredible morning of wildlife in one of the most stunning places on Earth. After the game drive, there will be time for a picnic lunch near the beautiful hippo Lake. After lunch, we will have time for a short game drive and then ascend the crater and exit Ngorongoro Conservation Area back to Arusha