Small group camping in Tanzania
| country: | Tanzania |
| location: | Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater |
| departures: | 2009: 27 Nov, 22 Dec |
| price: | From £1815 (9 days) excluding flights. Price based on two people sharing. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This is a small group authentic camping trip that visits some of the most famous areas of Tanzania. You will stand in awe as you gaze into the Ngorongoro Crater and marvel at the great herds of animals that live on the plains of the Serengeti National Park.
Tanzania is East Africa's principle wildlife safari destination and offers a selection of safaris, from the well trodden paths of wildlife and migration safaris in the Serengeti to the more adventurous and less busy Parks of southern and western Tanzania including Ruaha and the Selous. We specialise in Tanzanian Safaris to see both the savannah game and the big five of the plains and the chimpanzees of western Tanzania and mountain gorillas of Rwanda!
Best time to go: The rainy season in Tanzania is during the months of November, April and May and the migration is in the Serengeti from November to August.
Tanzania is East Africa's principle wildlife safari destination and offers a selection of safaris, from the well trodden paths of wildlife and migration safaris in the Serengeti to the more adventurous and less busy Parks of southern and western Tanzania including Ruaha and the Selous. We specialise in Tanzanian Safaris to see both the savannah game and the big five of the plains and the chimpanzees of western Tanzania and mountain gorillas of Rwanda!
Best time to go: The rainy season in Tanzania is during the months of November, April and May and the migration is in the Serengeti from November to August.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive Kilimanjaro. Arrive into Kilimanjaro International Airport. On arrival you will be met and transferred to the Arusha Hotel set in the central shopping and business area of Arusha town, 45 minutes from Kilimanjaro Airport. Overnight on a bed and breakfast basis. Overnight: Arusha Hotel |
| Day 2: | Tarangire. Your driver will come to greet you and conduct a pre-departure briefing at 08h30 for a 09h00 departure. Your guide can assist you should you wish to exchange money or purchase other beverages or snacks. The rest of the safari crew will have gone ahead to set up your camp. The drive to Tarangire is just over two hours and so you can either enjoy lunch at the campsite or have a picnic lunch en route so that you will be able to spend the rest of the day game viewing. Note: At certain times of the year we recommend Lake Manyara National Park in place of Tarangire (November - April). Overnight: Tarangire or Lake Manyara, private campsite – (B/L/D) |
| Day 3: | Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Take picnic boxes and enjoy a morning game drive inside the park before making your way through the bustling towns of Mto-wa-Mbu, where there is a lively curio market, and Karatu. You then weave our way upwards into the densely forested slopes of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, pausing to admire the splendid view of the crater floor 600m below at Heroes Point, before driving on to your campsite located close to the rim of the Ngorongoro caldera. Arrive late afternoon at your private campsite. If you arrive in good time, you may like to consider an optional early evening/sunset visit to a Maasai Manyatta (homestead) where you can spend some time learning about the culture, traditions and beliefs of this ancient, noble warrior tribe. Overnight: Ngorongoro, private campsite - (B/L/D) |
| Day 4: | Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Today you will descend the steep walls of the crater to admire the microcosm of life within it. You will have a picnic lunch on the floor of the crater at a pleasant lakeside location where you can stretch our legs and soak up the magnificent scenery. The crater rim can be very cold at night and cloaked in mist in the early mornings. You will need a jumper, several layers or a warm jacket here. All meals included. Overnight at private campsite inside Ngorongoro Conservation Area on crater rim. Overnight: Norongoro, private campsite - (B/L/D) |
| Day 5: | Ngorongoro - Serengeti National Park. Today you break camp and embark on a game drive into the great Serengeti plains. Before crossing from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area into the Serengeti National Park you can take the opportunity to visit the Olduvai Gorge Museum. Game drive on the way to your private campsite in the Serengeti. We will pre-book your campsite in the area where the migration is anticipated but please note that the movement of game can be unpredictable due to abnormal weather patterns disrupting the growth of vegetation and thus the food sources followed by the herds. Overnight: Serengeti NP, private campsite - (B/L/D) |
| Day 6-7: | Serengeti National Park. Morning and afternoon game drives in the Serengeti National Park. Whilst you are in the Serengeti there is the option to go on an early morning balloon safari over the Serengeti but this will be largely dependent on the position of your pre-booked campsites and the season that you travel. Please note that balloon safaris can only be organised by pre-arrangement and there is an additional cost for this. Please ask for more details. Overnight: Serengeti NP, private campsite - (B/L/D) |
| Day 8: | Serengeti National Park - Arusha. Today you will depart the Serenegti driving back overland to Arusha. You can also opt to fly back from the Serengeti to Arusha today. It is an exceptionally scenic flight over the highlands of Ngorongoro, across the vast expanse of the Rift Valley escarpments, and through to the green coffee plantations surrounding Arusha airport. On a clear day you will see amazing views of Mount Meru's dark profile rising up above the town, cloaked in wisps of cloud. The flight is an additional cost, please ask for details. If flying back, breakfast only will be included. If you drive back to Arusha, picnic lunch is included and you will arrive in the late afternoon. On arrival you will be taken to Arusha Hotel for an overnight stay on a bed and breakfast basis. Overnight: Arusha Hotel – (B) |
| Day 9: | Depart. Early morning transfer from your hotel to Kilimanjaro Airport. (B) |
how this holiday makes a difference
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On all our small group safaris we use local guides/drivers/cooks and camp hands. This is beneficial to both you and the local community. The local guides have grown up in the area and know it better than anyone else thus giving you a better experience and the local community benefits by having regular employment.
Every year we choose a grassroots project to support, usually a conservation project where the Big Cats of the world benefit. For more information regarding these projects please get in touch with us and we would be more than happy to discuss these with you. This is a camping trip which means there is very little impact on the local environment. With 10 people per carbon emissions per tourist is less than that of a private safari. We aim to minimise our impact on the environment as much in the UK as we would do in any of our destination countries. We do this through recycling of any office waste including, paper, plastic, cans, glass, refuse, in partnership with the Borough of Hammersmith. The purpose of our safaris is to contribute to local populations, communities and projects. We give our travellers advice on how to interact with the local population, flora and fauna in order to minimise any negative impact. We advise people not to bargain just for the sake of it and because it is the “thing to do”; you should pay what you feel the object is worth to yourself and the vendor, bearing in mind local cultures, society and standard of living. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |