Tanzania Essential Safari

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Kilimanjaro Airport - Mkomazi National Park

  

  After your first meeting with your driver-guide at the airport exit, you will take the road to reach Mkomazi National Park, which is very rarely visited. And yet, to start a safari, it is probably a very beautiful introduction. Once you arrive in the park, you will go on your first safari towards the tented camp that will warmly welcome you. Night at Mkomazi View Camp.

• day 2

  Mkomazi National Park

  

  Full day of safari and discovery of the rhino sanctuary, here is a program that will allow you to make great observations in a national park that was once a hunting reserve. This explains why, sometimes, the animals keep a certain distance. But rest assured, the large mammals, such as elephants and giraffes, will give you wonderful emotions as these will be the first animals of your safari. In Mkomazi, you will discover buffaloes, zebras, oryx, lesser kudus, dik-diks, and a multitude of birds of all sizes. The rhino sanctuary Accompanied by a specialized guide and aboard a 4x4 designed for off-road, you will meet some black rhinos from the sanctuary, whose mission is to protect these animals persecuted for their horn. You will probably meet Kisima, who became an orphan at the age of 3 months, then the male Jabu, or even Tunu and her daughter Waitara. This will be one of the highlights of your stay in Tanzania. Picnic lunch, dinner and overnight at Mkomazi View Camp.

• day 3

  Arusha National Park

  

  Early wake-up to leave Mkomazi after your breakfast. Head towards Arusha National Park, which is also generally left out of tourist circuits. And yet, you can discover wildlife there that you see little or not at all elsewhere. Moreover, the landscape is superb, especially with the view of Mount Meru, which peaks at 4,566 meters. Arusha National Park features sometimes dense vegetation where you can admire many species of trees, plants, flowers, and therefore birds and insects, including some truly beautiful butterflies. But here, the Momella lakes are home to many birds, including both species of flamingos (greater and lesser), sacred ibises, glossy ibises, African openbills, black-winged stilts, and many more... Among the primates, expect to meet the gaze of the blue monkey (diademed monkey) and the guereza colobus, even if the latter will remain indifferent to your presence! Finally, zebras, buffaloes, giraffes, and warthogs are the most common mammals. Picnic lunch, dinner and overnight at the African View Lodge, located a few minutes from the national park.

• day 4

  Arusha - Mto wa Mbu

  

  We invite you today to discover the small town of Mto wa Mbu. Here, the atmosphere is particularly warm, the people are smiling, and several activities can be organized. Among the must-sees is meeting the Makonde sculptors. Coming from Mozambique, these wood craftsmen make sculptures with very rudimentary hand tools. Then, we suggest you discover the Tingatinga painters, named after the Tanzanian artist who launched this artistic movement in 1968. At noon, you will have lunch at Mama Gift's, who will prepare you a typically Tanzanian meal. Dinner and overnight at the Fig Tree Hotel.

• day 5

  Manyara National Park

  

  You will spend the day in Manyara National Park, whose entrance is located near Mto wa Mbu. As you enter the park through a lush forest, you may have the chance to observe diademed monkeys and silvery-cheeked hornbills (birds). In addition to the elephants, which are common in this environment, groups of baboons made up of several dozen individuals will let you share a few moments of their daily life: grooming, feeding, resting, and sometimes a few internal rivalries. In recent years, the lake level has risen and the territory of some species has shrunk. Some animals have therefore left Manyara to join Tarangire. Nevertheless, there are still enough animals to satisfy safari enthusiasts. Among others, lions, which are sometimes found perched in a tree! It's not guaranteed, but it's entirely possible. In Manyara, bird diversity depends on the time of year. Hamerkop, jacana, blacksmith lapwing, crowned lapwing, squacco heron, slate egret, black-winged stilt, glossy ibis, sacred ibis, great white pelican, Egyptian goose, ruff... the list goes on! A few herbivores such as buffaloes also add to this festival. Picnic lunch. Dinner and overnight at Fig Tree Hotel.

• day 6

  Mto wa Mbu - Tarangire National Park

  

  Upon your arrival in the late morning, you will drop off your luggage at your accommodation and set off to discover the wildlife of this park, whose vegetation is often dominated by the many baobabs. You will slowly travel along the tracks in search of herds of elephants, giraffes, gazelles, antelopes, and predators. Bird enthusiasts will have plenty of opportunities to make beautiful observations with binoculars. Nature in Tarangire A landscape totally different from the other parks in the north, you will discover, on an extensive network of tracks, the many species inhabiting Tarangire, especially the elephants which can form groups of dozens of families, sometimes representing a gathering of more than 300 individuals. In the marsh areas, bird species are very numerous and will satisfy ornithologists, while abandoned termite mounds are often the refuge of dwarf mongooses and the lookout for red-headed barbets. Tarangire is also typical for its baobabs. Dinner and overnight at Tarangire View Camp.

• day 7

  Tarangire National Park

  

  After breakfast, you will set off for a full day safari with a picnic on board your 4x4. On the agenda: searching for elephants, lions, cheetahs, and leopards. As for elephants and baboons, their social life will allow you to witness sometimes astonishing scenes. Animal tracking Even though many animal species are easy to find, others require more attention and sometimes a bit of luck. This is the case for many carnivores. Lions, cheetahs, and leopards are often discreet. Discovering one of these big cats is always a moment of intense satisfaction, but sometimes we get information by meeting other 4x4s. In that case, we head to the area where they are present. It should be noted that we use the radio only when necessary and not to get the exact position of the animals. The incessant noise of radio communications quickly becomes unbearable and takes away all the charm of the safari. Dinner and overnight at Tarangire View Camp

• day 8

  Tarangire National Park

  

  For this second full day of safari in Tarangire, you will explore the area called the "little Serengeti." Here, herds of buffalo are common, with numbers sometimes exceeding a thousand individuals. It is also an area appreciated by ostriches. Further on, and depending on the season, the baobabs may be in bloom, in leaf, or completely bare. In any case, the presence of elephants next to these giant trees is a striking sight. Highlights of Tarangire • Elephant families • Several lion prides • Cheetahs regularly observed • Presence of leopards to spot in the trees • Large herds of buffalo • Birds with more than 550 species You will return to Tarangire View Camp at the very end of the day for dinner and a last night in the African savannah.

• day 9

  Tarangire - Arusha - Kilimanjaro Airport

  Departure in the early morning for Arusha where you will stop for lunch at the Tembo Club. Then, transfer to the airport in case of a flight at the end of the day.