Pick up from your hotel in Arusha at 08.30am and drive on tarmac road 120km to Tarangire National Park (2,850 sq. km) for game drives. It’s the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem. The swamps, tinged green year round, are the focus for 550 bird varieties, the most breeding species in one habitat anywhere in the world. After lunch continue with afternoon game viewing in the park, a home to Lion, Leopard, and Elephant, buffalo, Python, Zebra, Oryx, Impala and more. On drier ground you find the Kori bustard, the heaviest flying bird; the stocking-thigh ostrich, the world’s largest bird; and small parties of ground hornbills blustering like turkeys. More ardent bird-lovers might keep an eye open for screeching flocks of the dazzlingly colorful yellow-collared lovebird, and the somewhat drabber Rufus-tailed weaver and ashy starling. Dinner and overnight at panorama campsite.

After breakfast you will leave Mto wa Mbu and drive through the cooler highland region towards the Serengeti National park. The world renowned Serengeti National Park, with its diverse landscape ranging from grass plains and dry savannah to marshy woodlands, is the stamping ground of many carnivorous predators and their prey. The park is home to the largest animal migration in the world and depending on the season you will be able to witness this spectacular event unfold. The herds of wildebeest and zebras journey in the short rainy
season of November and December from the hills in the north to the southern plains before returning to the north during the longer rainy season of April to June. The location of the migrating herds is dependent on the yearly rainfall, but your guide will know where the best vantage points for wildlife viewing are. The night will be spent on a campsite in the central Serengeti.

Wake up at 0600hrs for early morning game drives in Serengeti at 10:00 hrs. Head back to the campsite for breakfast. Here in the Serengeti region, you can often watch wildebeest and zebras next to lions and other big cats such as leopards and cheetahs. On the way, you can pass by the Olduvai Gorge where the English pair, Louis and Mary Leak pioneered excavation work. In the sixties, some of the earliest archaeological deposits of human evolution was found and a small museum documents these discoveries. You will check out and drive with lunch and game viewing en route to Ngorongoro Crater Rim. Elephants, like humans, enjoy clearly defined stages of their lives, each lasting for several years, even decades. Stages are characterized by structured roles and duties. These fascinating creatures continue to amaze researchers in terms of their insight and resourcefulness. Dinner and overnight will be at Ngorongoro Simba “A” campsite

Wake up early in the morning for breakfast and then at 0700 hours, drive to Ngorongoro Crater where you will descend into the Crater floor (19.2 km of diameter, 610m deep, 304 sq. km) for game drives. All the big five, rhino, lion, leopard, buffalo, and elephant, live in this wonderful caldera as well as many more mammals. Birds include flamingos on the Soda Lake, geese, storks, vultures, and more. Have a break for lunch at Ngoitoktok spring picnic site. Ngorongoro Crater is often called ‘Africa’s Eden’ the ‘8th Natural Wonder of the World’. It is a massive extinct volcano, with its towering tree lined walls dropping thousands of feet to a “Noah’s Ark” of animals on the verdant floor below. This breathtaking oasis provides a haven for both predator and prey to live among grasslands, fresh springs, and the large soda lake. After lunch, proceed with game viewing while ascending the Crater. Later drive to Arusha.