Welcome to Tanzania! You will be picked up from the airport by a palahara wilderness company representative and driven to your accommodation in Arusha. Depending on your arrival time, you will hopefully have time to relax and prepare for the adventure of a lifetime! Busy Arusha is an essential part of safari life here in northern Tanzania and most travellers pass through at some stage.
Your Palahala Wilderness Tour guide will pick you up from your accommodation after breakfast. This morning, you will begin your journey to Tarangire National Park, with a smooth drive of about two and a half hours on well-maintained tarmac roads. The park takes its name from the Tarangire River, which cuts through its landscape. This lifeline — often called the “river of warthogs” — becomes the main water source for wildlife during the dry season. Tarangire is famous for its large elephant herds, frequently seen gathering along the riverbanks. You may also encounter giraffes, bushbucks, and hartebeests, often followed closely by predators such as lions and leopards. The park boasts the highest number of breeding bird species found anywhere on Earth. Towering ancient baobab trees dominate the scenery, with some believed to be over a thousand years old. You will enjoy lunch at a designated picnic area inside the park. After your game drive, you will continue on to your accommodation in Karatu.
After breakfast, you will drive up into the cooler regions of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. There will be a chance to stop and see the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater. You will then transit through Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the Serengeti, entering the south of the park. The Serengeti is truly spectacular. It is famous for its vast open grasslands which allow for excellent sightings of wildlife. Whilst it boasts abundant wildlife, it is perhaps best known for the annual Great Migration. Vast numbers of wildebeests, zebras and antelopes move in an annual pattern, constantly seeking fresh grazing. The migration can be found during any given month, you just need to know where to look!
This entire day is set aside for game drives in the Serengeti. The Serengeti boasts an abundance of wildlife such as impalas, buffalos, crocodiles, and hippos. In addition to the iconic landscapes, you have a good chance of encountering predators and you may see lions, cheetahs and leopards. Depending on the location of the Great Migration, you may venture away from the Central region to experience this natural wonder. It is a truly life-changing experience.
This is another day set aside for game drives in the Serengeti. It is possible to have a more relaxed pace, and do early morning and late afternoon game drives. You will be returning to your accommodation for lunch and some relaxation. Every day is different in the Serengeti and there is always plenty to explore.
Your final sunrise in the Serengeti! After breakfast, you will wind your way toward Ngorongoro Crater, hopefully enjoying more wonder on the way! Ngorongoro Crater is concealed by the steep volcanic walls and is a pristine wilderness including sweeping savannah, pockets of acacia woodland, glistening lakes and swamps. The crater was created when a large volcano exploded and collapsed in on itself two to three million years ago. The drive down into the crater is an adventure in itself. When you reach the crater floor, you'll quickly find yourself amongst large numbers of wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, and more than 500 bird species. The crater provides you with the best chance of seeing the endangered black rhinos, which can sometimes be spotted in the open grasslands. After a full afternoon inside the crater, you will drive to your accommodation in Karatu.
This morning, you will drive to Lake Manyara National Park. Your final destination on this epic safari! Manyara is a small but diverse park 120km west of Arusha. Everything you’ll see here is on a different scale. It is both compact (this is one of the narrowest parks in Africa) and epic (the Great Rift Escarpment towers over Lake Manyara’s western boundary). The park’s namesake is a shallow, salt lake. It covers a large area of the park, flooding and drying with the seasons and is home to thousands of wading birds (including flamingos and over 500 other bird species). You may see baboons and elephants in the park’s thick evergreen forest, and watch for the tree-climbing lions that have become famous throughout Africa. You will enjoy a picnic lunch inside the park. After your game drive, you will be dropped off at a place of your choosing such as Arusha, Kilimanjaro Airport or Arusha Airport. We hope you have enjoyed your adventure with palahara wilderness tours!
