5-Day Mid Range Best of Tanzania

Day 1: Arusha Planet Lodge, Arusha

Arusha resting at the foot of Mount Meru, the sprawling city of Arusha is known as the safari capital of northern Tanzania. It serves as an excellent base from which to explore the remarkably scenic surrounding area which includes majestic Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as the Manyara, Tarangire and Ngorongoro National Parks. Arusha is a good spot to take a day or two off from the safari circuit as it features a temperate climate and lush surrounds. Visitors can look forward to exploring the wildlife-abundant Serengeti National Park; the magnificent Arusha National Park; and taking on the challenge of climbing Mount Meru, Africa’s fifth highest mountain.

Day Itinerary

You will be picked up from the airport by our 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.

Overnight: Arusha Planet Lodge

Nestled in the heart of Arusha, Planet Lodge will captivate you with the natural beauty of the Tanzanian landscape. Each chalet is tastefully decorated with African decor creating a peaceful immersion in the colors and culture of Africa. Distinctive guest rooms feature oversize panoramic windows to allow the Tanzanian sunshine to greet you each morning.

Gust chalets are powered by solar and grid electricity, keyed entry, beautiful artisan bedding and spacious mosquito net. Room amenities include a laptop size safe, a desk & chair, telephone, private bathroom with solar powered shower and balcony to unwind or wake up to singing birds. Our friendly housekeepers and room service staff keep your room tidy and stocked with fresh linens daily.

Basis

Bed and Breakfast

Day 2: Eileen's Tree Inn, Karatu

Karatu travellers heading for the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater will pass through the town of Karatu in the green hills of Tanzania’s northern highlands. Presided over by the towering Ol Deani Volcano, this small, colourful town serves as a popular overnight stop for visitors exploring the area’s many game parks. The town offers a variety of activities including browsing the bustling marketplace, sampling beer at a local brewery, visiting a traditional homestead, or taking a guided walk through the Ngorongoro Forest in search of waterfalls and caves. Whether you are looking for cultural tours, hiking and biking opportunities, a chance to enjoy an authentic rural Tanzania experience, or simply a break between safari game drives, this underrated town has plenty to offer.

Day Itinerary

Your guide will collect you from your accommodation after breakfast. You will then drive to Tarangire National Park. This transit drive is approximately two and a half hours on good tarmac roads. The Park is named after the Tarangire River which runs through it. This ‘river of warthogs’ is the only source of water for wildlife in the region during the dry season. The Park is well known for its elephant families, which can often be seen congregating by the river. You may also see giraffe, bushbuck, and hartebeest. These animals are closely followed by a range of predators, including lions and leopards. There are more breeding species of birds found in Tarangire than anywhere else on the planet! The huge and ancient Baobab trees can be seen here. Some of them are said to have lived for more than a thousand years.

Lunch will be at a picnic site inside the Park. After your game drive, you will transit to your accommodation in Karatu.

Overnight: Eileen's Tree Inn

Eileen's Tree Inn is idyllically set in the Crater Highlands town of Karatu and is an ideal option for lesiure travellers. The guestrooms are surrounded by beautiful tropical gardens and feature modern conveniences such as mosquito nets, writing desks and private verandas. Guests can make use of the cosy lounge area, relax with a drink at the bar or enjoy a delicious meal at the dining room.

Basis

Full Board - Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch

Day 3: Embalakai Camp, Seronera

Seronera the Seronera region, in the central Serengeti, is set directly on the Great Migration route and offers excellent viewing of this incredible annual phenomenon, when countless wildebeest flood the area and move across the plains. While migratory game populations fluctuate seasonally, Seronera is still a wildlife hotspot at other times of the year, sheltering the Big Five, among many other species. A number of small campsites provide accommodation and visitors can enjoy hot air balloon trips and walking safaris as well as guided game drives.

Day Itinerary

After breakfast, you will drive up into the cooler regions of Ngorongoro Conservation Area. When you first see Ngorongoro Crater, it looks like a forgotten world. Concealed by the steep volcanic walls is a pristine wilderness including sweeping savannah, pockets of acacia woodland, and glistening lakes and swamps. The Crater was created when a large volcano exploded and collapsed in on itself two to three million years ago and it covers an area of 260 km². The Crater is famous for both its geological delights and for being a natural reserve that is home to some of the densest large mammal populations in the whole of the African continent. After you descend into the Crater, you quickly find yourself amongst large numbers of wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, and more than 500 bird species. The Crater provides you with the best chance of seeing the endangered black rhino.

You will then transit through Ngorongoro Conservation Area, to the Serengeti, entering at the South of the Park.

Overnight: Embalakai Camp

Embalakai is intimately set in the heart of the Serengeti, allowing guests to take a break from the crazy busy, fast-paced world out there. The greatest Luxury comes from being able to truly connect with nature, the heart of our very existence. Embalakai Camp offers the opportunity to hit the pause button on the regular daily grind giving guests the priceless gift of time, taking a moment to relax on the deck or by the campfire under the Serengeti dark velvet night sky, looking up at the millions of stars overhead in the pure unfiltered wilderness. There is no greater feeling than ‘letting go’ and embracing the beauty of present moment life, living on natures clock where time is determined by the sunrise and sunset, allowing the day's events in between to unfold in their own magical and furtive ways.

Basis

Full Board - Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch

Day 4: Eileen's Tree Inn, Karatu

Karatu As previously described

Day Itinerary

The Serengeti is truly spectacular. It is famous for its vast open grasslands which allow for excellent sightings of wildlife. The Serengeti's climate and vegetation have remained largely untouched for millions of years. Whilst it boasts abundant wildlife, it is perhaps best known for the annual Great Migration. Vast numbers of wildebeest; accompanied by large numbers of zebra and antelope 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! The question should really be about the 'best places' to see the animals during a certain time of year. In addition to the iconic landscapes, you have a good chance of encountering predators and you may see lion, cheetah and leopard. It is a truly life-changing experience.

In the afternoon, you will start your journey back to Karatu, hopefully enjoying more wonder on the way!

Overnight: Eileen's Tree Inn

Eileen's Tree Inn is idyllically set in the Crater Highlands town of Karatu and is an ideal option for lesiure travellers. The guestrooms are surrounded by beautiful tropical gardens and feature modern conveniences such as mosquito nets, writing desks and private verandas. Guests can make use of the cosy lounge area, relax with a drink at the bar or enjoy a delicious meal at the dining room.

Basis

Full Board - Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch

Day 5: End of Itinerary

Day Itinerary

After breakfast, you will drive to Lake Manyara National Park, 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 baboon and elephant in the park’s thick evergreen forest, and watch for the tree-climbing lions that have become famous throughout Africa.

Picnic lunch in the park. After your game drive, you will say farewell to your Guide and will be dropped off at a place of your choosing e.g. Arusha, Kilimanjaro Airport or Arusha Airport.

Basis

Bed and Breakfast

Included

• Park fees(For non-residents)
• All activities(Unless labeled as optional)
• All accommodation(Unless listed as upgrade)
• A professional driver/guide
• All transportation(Unless labeled as optional)
• All Taxes/VAT
• Roundtrip airport transfer
• Meals(As specified in the day-by-day section)
• Drinks(As specified in the day-by-day section)

Excluded

• International flights(From/to home)
• Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
• Tips(Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
• Personal items(Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
• Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
• Some meals(As specified in the day-by-day section)