Witness the dawn of life on the Serengeti Plains  Miracle Of The Wildebeest Migration 14 Days in Northern Tanzania—Limited to 8 Participants - Diamond or Gold
Our vehicle is parked high on a hill overlooking the green Olkariani Plains on the eastern border of the mighty Serengeti. It is dawn and the morning sun is casting brilliant rays onto the valleys below. Several hundred thousand wildebeests are grazing on the nutritious short grasses while a long line of zebras are making their way to a nearby waterhole. We scan the hills for signs of quick movement — wild dogs are near! Our guide notices a female wildebeest lying in a green patch of taller grass. She is calving and it is the start of a frenzied 3-week period in which 90% of the newborns will enter our world! At first the young calf  struggles to stand and its mother is now on her feet looking frantic. She notices two hyenas trotting towards them with determined gaits. “Oh no”, says one of the ladies in our small group. Through the binoculars we silently urge the baby wildebeest to start moving.  Finally he makes it to his feet just as his mother starts to run. Then he takes off next to her at a rapid pace—running for his life after only 7 minutes!  For a moment the hyenas look surprised. They measure the distance to the mom and baby and one starts to run in their direction. We are now holding our collective breaths... Suddenly the second hyena discovers the discarded placenta and let’s out a loud “hoop” sound. The running hyena turns and decides to join the feast—one baby is safe but several other females are now lying down...		January—March is our favorite time in Northern Tanzania. This safari takes you to the origins of the Great Wildebeest Migration. We visit the great plains where the calves are born and gather strength before they begin their endless clockwise journey around the Serengeti eco-system. Our journey starts in the underrated Arusha National Park with stunning views of Kilimanjaro. Our uniquely decorated lodge at the edge of the park is the perfect place to relax after the long flight to East Africa. An optional canoe safari on the scenic lakes is included in your itinerary! Lake Manyara on the edge of the Rift Valley is our next stop. Tree-climbing lions are the big attraction here but big herds of elephant and steaming hot-water springs make this park a client-favorite! Your room is elevated — an exclusive  modern-day tree house! The Ngorongoro Crater needs no introduction! You spend two nights on the rim with spectacular views into the Crater. We include two visits to the crater floor! The Loliondo area has wild dogs, huge herds of calving wildebeests, many kinds of vultures and breathtaking scenery. Our camp here is spectacular in every sense! Finally, we visit Ndutu — known for its big cats! Lion, cheetah and leopard follow the wildebeests, gazelles and zebras to this area. Our luxury tented camp is located right in the middle of all this action! Expect a few noisy nights when the lion herds decide to hunt nearby!
ITINERARY - DIAMOND STYLE (see Gold below) USA / EUROPE: You are on the first leg of your journey to East Africa! Day 1—Kilimanjaro: Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport you will be transferred to Arusha National Park. You may even see a good selection of wildlife before arriving at your luxury lodge overlooking the northern edge of the park! The lodge offers extremely comfortably furnished rooms, each with an open fireplace and a spacious bathroom en suite.  It reflects the 60’s and 70’s - the time of the film "Hatari!" and the beginning of safaris in Tanzania. We arranged welcome drinks and light snacks. Overnight: Hatari Lodge. Day 2—Arusha National Park (BLD): A safari briefing is planned at 9am. Afterwards you visit this underrated and very scenic park for an extensive game drive and a picnic lunch. Arusha National Park is a relatively small park, covering an area of 137 square kilometers (52.9 square miles). The town and the Park derive their name from the Warusha people who traditionally lived in this area. We hope to see antelope of all sorts and buffalo, leopard, warthog, baboon, colobus monkey, giraffe, hippopotamus, etc. An exciting 2-hour canoe safari is included!  Overnight: Hatari Lodge. Day 3—Lake Manyara National Park (BLD): With delicious picnic lunches safely stored, we drive west to where the Great Rift Valley escarpment towers above the Maasai lands. We pass through bustling Arusha and the colorful curio markets of Mto wa Mbu before entering Lake Manyara NP. The park is one of the best places in East Africa for birdwatchers. It has nearly 400 species and the extraordinary diversity of birdlife draws birders from around the world. Our unique lodge is deep inside the park; the luxury rooms are tree houses cradled in the boughs of mahogany trees! Overnight: Tree Lodge. Day 4—Lake Manyara National Park (BLD): We depart after breakfast to explore the many interesting areas of the park, flanked by the 500 feet escarpment on the left and the lake on the right. It is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including leopard, buffalo and elephant. It is famous for its elusive tree-climbing lions and hot springs, reaching a temperature of 60ºC/140ºF - hot enough to cook an egg! Other wildlife includes Maasai giraffe, zebra, warthog, hippo, slender mongoose, blue monkey, honey badger, porcupine, hyena, wildebeest, Coke's hartebeest and impala. The park features the highest density of baboons anywhere in Africa— up to 200 members per troop! An exciting night-time game drive is included tonight. Overnight: Tree Lodge Day 5—Ngorongoro Conservation Area (BLD): Our westward journey starts with a 2-hour game drive north though Lake Manyara Park and continues on a nice tarmac road as we drive higher into the Highlands. The views are breathtaking; the soil is very fertile as is evident by the endless farmlands. Inside the NCA Gate, however, the road becomes very steep and curvy with dense jungle-like forest. The scenic overlook on the rim of the Crater will take your breath away. The crater spans over 100 square miles and is home to an astonishing variety of game. Our glamorous lodge has Maasai-inspired suites perched on stilts on the rim with wonderful views. This afternoon we visit the Crater floor for a game drive. Overnight: Crater Lodge. Day 6—Ngorongoro Conservation Area (BLD): We descend the steep crater wall early this  morning and spend half the day on grass plains that are teeming with animals. The crater is the largest unbroken ancient caldera in the world. Nearly three million years old, the once-volcanic Ngorongoro is considered “Africa’s Garden of Eden” – a haven for thousands of wild game, including lion, cheetah, hyena, huge bull elephants, wildebeests, zebras, elusive rhinos, Thomson’s gazelles, hippos, buffaloes and pink flamingos.   After a picnic lunch we exit the Crater by way of the northern access road to visit the unspoiled land and non-touristy Maasai villages. Here you have an option to hike to the beautiful waterfall at Olmoti Crater— one of the major water catchment areas for the Ngorongoro Crater. In total, you will hike about 2.75 miles (4.5km) and you  need about 2.5 hours to complete the trek at a leisurely pace. Overnight: Crater Lodge. Day 7—Loliondo Concession (BLD): Today is the start of our quest to find the big herds of migrating wildebeests! We drive north for several hours to the stunningly beautiful Gol Mountains where tens of thousands of wildebeests give birth in January/February each year. The Oldupai Gorge is where some of the earliest remains of our species were unearthed by the Leakey family and we stop for a short visit to the small but interesting museum. Once we cross the gorge valley there will be very few other vehicles. The Gol area of the NCA is wild and remote—it is one of the last undiscovered areas of the Northern Safari circuit. For a few hours at least we get a sense of what it was like to explore Africa at the turn of the century! We have fridges in our cars and the road is actually quite good so it is not a fair comparison! Our luxury tented camp is high on a hill with endless views of the magnificent countryside! If this is your first time in a luxury safari tent, be prepared for a very pleasant surprise!     Overnight: Suyan Tented Camp.  Day 8—Loliondo Concession (BLD): Very few tourists visit the Gol Mountain area—yet the rolling hills are often the background for some of the most memorable images ever filmed or photographed. The area is also home to the endangered Wild Dog which we hope to see during our game drives. Today we leave camp at sunrise with coffee/tea and cookies. Breakfast will be around 9am and then we have leisure time (for walking or resting) until about 4pm when we go on a afternoon game drive followed by sundowners on a hill to watch the sunset and a night time game drive back to camp! Overnight: Suyan Tented Camp.  Day 9—Loliondo Concession (BLD): Walking and educational visits to the non-touristy Maasai villages near our camp are very popular activities and you will have a chance to do both. We have several open safari vehicles available to us; it is possible to do all-day game drives if you want. But the highlight of each day is our search for the wild dogs—they often hunt at sunrise and sunset. Parking on a hill surrounded by wildebeests while scanning the valleys for packs of wild dogs is a thrilling experience! When they start to run we have to rush down the hill to keep up and then it is a bumpy ride to get close enough for pictures!  Overnight: Suyan Tented Camp.  Day 10—Ndutu and Southern Serengeti (BLD): “Serengeti” means “endless plains” and today we drive south following its eastern border all the way to the Ndutu area! You will be amazed by the vast expanse of the Serengeti and we  drive past a few kopjes that will bring back memories of “The Lion King”! After a couple of hours we reach the main road from Ngorongoro to the Serengeti and then it is a 30-minute drive south to Ndutu. Our mobile camp near the lake at Ndutu follows the herds year-round, but you will never know it! Flushing toilets, en-suite showers, sumptuous cuisine served on fine china—you will love the intimacy of our camp and the nightly camp fire! Overnight: Serengeti Under Canvas. Day 11—Ndutu and Southern Serengeti (BLD): Sprawling with hyena, several cheetah families, prides of lions and countless plains game, the Ndutu area is hands-down the best wildlife spot  in East Africa this month! Today we explore the areas in the vicinity of our camp and the nearby swamps where cheetahs hunt the many Thomson Gazelles!  Off-road driving is allowed in this area and this allows us to steer clear of other vehicles to find our own exciting wildlife moments without interruption. We always pack a picnic lunch—one never knows what may unfold and then we do not have to rush back to camp for lunch! Tonight we fall asleep with lions roaring nearby! Overnight: Serengeti Under Canvas. Day 12—Ndutu and Southern Serengeti (BLD): The Ndutu area consist of the Serengeti to the north and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in the south. Unlike most outfitters we pay in advance to traverse both areas, allowing us to find the migrating wildebeests regardless of their location! Today we pack a picnic basket and go in search of the big herds—a magnificent drive across the enormous plains of the Serengeti and southern NCA. It is this liberating sense of space that characterizes the Serengeti Plains, stretching across sun burnt savannah to a shimmering golden horizon at the end of the earth. Yet, after the rains, this golden expanse of grass is transformed into an endless green carpet flecked with wildflowers. Overnight: Serengeti Under Canvas. Day 13—Ndutu and Southern Serengeti (BLD): We call this “Big Cat Day”! Have your cameras ready as we circle the Ndutu lakes and swamps looking for leopard, cheetah and lion! But be prepared for many delightful wildlife surprises—the Ndutu area never disappoints! It is one of few areas where one can watch the cheetah hunt! And the male lions here are beautiful. The soda lakes create special photography opportunities because of the flat shores and beautiful reflections in the calm water.  Overnight: Serengeti Under Canvas. Day 14—Kilimanjaro Airport & flight (BL): This morning is at leisure before we transfer you to the airstrip. Sadly it is time to say goodbye to your Kiliwarrior guide. If you booked a safari extension, you fly to your next destination where new adventures await! Otherwise, you have a very scenic 90 minute flight over the Ngorongoro Crater to Kilimanjaro Airport where you have a dayroom (5 minutes from Kilimanjaro Airport) to freshen up and pack. Dayroom: Kia Lodge.  EUROPE / USA / Others: You arrive home with lifelong memories of your safari!
ITINERARY - GOLD STYLE USA / EUROPE: You are on the first leg of your journey to East Africa! Day 1—Kilimanjaro / Arusha: Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport you will be transferred to the outskirts of Arusha and not far from Arusha National Park. It will take about 40 minutes on a good tarmac road. Combining old world ambiance, African country elegance, excellent farm cuisine, personal service and a genuine warmth from your hosts - Rivertrees is simply a magical place to stay. We arranged welcome drinks and light snacks. Overnight: Rivertrees Country Inn. Day 2—Arusha National Park (BLD): A safari briefing is planned at 9am. Afterwards you visit this underrated and very scenic park for an extensive game drive and a picnic lunch. Arusha National Park is a relatively small park, covering an area of 137 square kilometers (52.9 square miles). The town and the Park derive their name from the Warusha people who traditionally lived in this area. We hope to see antelope of all sorts and buffalo, leopard, warthog, baboon, colobus monkey, giraffe, hippopotamus, etc. An exciting 2-hour canoe safari is included!  Overnight: Rivertrees Country Inn. Day 3—Lake Manyara National Park (BLD): With delicious picnic lunches safely stored, we drive west to where the Great Rift Valley escarpment towers above the Maasai lands. We pass through bustling Arusha and the colorful curio markets of Mto wa Mbu before entering Lake Manyara NP. The park is one of the best places in East Africa for birdwatchers. It has nearly 400 species and the extraordinary diversity of birdlife draws birders from around the world. Our unique tented lodge is set high on the edge of the Great Rift Valley, enjoying a marvelous, uplifting and panoramic view eastward over Lake Manyara, the Rift floor and Mt. Losimingori. Overnight: Kirurumu Tented Lodge. Day 4—Lake Eyasi (BLD): We depart after breakfast to explore the many interesting areas of the park, flanked by the 500 feet escarpment on the left and the lake on the right. It is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including leopard, buffalo and elephant. It is famous for its elusive tree-climbing lions and hot springs, reaching a temperature of 60ºC/140ºF - hot enough to cook an egg! Other wildlife includes Maasai giraffe, zebra, warthog, hippo, slender mongoose, blue monkey, honey badger, porcupine, hyena, wildebeest, Coke's hartebeest and impala. Then we drive east on rather bad roads to Lake Eyasi, a salt lake situated between the Rift Valley’s Eyasi escarpment and the Kidero Mountains, home to the Hadzabe bushmen, some of the last remaining hunter-gatherers on the continent.  Overnight: Kisima Ngeda Tented Camp Day 5—Ngorongoro Conservation Area (BLD): The Hadzabe have inhabited the acacia forests and scrubland around Eyasi for over 10,000 years and we will visit them for about 4 hours this morning. Then we return to the westward tarmac road and drive higher into the Ngorongoro Highlands. The views are breathtaking; the soil is very fertile as is evident by the endless farmlands. Inside the NCA Gate, however, the road becomes very steep and curvy with dense jungle-like forest. The scenic overlook on the rim of the Crater will take your breath away. The crater spans over 100 square miles and is home to an astonishing variety of game. This afternoon we visit the Crater floor for a game drive. Our intimate camp on the rim of the crater offers luxury accommodation under canvas in large spacious tents with wooden platforms and rugs.  Overnight: Lemala Tented Camp. Day 6—Ngorongoro Conservation Area (BLD): We descend the steep crater wall early this  morning and spend half the day on grass plains that are teeming with animals. The crater is the largest unbroken ancient caldera in the world. Nearly three million years old, the once-volcanic Ngorongoro is considered “Africa’s Garden of Eden” – a haven for thousands of wild game, including lion, cheetah, hyena, huge bull elephants, wildebeests, zebras, elusive rhinos, Thomson’s gazelles, hippos, buffaloes and pink flamingos.   After a picnic lunch we exit the Crater by way of the northern access road to visit the unspoiled land and non-touristy Maasai villages. Here you have an option to hike to the beautiful waterfall at Olmoti Crater— one of the major water catchment areas for the Ngorongoro Crater. In total, you will hike about 2.75 miles (4.5km) and you  need about 2.5 hours to complete the trek at a leisurely pace. Overnight: Lemala Tented Camp. Day 7—Loliondo Concession (BLD): Today is the start of our quest to find the big herds of migrating wildebeests! We drive north for several hours to the stunningly beautiful Gol Mountains where tens of thousands of wildebeests give birth in January/February each year. The Oldupai Gorge is where some of the earliest remains of our species were unearthed by the Leakey family and we stop for a short visit to the small but interesting museum. Once we cross the gorge valley there will be very few other vehicles. The Gol area of the NCA is wild and remote—it is one of the last undiscovered areas of the Northern Safari circuit. For a few hours at least we get a sense of what it was like to explore Africa at the turn of the century! We have fridges in our cars and the road is actually quite good so it is not a fair comparison! Our luxury tented camp is high on a hill with endless views of the magnificent countryside! If this is your first time in a luxury safari tent, be prepared for a very pleasant surprise!     Overnight: Suyan Tented Camp.  Day 8—Loliondo Concession (BLD): Very few tourists visit the Gol Mountain area—yet the rolling hills are often the background for some of the most memorable images ever filmed or photographed. The area is also home to the endangered Wild Dog which we hope to see during our game drives. Today we leave camp at sunrise with coffee/tea and cookies. Breakfast will be around 9am and then we have leisure time (for walking or resting) until about 4pm when we go on a afternoon game drive followed by sundowners on a hill to watch the sunset and a night time game drive back to camp! Overnight: Suyan Tented Camp.  Day 9—Loliondo Concession (BLD): Walking and educational visits to the non-touristy Maasai villages near our camp are very popular activities and you will have a chance to do both. We have several open safari vehicles available to us; it is possible to do all-day game drives if you want. But the highlight of each day is our search for the wild dogs—they often hunt at sunrise and sunset. Parking on a hill surrounded by wildebeests while scanning the valleys for packs of wild dogs is a thrilling experience! When they start to run we have to rush down the hill to keep up and then it is a bumpy ride to get close enough for pictures!  Overnight: Suyan Tented Camp.  Day 10—Ndutu and Southern Serengeti (BLD): “Serengeti” means “endless plains” and today we drive south following its eastern border all the way to the Ndutu area! You will be amazed by the vast expanse of the Serengeti and we  drive past a few kopjes that will bring back memories of “The Lion King”! After a couple of hours we reach the main road from Ngorongoro to the Serengeti and then it is a 30-minute drive south to Ndutu. Our mobile camp near the lake at Ndutu follows the herds year-round, but you will never know it! Flushing toilets, wood floors, en-suite showers, sumptuous cuisine served on fine china—you will love the intimacy of our camp and the nightly camp fire! Overnight: Lemala Tented Camp. Day 11—Ndutu and Southern Serengeti (BLD): Sprawling with hyena, several cheetah families, prides of lions and countless plains game, the Ndutu area is hands-down the best wildlife spot  in East Africa this month! Today we explore the areas in the vicinity of our camp and the nearby swamps where cheetahs hunt the many Thomson Gazelles!  Off-road driving is allowed in this area and this allows us to steer clear of other vehicles to find our own exciting wildlife moments without interruption. We always pack a picnic lunch—one never knows what may unfold and then we do not have to rush back to camp for lunch! Tonight we fall asleep with lions roaring nearby! Overnight: Lemala Tented Camp. Day 12—Ndutu and Southern Serengeti (BLD): The Ndutu area consist of the Serengeti to the north and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in the south. Unlike most outfitters we pay in advance to traverse both areas, allowing us to find the migrating wildebeests regardless of their location! Today we pack a picnic basket and go in search of the big herds—a magnificent drive across the enormous plains of the Serengeti and southern NCA. It is this liberating sense of space that characterizes the Serengeti Plains, stretching across sun burnt savannah to a shimmering golden horizon at the end of the earth. Yet, after the rains, this golden expanse of grass is transformed into an endless green carpet flecked with wildflowers. Overnight: Lemala Tented Camp. Day 13—Ndutu and Southern Serengeti (BLD): We call this “Big Cat Day”! Have your cameras ready as we circle the Ndutu lakes and swamps looking for leopard, cheetah and lion! But be prepared for many delightful wildlife surprises—the Ndutu area never disappoints! It is one of few areas where one can watch the cheetah hunt! And the male lions here are beautiful. The soda lakes create special photography opportunities because of the flat shores and beautiful reflections in the calm water.  Overnight: Lemala Tented Camp. Day 14—Kilimanjaro Airport (BL): This morning after breakfast we start our drive back to Kilimanjaro. Optional - Ndutu to Kilimanjaro flight is also available and recommended). If you booked a safari extension, you fly to your next destination where new adventures await! Otherwise, we drive for 6 hours with plenty of stops for last-minute shopping and for lunch. At Kilimanjaro Airport you have a dayroom (5 minutes from Kilimanjaro Airport) to freshen up and pack. Dayroom: Kia Lodge.  EUROPE / USA / Others: You arrive home with lifelong memories of your safari!