Day 1: Arrive in Arusha
You can arrive anytime at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). The private transfer from the airport to the hotel in Arusha will be waiting for you at the airport. You will stay at Moivaro Lodge, which is beautifully located on the coffee farms and is a perfect place to prepare for your adventure. You will gather in the evening at 5:30 p.m. for a pre-safari briefing and an equipment check. You will have dinner and overnight at Moivaro Lodge, the lodge where you will stay in a charming atmosphere and enjoy every comfort you need.
Day 2: Lake Manyara National Park
Today, you will drive to Lake Manyara National Park for a full day game drive. This is one of Tanzania’s smaller parks but still offers a rewarding and diverse safari experience. The lakeshore at Manyara teems with birdlife and, while you are looking for the birds, you might spot one of the elusive tree-climbing lions. There are a surprising number of other large mammals and the striking cliffs on the rift escarpment form a dramatic backdrop. In the late afternoon, you will make a short journey from the park to the special wilderness lodge. You shall have dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Farm House on a full board basis.
Day 3: Serengeti wildebeest migration tracking
You will head toward the Serengeti National Park. En route, there is an opportunity to visit Olduvai Gorge. It is within this steep-sided ravine that Louis and Mary Leakey made some of the world’s most important archaeological discoveries in the 1950s. Here, in a small museum, you will be able to see evidence of the ancestors that have been dated back 2.5 million years. After lunch, you will drive into the Serengeti itself and the rest of the afternoon is spent game viewing in the vast plains that are broken only by stands of acacia trees and the occasional kopje.
In December, February, and March, you will normally meet the migration with large herds of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle. There are always plenty of resident animals, such as giraffe, buffalo, and elephant, and many large predators such as lion, cheetah, and leopard. You shall return to Kubwa Five Safaris’ special tented camp for the night. You will have dinner and overnight at Kati Kati Tented Camp on a full board basis.
Day 4: Serengeti wildebeest migration tracking
You will have another full day in this wonderful park, rising early to make the most of your time. The guides will choose the best spotting locations for the time of year. You can spend time at the Hippo Pool watching these majestic animals laze about in the cool water happily living alongside the crocodiles, watch a big pride of lions, be in the middle of the migration, sometimes surrounded by wildebeest, sometimes by zebras, which travel with the wildebeest.
You will journey from the wide open plains to the kopjes. These volcanic rocky outcrops provide protection and shelter for a wide variety of animals and from the top, you can look out across the vast grasslands of the Serengeti. This diverse and interesting landscape will provide you with the ultimate in game viewing.
Hopefully, you will see all of the plain games such as elephants, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, lions and if you are lucky the elusive leopard and cheetah, as well as huge amounts of interesting bird life, from the elegant secretary birds to the flightless ostrich. You shall return to Kubwa Five Safaris’ special tented camp for the night. You will have dinner and overnight at Kati Kati Tented Camp on a full board basis.
Day 5: Serengeti wildebeest migration tracking
After breakfast, you will take the packed lunch with you and proceed with the game drive in the Serengeti National Park. The migration can be seen on a long chain approximately 40 kilometers heading to the southwestern direction. Around 12:30 and 1 p.m., you will take a break for your lunch. After having lunch, you will proceed with your game viewing following the move of the migrants on the southwest of the park. Approximately 1.3 million wildebeest, 250,000 gazelles, and 200,000 zebras have been recorded sharing the short grass. You will have dinner and overnight at Kati Kati Tented Camp on a full board basis.
Day 6: Ndutu wildebeest migration tracking
After breakfast, you will start at 8:30 a.m. for a full day in Ndutu area. A striking characteristic of this area is the stunning acacia woodland which is immediately surrounded by the short grass plains. Within this wooded area is Lake Ndutu, one of the Rift Valley’s soda lakes. At the height of the wildebeest migration, and when heavy rains have fallen, often times, lines of wildebeest can be seen crossing the lake. Accompanying the wildebeest are large numbers of zebra and Thomson's gazelles.
Tanzania is spoilt because of the migration. No other African county has the game like it. In the dry season, the game around Ndutu is much like game viewing in any of the southern African countries. In some cases, it is still better and you can never take away the feeling of space and wonder that the Serengeti evokes. You will have dinner and overnight at Lake Masek Tented Camp on a full board basis.
Day 7: Game drive in Ngorongoro Crater
You will start the day with an early morning game drive before heading to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Ngorongoro is a special place because it is a conservation area, not a national park. This means that the whole area is managed for both the animals and the local Maasai people who graze their cattle alongside the indigenous wildlife.
During the drive in Ngorongoro, you have a chance to glimpse something of the Maasai way of life. After stopping at the entrance gate, when there is a chance to learn more about this fascinating volcanic landscape, you will drive around the rim of the crater itself and from here you can look down and see the herd of wildebeest or buffalos.
Finally, you will descend into the crater. The crater walls provide a natural sanctuary for the animals, which means there is plenty to see such as lions, elephants, buffalo, rhino, and leopard (if you are lucky). The only animal you won’t see in here is a giraffe, whose long legs are unable to cope with the steeps sides of the crater. In the late afternoon, you will travel just outside of the crater to the special tented camp. You will have dinner and overnight at Wild Tented Camp on a full board basis.
Day 8: Game drive in Tarangire National Park
Today, you shall drive to Tarangire National Park for excellent game viewing. Tarangire is a small park which offers some excellent sights. Generally, in the dry seasons, Tarangire comes alive as wildlife and birdlife congregate on the Tarangire River, which is a permanent source of water. You will spend the night in a lodge beautifully set inside the park with stunning views and a unique atmosphere. You shall have dinner and overnight at Tarangire Safari Lodge on a full board basis.
Day 9: Tarangire cultural experience tour
You will have a morning breakfast at Tarangire Safari Lodge and the rest of the day is free to relax and or explore the Maasai cultural experience. You will go on a walk to visit Datoga tribes. The Maasai lives in the areas as well as the Datoga. Learning about their history is as fascinating as the views are breathtaking from several hilltop peaks in the area. Dinner and overnight will be Tarangire Roika Tented Lodge on a full board basis.
Day 10: Tarangire to KIA Lodge
This lovely lodge is located near the airport and your accommodations will be in one of the 40 charming bungalows set among the gardens. The open-air bar has a magnificent view of Mount Kilimanjaro. Relax the remainder of the day by the pool, or soak in the view from your bungalow. A late dinner buffet for those flying in late is provided. Dinner and overnight will be at KIA Lodge on a half board basis.
Day 11: Departure Day
This is expected to be the last day of your safari and if you have a flight to your next destination, Kubwa Five Safaris will gladly transfer you to the airport at no additional costs. If you also wish to spend this day in Arusha, they can arrange that too. Breakfast and lunch are included.
Transportation
The transportation for this safari is a 4x4 Safari Land Cruiser / minivan (up to eight passengers) with pop-up tops and seven window seats for game viewing. Groups of twelve or more people who would like to travel in one vehicle are offered 25 to 28 seat coasters that have about 16 window seats. Kubwa Five Safaris' safari vehicles are well maintained to provide the maximum level of comfort and safety.
Drivers / guides
The success of your safari will largely depend on your driver / guide. Because of this, Kubwa Five Safaris has a great team of carefully selected well-trained drivers / guides.
