Tanzanian Northern Game Parks Camping Safari

Your Safari will start of in Arusha, the gateway to Tanzania's Northern Game Parks.

 Our first stop will be Lake Manyara National Park, home to some of the most spectacular displays of birdlife in Tanzania. From Lake Manyara our journey will take us onwards to Tanzania's best known Park - The Serengeti. If you time your Safari right, and if you are lucky, you will be witness to the Wildebeest Migration,  a wildlife display like no other on Earth.

From the Serengeti we head to the Olduvai Gorge where some of the oldest fossils in the world have been found, including several linked to the origin of mankind. We make our way to the Ngorongoro Crater or Tanzania's "Garden of Eden", where we will encounter a concentration of wildlife that is simply breathtaking.

We then head back towards our end destination, Arusha via Tarangire National Park to view the game that might have eluded us thus far.

Our Safari finishes on arrival in Arusha.

Day 1 - Lake Manyara

Pickup from your hotel in Arusha at 9.30 a.m. and drive to Lake Manyara followed by lunch at the campsite and an afternoon game drive.

The Lake Manyara National park is serene and beautiful with main attractions of a rich bird life, tree-climbing lions, its elephants and hippos, which you can see at closer range than most other places. Lake Manyara is an alkaline lake and at certain times of the year hosts thousands of flamingos and a diversity of other bird life. Although it is one of the smallest parks, its vegetation is so diverse enabling it to host a variety of wildlife habitats.

Day 2 - Serengeti

After breakfast, we drive to the Serengeti National Park viewing game enroute, dinner and overnight at Seronera campsite. The following day is spent leisurely viewing game. Dinner and overnight at Seronera campsite situated in the centre of the park.

The great Serengeti is Africa's most famous and Tanzania's largest park covering 14,736 sq km and adjoins with the Masai Mara National reserve in Kenya. You can visit the park all year round but there is less game in the park during the dry season - July /October, where they migrate to Kenya's Masai Mara. During March to May the herds move in search of grazing to the southern section and in May to June, they move towards the western corridor of the park. Serengeti in the low season still offers game viewing to match that of any park in Africa, and for some, the fewer tourist numbers may be an added bonus.

Day 3 - Serengeti

Spend the day game viewing in the Serengeti with a break for lunch at the campsite. Dinner and overnight at Seronera campsite.

With a wildebeest population of about 2 million and several other hoofed species (which include: zebra, Thomson's gazelle, impala, topi, Grants gazelle, Kongoni, Eland, Kirk's dik dik, klipspringer, roan, Oryx, oribi, waterbuck, buffalo, giraffe and warthog), the park attracts a variety of carnivores such as lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, golden jackals and bat eared foxes. Elephants are relatively scarce and the few remaining black rhinoceros are restricted to the Moru Koppies area.

Serengeti also offers rewarding bird viewing with ostrich and kori bustard being common, a variety of larks, finches, and raptors can be seen but the most distinctive small bird is the lilac breasted roller. Others include the Fischer's lovebird, grey rumped spur fowl, and the rufous-tailed weaver.

Day 4 - Ngorongoro via Olduvai Gorge

After an early breakfast, we drive south to Ngorongoro crater via Olduvai Gorge whilst game watching only interrupted for a picnic lunch enroute. We stop and set camp at the Simba Campsite.

The Ngorongoro crater is the world's biggest whole volcanic caldera at 8300 sq km and is arguably the most stunning arena. It is frequently described as one of the wonders of the world, not only because of its geological magnificence, but also because it serves as an extraordinary natural sanctuary for some of Africa's largest populations of large mammals. Ngorongoro and other freestanding mountains are volcanic in origin, formed during the fracturing process that created the Rift valley 15 to 20 million years ago. When it peaked in size 3 million years ago it was a similar height to Mt. Kilimanjaro today!

The Olduvai Gorge cuts through rock beds layered in time sequence from 2 million years ago to the present. It is here where humanoid bones have been found dating back to over 1.75 million years including a direct ancestor of modern man. Fossil footprints (over three million years old) have also been found here and are the most ancient footprints yet discovered. There is an excellent site museum where you can explore the diggings with a guide and it is also a great place to view birds such as the purple grenadier, red and yellow barbet, speckle fronted weaver and slaty coloured boubou.

Day 5 - Tarangire

Morning crater tour and after lunch we proceed to Tarangire National Park. Dinner and overnight stay at the campsite.

Tarangire becomes most active during the dry season between July and November, when large herds of game attracted to the everlasting waters of the Tarangire River make this reserve every bit as appealing as the Serengeti. Tarangire is more densely vegetated than the Serengeti, covered primarily in acacia and mixed woodland including baobab trees and supports similar large mammals to the Serengeti. It is also home to a variety of bird species.

Day 6 - Arusha

After breakfast, early morning game drive followed by lunch at the campsite, then proceed to Arusha town for dinner and overnight at a hotel of your choice for an extra cost.