Recommended: 04 Nights
Arusha • Ngorongoro Crater • Serengeti
If you don’t have time for a long safari trip and just want a sampling of the very best of the African safari experience, this could be the trip for you. Over 5 days/4 nights, you will experience The Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Arusha National Park along with opportunities to immerse in rich ancient Tanzanian culture.
April is a transitional period between the green season and the beginning of the low season in Tanzania. There is always a chance of heavy rain around this time, but mainly only light showers can be found moving around the area. The landscape is lush and green and the air a bit sweet. We feel that this is a great time to be on safari in Tanzania – the weather can be ideal, wildlife concentrations are at their highest, and there are fewer jeeps full of travelers to compete to see animals.
With vast wilderness areas that teem with big game, interesting cultures, and some of the most iconic landscapes on the planet, northern Tanzania offers a safari experience like nowhere else.
*See sample itinerary below. We can tailor the experience to your preferences and duration. Let us plan the perfect luxurious Migration tour for you. Your unforgettable adventure awaits!
Situated in northeastern Tanzania, the Arusha National Park is set against the spectacular backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro. This 552 km² park is renowned for its other-worldly scenery and excellent choice of trekking possibilities. This beautiful area is divided into three parts: Mt. Meru, a spectacular volcanic cone; the Ngurdoto Crater, with its lost-world feel; and the multi-hued Momela Lakes. The park features a wide range of habitats that provide a home to an array of wildlife and plant species. Commonly spotted animals include Cape buffalo, giraffe, zebra, warthog, monkey, flamingo, lion, and elephant.
You will be thrilled to walk into the lush green oasis that is Rivertrees. Looking out toward Mt. Kilimanjaro, the inn is a charming country estate that was once an old coffee farm, and still retains the nostalgic air of a well-loved homestead. Sprawling ten acres of fertile greenery, the grounds are a natural extension of Mt Meru’s sloping foothills and offer a sanctuary for the birds and wildlife indigenous to the area. Elegantly rustic cottages are dotted along the river and in thickets of tall trees, while lush lawns and birdsong make for a peaceful and picturesque setting.
Surrounding the ancient volcanic caldera of the Ngorongoro Crater, this region is rich with unique wildlife habitats. This will also be a great opportunity to visit local tribes to experience ancient traditions still being practiced today.
Our first full day will be exploring inside the caldera with the possibility of seeing black rhinoceros, hippopotamuses, lions, gazelles, hyenas, flamingos, grey crowned cranes, and many other species. This unique habitat is unlike any in Africa and has been designated UNESCO World Heritage Site status. A well-groomed network of roads crisscrosses the caldera allowing us to explore the multiple habitats inside the crater.
Day 2 we will focus on the rich cultural sites located in the region. Our morning will be spent with the Hadzabe tribe where we will have the opportunity to get an inside look at one of Africa’s last remaining nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes. Our focus will be education of a disappearing way of life, intimate tribal portrait photography, and the possibility of experiencing a hunt. After lunch, we will visit another tribe famous for jewelry making and crafts, the Datoga.
Tloma Lodge has been built on the foothills of the highlands of Ngorongoro, a small and exclusive lodge with 24 small cottages built in colonial style and 12 rooms overlooking the garden in the main building. The design of the entire complex looks to create an atmosphere evoking the colonial plantations and farms described in many books and films. The excellent location of Tloma on the top of a valley offers fantastic views over a coffee plantation and the walls of the Ngorongoro crater which can be enjoyed from the private terraces of the rooms. The gardens, full of flowers and bushes, are particularly attractive, although guests find it difficult to choose between a walk around the gardens or relax around the pool.
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 basic accommodation and visitors can enjoy hot air balloon trips and walking safaris as well as guided game drives.
This camp is strategically located to ensure that all areas of the Serengeti are within reach of our guests, including legendary locations like the famous Maasai kopjes, Seronera and the Grumeti River. It has been designed with a modern African decorative style that creates a fresh and bright atmosphere, but very cozy and with the right amount of luxury. Guests can attend to the show of the Great Migration from the comfort of their tents.
As you glide above the iconic landscapes of Tanzania aboard Coastal Aviation from Seronera to Kilimanjaro International Airport, take a moment to reflect on the unforgettable experiences of your safari. This tranquil flight offers a serene environment to revisit the magic captured in your photos and videos, providing a beautiful conclusion to your adventure amidst the natural splendor of the Serengeti.
