Day 1

Arusha to Lake Natron

Classified as a Ramsar site {Wetland of international importance}, Natron is an Alkaline lake home to endemic algae, invertebrates and birds. The lake is the only regular breeding area in East Africa for over 2.5 million Lesser flamingo whose status is “near threatened” due to their dependency on this destination. South of the lake Oldonyo Lengai {“The Mountain Of God” from Maa translation} stands tall at an elevation of 3188m. Oldonyo Lengai is unique among active volcanoes in that it produces natrocarbonatite lava, the spread of cabonatite ash over the grasslands leads to enriched and succulent pastures. Making this area significant to the Great Migration of thousands of wildebeests who breed and calve here.

Highlights;

• Drive 137km from Arusha to Lake Natron
• See the Great Rift Valley and game drive towards Lake Natron
• Visit Ewaso Ng’iro river and its hot springs
• Have lunch lakeside at Lake Natron Camp
• Game drive towards and around Oldonyo Lengai
• Visit rift valley escarpment, Embalulu crater and Leparakash plains
• Drive to Lake Natron Camp for overnight stay and dinner

 

Day 2

Lake Natron to Northern Serengeti

Completely remote and seldom used, the Loliondo route is part of a wildebeest migration route. And via Klein’s gate we venture into The Northern Serengeti, this region of the park – wedged between the Central Serengeti and Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve to the north – is remote and relatively inaccessible, which means it sees fewer visitors. Travelers who make it to this corner of the Serengeti will be rewarded with gorgeous landscapes of green rolling hills, granite outcrops and acacia woodlands dotting open savanna. During the Great Migration in June and July and again in September, October and November, massive herds of wildebeest and zebra make dangerous crossing of the croc-infested Mara River here. This sector of the park is also home to the greatest concentration of elephant in the Serengeti, as well as good numbers of lion, leopard, cheetah and hyena and diverse resident animals such as giraffe, topi, eland and hippo

 Highlights;

• Game drive 104km of Loliondo’s rough and remote Maasai territory and game controlled area
• Park fee and entrance into the Serengeti National Park and proceed with game drive
• Mara river
• Enjoy the wilderness isolation of this sector of the park
• Picnic lunch, game drive till late afternoon and enjoy the magnificent Serengeti sunset view
• Dinner and overnight stay at Kogatende or Lobo.
• Nocturnal sounds (lions, jackals and hyenas)

 

Day 3

Lobo Valley and Central Serengeti

The remote Lobo Valley is a particularly beautiful part of the park, encompassing open plains, rolling hills, dramatic kopjes and woodlands. It’s known for large elephant herds and the second largest lion pride in the Serengeti, and it’s not unusual to spot lion, leopard and cheetah on one game drive. The Lobo Valley is also home to year-round resident game such as giraffe, hartebeest, topi and buffalo, while the herds of the Great Migration pass through the valley in July and August moving north, and then return on their southwards journey between September and November.

Highlights;

• Early breakfast with a beautiful Serengeti sunrise view
• Walking safari towards the Mara river
• Game drive towards Lobo Valley
• Picnic lunch and game drive to Central Serengeti until late afternoon
• Enjoy the magnificent Serengeti sunset view
• Dinner and overnight stay at Seronera Acacia Lodge
• Nocturnal Sounds

 

Day 4

Central Serengeti

The most popular region in the park for its abundant wildlife, large numbers of big cats and quintessential Serengeti landscapes of acacia-studded savanna. Resident wildlife makes this part of the Serengeti a fantastic year-round destination. It’s at its peak when the herds of the Great Migration pass through the area during the months of April to June and October to December. In the south-central region lies the Seronera River Valley, one of the most popular areas in the entire park. Known as the Big Cat Capital of Africa, the Seronera is rich in lion, leopard and cheetah – and people often spot all three in one day of game drives. Other animals to spot in the area’s varied habitats of rivers, swamps, kopjes and grasslands include elephant, hippos and crocodiles in the rivers, buffaloes, impala, topi, jackals and bat-eared foxes.

Highlights;

• Early breakfast with a beautiful Serengeti sunrise view
• Game drive towards Seronera River Valley
• Spot all three big cats
• Game drive towards Ndutu region and Southern Serengeti
• Picnic lunch and game drive to Central Serengeti until late afternoon
• Enjoy the magnificent Serengeti sunset view
• Dinner and overnight stay at Seronera Acacia Lodge
• Nocturnal Sounds

 

Day 5

Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha

This is where vast herds of the Great Migration come to give birth in a 3-million-year-old collapsed volcano, Ngorongoro Crater – a UNESCO World Heritage site – is 600 meters deep, 20 kilometers wide and the largest unflooded, unbroken caldera in the world. It’s an extraordinary ecosystem where you can find the Big Five or even, if you’re lucky, the endangered black rhino on the Crater floor. The greater Ngorongoro Conservation Area conserves the fragile Ngorongoro Crater ecosystem and serves as an important space for the animals of the Great Migration to give birth at Lake Ndutu, which borders the southern Serengeti.

Highlights;

• Early breakfast with a beautiful Serengeti sunrise view
• Game drive towards Lake Ndutu
• Descend to the crater floor and proceed with game drive
• Spot the Big 5, if you’re lucky the Black Rhino
• Picnic lunch by the Hippo Pool
• Drive back to Arusha for dinner and overnight stay