Kifaru Safari, Serena Lodges - Private Tour

Experience seven days of breathless safari adventure in northern Tanzania with this odyssey that explores three national parks and a conservation area. ‘Safari’ comes from the Swahili word for ‘journey’ and over the course of this unforgettable itinerary, you will undertake a journey like no other. You will discover some of the most dramatic landscapes in the world, come face to face with wildlife, and have memorable encounters with intriguing cultures.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Lake Manyara National Park: a lush habitat where tree-climbing lions, huge hippos, zebras and wildebeest herds can be seen. The shores of the lake, encrusted with pink flamingo, attract more than 400 species of birds. Large herds of buffalo, cheetah, giraffe and impala roam the lake shores and the forested valley slopes.

Serengeti National Park: Home to millions of wild animals and the famous location of the yearly wildebeest migration. The resident population of lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, and birds is also impressive. Its unique ecosystem has inspired writers such as Ernest Hemingway, filmmakers like Hugo von Lawick and Alan Root.

Ngorongoro Crater: the planet’s largest intact volcanic caldera is a world within a world in which humans and wildlife perfectly cohabit. Due to its size and diversity, the crater floor is comprised of several distinct areas, ranging from forest, swamps, lakes and springs, to open grassland and some sandy dunes. This area promises you a truly unique wildlife experience.

Day 1: ARRIVAL KILIMANJARO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - ARUSHA

Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where our representative will meet and greet you. Please note that check-in is from 02:00 pm, clients arriving in the middle of the night must book a pre-night, as waiting in the lobby is not permitted. Then, enjoy a comfortable transfer to Arusha's city centre, and the rest of the day at leisure. The hotel features a stone-built reception with an adjoining lounge, library, restaurant, boutique and business centre. Imposing in stature and spacious in concept, the design of the new building echoes the hotel's original incarnation as a working coffee farm dating back to colonial times.

Overnight in Arusha.

Day 2: ARUSHA – LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK (105 km – 1.5 hrs)

Morning at leisure with safari briefing followed by lunch. Afternoon join seat in vehicle safari and depart Arusha passing through the Masai Steppe filled with many picturesque African villages as well as maize, coffee and banana plantations. At the town of Makuyuni turn North West and continue the journey through a scenic escarpment that brings you to your lodge, perched on the edge of the Rift Valley with stunning views over the distant Lake Manyara. Enjoy dinner at the lodge. 

Overnight in Lake Manyara.

Day 3: LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK – SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK (245km – 5 hrs)

After breakfast, there is a game drive in Lake Manyara National Park that ends just before lunch. Indulge in a delicious meal at the camp and then leave Lake Manyara behind. The journey continues North West across the stunning hilly countryside of the highlands which is filled with wheat and coffee plantations, and then into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. From here lie the vast plains of the Serengeti, where you’ll hopefully start spotting game well before you get into the park. Arrive at the camp in the evening, have a tasty dinner and rest. As for wildlife, the Serengeti National Park offers not only all the members of ‘The Big Five' (elephant, rhino, lion, leopard and buffalo), but also the annual ‘migration' of over one million wildebeest and their attendant cast of predators.

Overnight in Serengeti.

Day 4: SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK (5-6 hrs on game drives)

Wake up to breakfast at the camp. The Serengeti is famed for being home to millions of animals and the annual Great Migration of wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles. Yet, the dramatic landscapes in which the wildlife prowls are themselves worthy of admiration. Riverine forests and woodlands, rocky outcrops called kopjes, and an imposing volcano are just some of the backdrops in which the animals can be spotted during the morning and afternoon game drives. With some luck, here you will see the Big Five and, with great luck, the harder-to-spot species grouped as the Little Five: the antlion, the rhino beetle, the elephant shrew, the buffalo weaver, and the leopard tortoise. Birds and reptiles are also plentiful in the Serengeti National Park. Enjoy lunch and dinner at the camp. 

Overnight in Serengeti.

Day 5: SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK – NGORONGORO CRATER (190km – 4 hrs)

After a tasty breakfast, you depart for Ngorongoro with viewing game across the vast Serengeti plains. Stop for a delectable picnic lunch and continue the journey to your lodge, set at the base of the conservation area in or near the village of Karatu. Finish your day with dinner at the lodge. Regularly voted one of the best hotels in the world, this unique lodge clings to the rim of the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater, the largest and most perfect volcanic crater on Earth. Long and low, the lodge is built from local river stone and camouflaged with indigenous vines. Designed to blend completely into the landscape, it is entirely invisible from the floor of the Crater 600 metres below.

Overnight in Ngorongoro.

Day 6: NGORONGORO CRATER (5-6 hrs on game drives)

A highlight is waiting for you this morning as you depart to explore what is commonly referred to as the World’s largest wildlife zoo. After breakfast, you descend with a picnic lunch through the early morning mists, going 2,000 feet into the crater. Ngorongoro Crater is the World’s largest intact volcanic caldera. Due to its size and diversity, the crater floor has several distinct areas, ranging from forest, swamps, lakes and springs, to open grassland and some beautiful sand dunes. It’s an unforgettable wildlife experience. The picnic lunch is served overlooking a small lake populated with hippos. You return to the lodge in the late afternoon and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure and dinner in the evening. 

Overnight in Ngorongoro.

Day 7: NGORONGORO CRATER – DEPARTURE KILIMANJARO (200km – 3.5 hrs)

Depart Ngorongoro Crater after a luscious breakfast heading towards Lake Manyara, Mto Wa Mbu village and Tarangire beyond. Through the highlands and the Karatu district, you’ll view the scenic wheat plains and coffee plantations, before journeying down the spectacular escarpment where you turn north on to the main Arusha – Dodoma road. Transfer to Arusha town centre, on arrival in Arusha lunch is provided followed by transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport to connect international departure flight. The earliest departure from Kilimanjaro International Airport on the last day of the safari should be after 04:00 pm.

Passengers should bring only soft-sided bags on safari. Passport/ identity card required for internal flights, for which baggage is limited to 15kg per person, including hand luggage. Excess baggage will be charged at check-in. Passengers arriving Tanzania may be asked to present a valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate. Travellers’ cheques are generally not accepted in east Africa. US banknotes cannot be older than 2004 and must have the most current security markings (large portrait of the president). Sun protection, sunglasses, a hat and mosquito repellent can be very useful during your stay.