TOURS

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Tanzania Tours

Tanzania Safari / 7-Days

SAFARI HIGHLIGHTS!!!

Experience the dramatic scenery of the Great Rift Valley, the scenic baobab trees of Tarangire and the Ngorongoro Highlands.

Enjoy a front row seat to one of the world’s greatest natural spectacles, the Great Wildebeest Migration!

Witness on the vast open plains of the Serengeti the sheer volume of wildebeest and zebra dotted as far as the eye can see across the plains.

Explore the unique terrain of the Ngorongoro Crater, dotted with wildlife.

Search for Big Cats in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater!

Enjoy excellent accommodation and safari guiding throughout.

Comfortable land cruisers with pop up roofs for better game viewing & guaranteed window seats.

UNLIMITED kilometers on game drives!

➤ YOUR SAFARI IN A GLANCE:

Day:	Itinerary overview &activities:	Accommodation:
Day 1	Flight from JNB to Kilimanjaro Airport Transfer to Arusha.	Forest Hill Lodge(Standard room) Lunch, Dinner & breakfast
Day 2	Arusha to Tarangire National Park Game drive in Tarangire National Park	Country Lodge Karatu(Standard room) Lunch, dinner & breakfast
Day 3	To Serengeti National Park Afternoon game drive in Serengeti *Optional: Visit Maasai Village (US$20.00 pp)	Into Wild Africa Safari Camp (Tent) Lunch, dinner &breakfast. Total: 3 nights
Day 4	Serengeti National Park Full-day Serengeti game drive *Optional: Balloon Safari (US$520.00 pp – our discounted price!)
Day 5	Serengeti National Park Full-day Serengeti game drive
Day 6	Serengeti National Park to Ngorongoro Crater Half-day game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater	Marera Valley Lodge(Standard room) Packed lunch, dinner & breakfast
Day 7	Transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport. En-route visit the African Art Gallery Flight to JNB	Picnic lunch

➤ VALID FOR TRAVEL:

November 2024

➤ COST OVERVIEW:

	SHARING:	SINGLE:
TOTAL price per person:	R 61 000.00	R 64 000.00

➤ OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES:

Serengeti Balloon Safari: Please note: The cost of the balloon safari if pre-booked is US$520.00 pp (if you book directly with the balloon company on arrival the cost will be US$599.00).	R9880.00 pp
Maasai Village Payment must be made in cash in US Dollar to the village chief on arrival	US$ 20.00 pp

➤INCLUDED:

➤EXCLUDED:

Return economy airfares with Kenya Airways from Johannesburg to Kilimanjaro Airport Including airport taxes Airport transfers from Kilimanjaro Airport with English speaking driver/guide Accommodation& meals as confirmed above Stretched Land Cruiser safari vehicles (maximum 6 clients per vehicle)Roof pop tops for better photography and game viewing vantage points Mini fridge you can use to stock with drinks (for your account)Reference Books & Maps Bottled water in vehicles Game drives as per the itinerary.1x Ngorongoro Crater tour Unlimited kilometres on game drives during the safari Services of your professional and knowledgeable Tanzanian English-speaking driver/guide Tanzania National Park fees / crater / concession & conservancy fees. 24-hour support while you travel Travel information pack

Entry visa to Tanzania (SA passport DO NOT require a visa for Tanzania)Travel Insurance (Highly recommended)Meals and drinks not specified.Laundry servicesGratuities to the driver/guide, hotel staff & porters – our recommendations:Driver/guide – suggested at US$12 per person per day.Hotel staff – at your discretionPorters carrying suitcase/s – recommend US$1 per suitcase.Maasai Village visit fee.Balloon safariAll expenses of personal nature

PLEASE NOTE: Exchange rate used (bank selling rate):  R19.00 to US$1.00. As your package is partly in US Dollars, all prices are subject to change without prior notice due to possible currency fluctuations. Due to fluctuations in foreign exchange markets, we will use the exchange rate (bank selling rate) on the date of final payment to recalculate your tour price. Price quoted is based on an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) discounted price. For any other means of payment contact us for an updated price. Price quoted is per person sharing / single room. Prices are based on 12 or 16 to 18persons traveling& 1 tour leader. Flights quoted are current and subject to change due to availability and tax increases. We reserve the right to re-quote accordingly. PARK FEES: Park fees are valid per 24 hours – if you enter the park at a particular time, you need to exit at the same time.

➤ DETAILED ITINERARY:

DAY 0

JOHANNESBURG Check-in at the Kenya Airways check-in counter 3 hours before the scheduled departure time as your flight to Tanzania departs after midnight.

DAY 01:

JOHANNESBURG / KILIMANJARO AIRPORT / ARUSHA Distance to Arusha:  55 km Depart from Johannesburg on an overnight flight with Kenya Airways to Kilimanjaro Airport (departing at 01h15, arriving at 09h50).  You will, therefore, touch down in Nairobi and board another flight to Tanzania. Our friendly safari team will welcome you at Kilimanjaro Airport, and they will transfer you to Arusha. Arusha is the hub of Tanzania’s legendary Northern safari circuit and home to Mt Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Parks. Arusha is also one of the major coffee-growing regions in Tanzania. Stay: Forest Hill Lodge (Standard room) Meals: Lunch, dinner & breakfast

DAY 02:

ARUSHA / TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK Estimate diving time to the park:  2 hours After breakfast, we meet our guide for a short briefing.  We head off to Tarangire National Park, known as the land of giants – elephants and baobab trees. En-route stop at a supermarket near Arusha for last-minute shopping (buy drinks to enjoy in your vehicles while on safari – remember we have mini-fridges in our vehicles to keep your drinks cold).We’ll leave Arusha behind and drive to Tarangire National Park for game drive in the park. The landscape is iconically African with open Acacia woodlands and Baobab trees scattered all over the area. It has the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem. Late afternoon we travel towards the local town of MtoWa Mbu (Maasai for Mosquito Village – the only place in Tanzania which represents all tribes – 120 ethnic groups). Bananas are the main export in the area, and there are over thirty species of banana in the village, including a red banana which we recommend you give a try!  We continue to drive up the Rift Valley escarpment to our lodge. Stay: Country Lodge Karatu (Standard room) Meals: Picnic lunch, dinner & breakfast

Tarangire is a long, thin park covering 1,360 sq. km, roughly running north south along the line of the Tarangire River.  It is made up chiefly of low-lying, rolling hills on the Rift floor, its natural vegetation of acacia woodland and giant baobabs only altered by huge areas of swamp. The swamps of black cotton mud produce rich grasslands, while the watercourses are lined by huge trees, including sycamore fig, tamarind, and sausage trees.

DAY 03:

KARATU AREA / SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK Distance between the parks:  205 km Our journey continues towards the misty Ngorongoro highlands, passing on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater where we will stop for your first spectacular view of the Crater.  The Ngorongoro Crater and surrounding highlands together form one of Africa’s most beautiful regions.  En-route you can opt to visit a Maasai Village near Ngorongoro Crater. (The Maasai charge US$20 per person – for your account). After bidding the Maasai farewell, our adventure now takes us to the Central Serengeti where we enjoy the afternoon with game viewing.  The Central area encompasses the world-famous Seronera Valley, which is known for its prime wildlife-viewing opportunities.  You can visualise the meaning of the word ‘Serengeti’ at this point – which means the ‘endless plains’ in Maasai. The Serengeti is renowned for its incredible concentrations of predators and the Great Migration of more than 1,5 million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebras. Stay: Into Wild Africa Safari Camp (Tent) Meals: Lunch, dinner & breakfast

The Serengeti’s endless plains is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is patrolled by Africa’s big cats, elephants, buffaloes, gazelles and giraffes and is perhaps most famous for the migration of animals. The principal players are the wildebeest, whose numbers appear to have increased to about 2 million. In addition, about 250,000 zebras make the seasonal journey to fresh pastures, first to the north, then the south after the rains. Their ancient instinct to move is so strong that no drought, gorge, or crocodile-infested river can hold them back. In February the wildebeest cows drop their young in a synchronized birthing that sees some 300 000 to 400 000 calves born within two to three weeks. Bird watching in the Serengeti is good all year round.

DAY 04:

SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK Optional Activity: Balloon Safari For a once in a lifetime experience, we highly recommend an early morning hot air balloon safaris (will be for your account) – a unique ‘bird’s eye’ game viewing experience, before landing in the beautiful wilderness and enjoying a full bush-style breakfast, complete with fresh coffee, tea, fruits, and champagne. Or enjoy a full day game drive to explore more of what the Serengeti offers and to enjoy the greatest safari spectacle in the world – the great wildebeest migration as massive herds of wildebeest call the Central Serengeti home during this time of the year. Stay: Into Wild Africa Safari Camp (Tent) Meals: Lunch, dinner & breakfast

DAY 05:

SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK Enjoy your second full day in the Serengeti with game drives. You can do a game drive from sunrise to sunset, taking a picnic lunch, or choose to explore more leisurely, coming back to the camp for lunch and do a morning and afternoon game drive.  Few lifetime experiences can beat that of watching more than 1,5 million wildebeest plus hundreds of thousands of zebras – followed by predators – embark on a 1000km long circular trek in search of seasonal pasture and water. Big cats take advantage of the elevated kopjes to scan their territories for prey and are often found in the area.  Stay: Into Wild Africa Safari Camp (Tent) Meals: Lunch, dinner & breakfast

DAY 06:

SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK / NGORONGORO CRATER   Distance between the parks:  145 km   An early morning start is required today as we bit the Serengeti farewell and drive to Ngorongoro Crater to enjoy an extended game drive along the crater floor (referred to as the Garden of Eden).  The crater floor is comprised of several distinct areas, ranging from forest, swamps, lakes, and springs to open grassland with fantastic wildlife. Witness an unforgettable spectacle of African wildlife – a world teeming with animals. The park sustains a vast variety of animals, including the black rhino, with its year-round water supply and fodder.  Another big drawcard to this picturesque park is its dense population of predators, which includes lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, and the ever-elusive leopard. A drive through the forest will allow you to feast your eyes on some of the most spectacular green vegetation you will ever see.  Late afternoon drive to the access point followed by a short drive to your lodge.   Stay: Marera Valley Lodge (Standard room) Meals: Lunch, dinner & breakfast

The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest unbroken volcanic caldera and is regarded as the 8th wonder of the world. It is one of the most diverse and fascinating areas of Tanzania and has been given the status of a World heritage site and International Biosphere Reserve. The fertile slopes and steep forest-covered walls are home to approximately 30,000 animals including the rare black rhino. The various ecosystems found within the 260 square kilometre crater floor sustain Cape buffalo, elephants, wildebeest, zebras, elands, gazelles, hippos, numerous bird species as well as a high concentration of predators. Although birdlife is generally good throughout the year, from November to April, migratory birds from Europe and Northern Africa are present and many resident birds are in breeding plumage.

DAY 07:

NGORONGORO / KILIMANJARO AIRPORT / JOHANNESBURG Distance to the airport: 245 km   Today we take it a little bit easier after a packed safari filled with endless memories and sightings.  We enjoy a leisure breakfast with some great Kilimanjaro coffee before driving back to Arusha where we stop at the Cultural Heritage Centre (for shopping of Tanzania art, memorabilia, and Tanzanite’s), and enjoy our picnic lunch(included). Transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport for your onward Kenya Airways flight home (departing at 18h30 Tanzanian time, arriving at 00h15 South African time).

➤ WILDEBEEST MIGRATION:

The extraordinary annual trek that wildebeest and other grazing herbivores embark on across the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is one of the greatest spectacles in the natural world. Over two million herbivores partake in this journey, with about 200 000 zebras and 500 000 Thomson’s gazelles behind the main players… 1,9 million wildebeest! To be on an endless plain with thousands of animals galloping around you while the red dust of Africa hangs in the air is a dramatic experience you can only fully understand once you’ve been there yourself. It is the one thing that is much better in real life than on the big screen!

The migration is rarely precisely the same regarding timing and direction, as local conditions influence grass growth. So, the wildebeest might start moving off the open plains earlier in some years and remain in the northern woodlands for longer in others. But as our guides say: “we trust Serengeti!”

➤VISIT MAASAI VILLAGE: (Optional – US$20.00 pp)

The picture of a Maasai warrior – beautiful, long hair caked in ochre mud and his body adorned with many colourful beads, leaning on his spear while he surveys the surrounding savannah – is one of East Africa’s most recognisable images and the epitome of African dignity and tradition. The “Maasai Village visit” is an optional activity we offer en route to the Serengeti National Park.

We encourage clients to visit the Maasai Village or Manyatta if they are interested in Maasai culture and want to experience a way of life that has been unchanged for centuries. Visitors are always struck by the grace and beauty of the Maasai people and the colourful lifestyle they lead. It is advised not to take photos of Maasai along the road – visiting the Maasai Village allows you to take as many pictures as you like.

➤BALLOON SAFARI: (Optional – US$520.00 pp) Minimum age – 7 years

Probably the most beautiful balloon flight in the world and the Ultimate Safari Experience!!! At 4:45 am, Serengeti Balloon Safaris will collect you from your lodge/camp and transfer you with their vehicles to the launch site. Here you will meet your pilot, receive a briefing, and watch the inflation of your balloon. At dawn, take off, rising as the sun rises and float in whichever direction the morning winds take us. Your pilot can precisely control the altitude of your balloon, sometimes flying at treetop height, sometimes lower, offering a unique perspective and great photographic opportunities of the wildlife below. At other times he will ascend to 1,000 feet or more to provide you with an unspoiled view of the enormity and wonderful panorama of the Serengeti.   The flight takes about one hour, depending on wind conditions, and although you won’t want to, eventually, you will have to land. You celebrate traditionally with sparkling wine before sitting down to a full English breakfast prepared and served in the bush in ‘Out of Africa’ style with bone china, linen tablecloths, King’s silver, etc. After breakfast, you receive your Serengeti Balloon certificate before driving to a central meeting point, where you meet up with your guide to continue your day’s activities. 

It is important to book this for the experience and not for the wildebeest migration, as they are restricted to one area from where they can operate. If the migration is not in the area where the balloon operates, you will only see the general game and enjoy the experience.

➤ ACCOMMODATION:

FOREST HILL HOTEL(Arusha) – Midrange Forest Hill Hotel is in Kosongo, just 1.5 km from Arusha Airport.  The hotel is built between the natural vegetation associated with its riverine open woodland setting. The abundance of trees, plants and accompanying undergrowth sustain the many species of smaller mammals, reptiles and birds that reside around the property.

COUNTRY LODGE KARATU (Near Ngorongoro Crater) – Midrange Country Lodge Karatu embodies simple country comforts, providing pleasant and affordable lodging in the heart of Tanzania’s rich and scenic northern highlands and coffee estates. Karatu is the ideal stepping-stone to Ngorongoro Crater and beyond. This lodge sits within 5 lushly landscaped acres nestled on the edge of Karatu town, surrounded by rolling hills reaching up to the coffee growing area of Oldeani and the forest of Ngorongoro. Garden paths lead to 12 double cottages surrounded by green lawns, hedged by brightly flowered bougainvillea, tropical plants and trees.

INTO WILD AFRICA SAFARI CAMP (Central Serengeti) – Semi-Luxury Hidden deep in the central Serengeti ark, along the Nyabogati River, Into Wild Africa Tented Camp offers one of the best locations for a safari camp.  The river provides year-round water for the animals, the bush great protection and of course exciting action on the plain. You’re Into Wild Africa Safari Lodge experience will be like no other, you’ll be submerged in the wild for a truly unforgettable experiencein a nature inspired location!

MARERA VALLEY LODGE(Near Ngorongoro Crater) – Semi-Luxury Marera Valley Lodge is in the Karatu area with easy access to Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater. This elegant lodge has stellar views over the valley. The lodge is set in a lovely country setting with landscaped gardens. The spacious rooms are spread out around a large swimming pool and each cottage has a private deck, fireplace, and fantastic views. The central part of the lodge features the lounge, bar, and dining room.

➤ OUR SAFARI VEHICLES:

All our fleet of vehicles is almost new and average age less than 2 years old.  Each of our vehicles undergoes an extensive pre-safari inspection in our workshop to ensure the safety of our client.  The vehicles take up to 6 clients in 3 rows of seating (guaranteed window seat for all) with a pop-up roof, which can raise for wildlife viewing.  The Land Cruiser is equipped with reference books on African mammals and birds.  We offer unlimited kilometresto make sure you get the best game viewing opportunities while on safari.

➤ OUR TANZANIA SAFARI GUIDES:

Our safari guides are the ones who make the difference between a standard safari in East Africa and a once in a lifetime experience!  Our specialist safari guides are permanently employed and of the best caliber.  Their life spent in Africa has equipped them with immense knowledge of local conditions, customs and people.  They are naturalists who know and love the country and the wildlife.   Their benefit to the client regarding enjoyment and an intensified personal experience of their African journey will exceed their expectations.  Therefore, we choose our guides very carefully and believe we have an excellent team of safari guides to provide the superior quality service to our clients.

➤ TRAVEL INSURANCE (Optional – but highly recommended)

We STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you take out appropriate travel insurance to cover your travel arrangements (such as cancellation due to illness, accident or injury, personal accident and personal liability, loss of or damage to baggage and travel delays, etc.). It is your responsibility to ensure that you have valid travel insurance that covers and is appropriate for your needs. We will NOT BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE if you fail to take adequate insurance cover at all.

➤ PASSPORT & VISA:

Please note that anyone travelling abroad is obliged to have a valid passport with a minimum of six months validity from the date of return with at least 3 blank pages.

Most passport holders require a visa for Tanzania (SA passport holder DO NOT need a visa). Visas can be obtained from the Tanzania High Commission or online (https://visa.immigration.go.tz/).Remember that visa requirements can change with little or no notice.

Please note it’s your responsibility to obtain a visa.  We accept no liability for your failure to do so.

➤ CHILDREN TRAVELLING:

All children under 18 years need to present an unabridged birth certificate, as well as a valid passport when entering or departing South Africa. We urge you to familiarise yourself with this legislation, as we cannot be held responsible for any changes to or costs relating to your travel itinerary if you do not comply.   

➤ YELLOW FEVER & MALARIA:

Tanzania is a malaria risk area – please consult your physician/travel clinic before you travel to Tanzania for advice on precautions against malaria. You do NOT need a yellow fever vaccination to enter Tanzania, except if you travel through an endemic country (or been in transit for 12 hours or more in such a country) you required presenting a yellow fever vaccination certificate. We recommend that you check the latest health information before departure.

➤ EXTEND YOUR STAY:

With just a short flight away, Zanzibar is the perfect post-safari tonic. The beautiful island of Zanzibar is bursting with culture and history, seemingly at odds with its idyllic white-sand beaches with palms swaying lazily in the sea breeze. It makes Zanzibar a fabulous place to explore as well as a dream destination to relax and unwind in.

We recommend 3 to 4 nights add-on!

“eXplore Africa… our playground!