8-Day Mara River Wildebeest Migration and Lake Natron

This 8-day itinerary offers a rare opportunity to experience the best of our northern circuit safari, including a visit to the Big Five destinations in Tanzania (Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater) and some of the most well-known lakes on the circuit famed for their flamingo concentration. Give yourself full rein to your fantasy, and together, we’ll make it a reality. Join us for this amazing event by coming along. This journey is most enjoyable in July and August.

Day 1: Arrival

After arrival at the airport (Kilimanjaro / Arusha), your private driver guide will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to your accommodation for dinner and overnight awaiting for your safari departure on the following day.

Day 2: Arusha to Lake Manyara NP

You will leave for Lake Manyara National Park in the early morning after breakfast. This pristine paradise is well-known for its profusion of birds and lions that climb trees. The park’s western boundary is formed by the striking Rift Valley escarpment. The alkaline, small Lake Manyara is to the east. A sizable portion of the park is submerged under the lake, which fluctuates in level with the seasons and is home to thousands of flamingos when it rains. The Maasai word “emanyara,” which refers to a common plant used to erect a protective barrier around a family homestead (boma), is where the name Manyara originates. The park has a wide variety of vegetation, from evergreen forests to grasslands. You might come across lions relaxing in the trees as well as giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, buffalos, and elephants while exploring the park.
Following a long game drive and lunch, you will make your way to your cozy lodges in Karatu for supper and an overnight stay.

Day 3: Karatu to Lake Natron

Following breakfast at your lodging, you will depart in the direction of Lake Natron. Nestled between the Serengeti plains and the Ngorongoro Highlands in northeastern Tanzania is the wild and isolated Lake Natron. Here, the attraction is more the landscape than the animals. The Maasai people live in the dry, barren, and eerily beautiful region surrounding the lake. Before you end your day, you will have the rare chance to visit both a lake and a waterfall. You’ll get to your lodging in time for supper.

Day 4-5: Lake Natron to Northern Serengeti NP

After breakfast, you will travel early in the morning to the northern Serengeti. It’s a huge, immaculate region with open grassy areas, huge granite outcrops, and rolling hills covered in trees. One opportunity to get away from the crowd is the Northern Serengeti. Fewer people visit this area of the park, which is tucked between Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve to the north and the Central Serengeti, because it is isolated and difficult to reach. Reaching this region of the Serengeti rewards travelers with breathtaking views of rolling green hills, granite outcrops, and acacia woodlands dotted throughout the open savanna. Amazing wildlife abounds, chief among them the vast herds of zebras and wildebeests that brave the crocodile-infested Mara River during the Great Migration in June and July, and again in September, October, and November. You will spend the evening and next day at the lodging that you have carefully chosen.

Day 6: Central Serengeti NP

You will immediately travel to the Serengeti National Park’s central region after breakfast. After the nearly two-hour drive, you will return to Seronera with more chances to take in the breathtaking scenery and amazing wildlife of the Serengeti. On your way to the central Serengeti National Park, you will have another chance to take in the vastness of nature. Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park was created in 1951. It is the location of the world’s largest wildlife spectacle, the great migration of zebras and wildebeests. Not to mention the impressive resident population of birds, lions, cheetahs, elephants, and giraffes. You will spend the night at Embalakai Camp and have dinner there.

Day 7: Central Serengeti NP to Ngorongoro

You will resume your en route drive within the Serengeti National Park early in the morning following breakfast before you depart for the Ngorongoro Crater. Ngorongoro Crater appears to be a forgotten world when you first see it. Steep volcanic walls hide a pristine wilderness of shimmering lakes and swamps, pockets of acacia woodland, and sweeping savannah. Two to three million years ago, a massive volcano erupted and collapsed in on itself, leaving behind the crater. When you arrive at the crater floor, you are immediately surrounded by a multitude of wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, and over 500 different bird species. The drive down into the crater is an adventure in and of itself. The best place to see the critically endangered black rhinos, which are occasionally spotted in the open grasslands, is the crater.

Following a hearty lunch and a thorough game drive within the crater, you will make your way to your cozy lodges in Karatu for one last dinner and night.

Day 8: Tarangire to Arusha

After breakfast, you will leave early in the morning for Tarangire National Park. The Tarangire River, which flows through the park, is the source of its name. During the dry season, the only water source for the wildlife in the area is this “river of warthogs.” There are areas with extremely dense vegetation, such as groundwater forests, acacia woodlands, and elephant grass. Elephant families are the park’s most famous feature; they are frequently spotted gathering by the river. Giraffes, bushbucks, and hartebeests might also be visible. Lions and leopards are among the many predators that closely monitor these animals. Tarangire National Park is home to more breeding species of birds than any other place on Earth!
Following a long game drive and lunch, you will return to Arusha.

  • All Park fees & entrances
  • All lodge accommodations
  • All activities, unless indicated as optional
  • Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
  • Professional guide
  • All taxes/VAT
  • Unlimited bottled drinking water
  • Private 4×4 Safari Jeep
  • Roundtrip airport transfers

For budget camping all equipment’s will be provided.

Excludes

  • International flights (From/to home)
  • Tips (Tipping guideline US$15.00 pp per day)
  • Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)

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