8 Days Wilderness Escapes

Arrive Kilimanjaro Airport, where you are met and transferred to Arusha Coffee Lodge for your overnight. Lying on the gently rolling foothills that cascade down from the ever-present Mount Meru is the bustling and vibrant town of Arusha. It is here on the outskirts of this town, hidden amongst one of Tanzania’s largest coffee plantations, that you will find Arusha Coffee Lodge, a perfect haven for relaxation either before or after any East African safari. The homely feel of the Lodge is by no means accidental as the origins of the homestead continue to emit glimpses of times-gone-by. The friendly and personable staff help create an ambiance that continues to draw appreciation from all those who visit and stay.

Morning at leisure and safari briefing followed by lunch. Afternoon you 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 you turn North West and continue the journey up through a scenic escarpment that brings you Lake Manyara Tree lodge, perched on the edge of the Rift Valley with stunning views over the distant Lake Manyara.

After breakfast there is a game drive in Lake Manyara National Park that returns to the lodge for lunch. Leaving 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. Dinner and overnight at Roving Bushtops Camp. Rovng Bushtops is a luxury migratory camp that moves along serengeti to two spots in a year - enabling the camp to be set up in the most suitable part of the Serengeti plains best suited to changing conditions, migration patterns and the best game viewing opportunities.

After breakfast you depart for Ngorongoro viewing game across the vast Serengeti plains, stopping off en route for your picnic lunch. You then continue your journey towards Ngorongoro where you visit a Masai Village before you continue to your lodge, set high on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater. Dinner and Overnight at Neptune Ngorongoro Luxury Lodge. A highlight awaits you to explore what is commonly referred to as the World’s largest wildlife zoo. You will descend with picnic lunches through the early morning mists and 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 is comprised of several distinct areas, ranging from forest, swamps, lakes and springs, to open grassland and some sandy dunes. It’s an awesome wildlife experience. Lunch is served near a small lake filled with hippos.

Departing Ngorongoro Crater after breakfast, head south east past Lake Manyara and Mto wa Mbu village. Through the highlands and the Karatu district, you’ll view the scenic wheat plains and coffee plantations here before journeying down the spectacular escarpment where you turn south on to the main Arusha – Dodoma road and into the park. From here to the lodge, you’ll enjoy a game drive en route. After lunch and perhaps a swim, the remainder of the afternoon will be spent on a game drive. Dinner and overnight at Nimali Tarangire Camp. Nimali is set in the heart of the Serengeti plains in northern Tanzania, near to Makoma Hill. This luxury tented camp offers seclusion in a hidden area but in the heart of the National Park. With breathtaking views over the Serengeti Plains and perfectly situated to see the Great Migration, it is a place where you can expect the unexpected.

Depart after breakfast and head north east to Arusha. The journey will pass through the Maasai Steppes filled with many picturesque African villages as well as maize, coffee and banana plantations. On arrival in Arusha you will be provided lunch followed by transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport to connect international departure flight.