TANZANIA, THE CRADLE OF HUMANKIND

Have breakfast at your hotel before departing with a picnic lunch to Tarangire National Park for a game drive. The park is famous for its high density of elephants and baobab trees. Common resident animals include waterbuck, giraffe, Grant’s gazelle, vervet monkey, banded mongoose, and olive baboon among others. Proceed to your camp outside the National Park for dinner and overnight. (B,L,D)

Enjoy breakfast and your morning at leisure today. In the early afternoon, depart with a picnic lunch to Lake Manyara National Park, one of Tanzania’s smallest and most underrated parks. Enjoy a game drive through diverse landscape where you will find baobab dotted cliffs, ground water forests, bush plains, and hot springs, as well as a rich array of wildlife and incredible numbers of birds. Keep your camera ready to snap splendid photos at any time. Dinner and overnight in Lake Manyara. (B,L,D)

Relax in the morning with a leisurely breakfast. In the early afternoon, depart with a picnic lunch to Central Serengeti to experience exciting game drives through Serengeti National Park. Meaning “endless plains” in the Maasai language, the Serengeti hosts the largest terrestrial mammal migration in the world—from January to March, millions of wildebeests, followed by hundreds of thousands of other plains game, make the 300-mile round trip trek from Tanzania to Kenya. This great influx of prey animal makes the Serengeti equally hospitable to a robust lion population. Proceed to your camp inside the National Park for dinner and overnight. (B,L,D)

Enjoy breakfast at your camp and get ready for utterly unforgettable experiences. The day is yours to explore the Serengeti on your included Game Drives. (B,L,D)

After your morning game drive in the Serengeti, travel across the rolling plains towards Ngorongoro. Stop at Olduvai Gorge, named for the wild sisal plant that grows in the area called “oltupai” by the Maasai people. This steep ravine that separates Serengeti National Park from Ngorongoro Conservation Area has offered up fossils from 5 million years ago. It is here that Dr. Louis Leakey and his wife discovered Australopithecus Boisei, an important hominid link to the development of early man. Learn about the archeological legacy of Olduvia Gorge at the museum before arriving at the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera. (B,L,D)

Join an early descent into the Ngorongoro Crater for a spectacular game drive. Due to its size and diversity, the crater floor is comprised of several distinct areas, ranging from forests, swamps, lakes and springs, to open grassland and some sandy dunes. With more than 30,000 resident animals, it is an awe-inspiring wildlife experience. Continue your journey to Karatu for your overnight accommodations. (B,L,D)

After breakfast, head northeast back to Arusha. Upon arrival, transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport or extend your stay. (B)