Tanzania Safari

Departing from Fort Myers, Florida on Thursday, February 1, 2010

Returning to Fort Myers, Florida on Tuesday, February 13, 2010

The Natural Wonders of Tanzania

Nothing compares to the Great Migration as it brings on a sense of awe. Witness this ancient, deliberate and unavoidable movement of wildlife so vast it may take days to pass as the animals relentlessly follow the rains into the Masai Mara of Kenya. On your safari you will see pink-lined crater floors made up of thousands of Flamingos constantly sifting through the water for their tiny quarry. Mount Kilimanjaro will impress even the most seasoned traveler. Ngorongoro Crater, one of the natural wonders of the world, is home to thousands of plains wildlife and hundreds of colorful birds that we will enjoy during our picnic lunch on the crater floor. As we enter the vast Serengeti Plains we will be searching for the "Big Five" along with thirty species of large herbivores and some five hundred species of birds.

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 & 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13

 

Day 1

Atlanta / Amsterdam

Departure from Atlanta for your flight aboard KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to Amsterdam. Enjoy their fine hospitality as you wing your way across the North Atlantic Ocean towards the continent of Europe (meals on board)

 

Day 2

Amsterdam / Arusha

Arrive Schiphol International Airport, Amsterdam this morning. Change planes and then board the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport. Upon arrival, clear customs and immigration formalities and meet your local hosts for the drive to Mountain Village Lodge for overnight. (meals on board)

 

Day 3 Arusha / Tarangire National Park Depart this morning after breakfast and drive to Tarangire National Park, arriving at Tarangire Safari Lodge in time for lunch. This delightful camp, is built high on the hillside with a dramatic view of the valley, the river and the beautiful plains where you will see magnificent baobab trees and a number of plains game. You will enjoy comfortable and spacious tents with en suite facilities. This afternoon a game drive to seek and photograph the marvellous wildlife of the area. Tarangire is famous for its elephant herds and during the return drive, you will experience dusk falling on the savannah before returning to camp for dinner and overnight B/L/D

Day 4

Tarangire National Park

On your game drives seek the large herds of elephant, buffalo and zebra in Tarangire Park. There is also a nice population of lion and leopard which are frequently seen. The landscape is dotted with some magnificent baobab trees, which make a great setting for a sunset picture. Explore on foot and by vehicle, and visit the animal hides overlooking the waterholes. Enjoy meals and overnight at Tarangire Safari Lodge B/L/D

 

Day 5

Tarangire National Park / Lake Manyara

This morning after breakfast, travel to Lake Manyara National Park. Stop along the way in Mto Wa Mbu, one of the local towns where the old time safari groups stopped to get supplies before they ventured out into the Serengeti. A game drive through the park where you might see the Blue Sykes monkey, many hippo and if you are very fortunate, the tree climbing lion. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the park. Arrive at Lake Manyara Serena Hotel where you relax until dinner. The lodge sits on top of the rim overlooking Lake Manyara B/L/D

 

Day 6

Lake Manyara / Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Enjoy breakfast then continue into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, passing through the town of Karatu, where you see the topography change to the heavy farming fields of red clay. Continue your ascent up into the Crater area arriving at the newest hotel, in the area the Ngorongoro Crater Serena Lodge. From a distance the hotel is hidden from view and only as you get very close can you actually see it. Serena Lodge has been built in the rim of the Crater, keeping the aesthetics suitable to the surroundings. Enjoy dinner and overnight. B/L/D

Day 7 & 8

Ngorongoro Crater

Your days are spent exploring the Crater floor. Descend after a hearty breakfast into the Crater, one of the natural wonders of the world. Thousands of teeming plains game and an enormous variety of birds with thousands of flamingos throwing a pink mantle over the Crater floor lake, leave a vivid impression. Observe the use of the Crater by the 12,000 Masai pastoralists to water their herds of over 100,000 cattle, which co-exist with some 40,000 resident game animals. Attention will be paid to the ecological distribution of animals within the Crater, seasonal movement, and there will be a chance to see large mammals such as rhino and elephant, and predators such as lion. We will enjoy lunch time at the picnic site on the Crater floor. Afternoon game-viewing and then return to the lodge. B/L/D

 

Day 9

Ngorongoro / Serengeti National Park

After an early breakfast, depart for your drive into the great Serengeti Plains. Stop at Olduvai Gorge, where you listen to a presentation by one of the museum staff and a visit to the little museum. Then continue across the great grasslands to the Serengeti as you drive west to the Serengeti Serena Lodge. The Serengeti is as big as Northern Ireland; not only does it boast the "Big Five", but it has more then 30 species of large herbivores and nearly 500 species of birds. This time of year is exciting in the Serengeti, as the one and a half million wildebeest and thousands of zebra begin assembling for their annual migration into the Masai Mara in Kenya. If the rains are in the near future, you may even witness the calving that usually occurs. Emjoy lunch, then relax until your afternoon game drive to find and photograph the great wealth of wildlife in the area. Return to the lodge for dinner and enjoy a magical sunset B/L/D

 

Day 10 & 11 Serengeti National Park Enjoy two full days game-viewing in the Serengeti, to discover and observe the animal and birdlife in their natural habitat. Look for the elusive leopard among the tall, yellow acacias of the Seronera River, draped over the branch, often with its kill in the arboreal larder, safe from the scavenging hyena. Great herds of zebra and wildebeest, topi and hartebeest, impala and gazelles. In the riverine areas you may see giraffe hiding in the trees. On the rocky outcropping, lion search for prey and in the open savannah you may see the swift cheetah. Overnight each night at the Serengeti Serena Lodge. B/L/D

 

Day 12

Serengeti National Park / Arusha / Amsterdam

Enjoy breakfast then drive to the airstrip serving the lodges in the Seronera area, where you board the charter flight to Arusha. Upon arrival you stop to do some shopping before checking into the Mountain Village Lodge. Dayrooms are reserved for you for this afternoon. This evening we will be transfered to the Kilimanjaro Airport for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight to Amsterdam B/(meals on board)

 

Day 13

Amsterdam / Atlanta

Arrive Amsterdam early this morning. Change planes and board your Northwest Airlines flight to the U.S.A. and home. (meals on board)

Legend:    B = Breakfast     L = Lunch    D = Dinner    ( ) = meals aloft

 

Optional Balooning Over the Serengeti

Ballooning over the African savannah is an exhilarating experience that is highly recommended. The flight is steady and smooth and so unlike an airplane. Once aloft you see no power lines, transmission towers, parking lots or roofs of buildings - just pure Africa. The occasional blasts of the burner only make the sudden silence and serenity more impressive and peaceful. Upon landing a gourmet champagne breakfast is served in the open savannah.

$445 per person

 

Uganda Extension...

Friday, May 14, 2010 - Wednesday, May 19, 2010

 

Day 1

Nairobi / Entebbe / Lake Mburo

After breakfast return to Nairobi Airport for your flight to Entebbe. Upon arrival clear customs and immigration formalities, and your hosts take you to the Mihingo Lodge. L/D

 

Day 2

Lake Mburo / Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After breakfast, drive through this beautiful park to the Ishasha region for a game drive in search of tree climbing lion. Picnic lunch before traveling south once more, and enter a magnificent verdant swathe of land across steep ridges of the Albertine Rift Valley, and into an ancient rain forest - home to roughly half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas. You arrive at the Gorilla Forest Camp for dinner. The accommodations here are in eight spacious tents each with its own en suite facilities, including a bathtub that looks out into the forest. The main building overlooks the rain forest and has a raised natural platform for open air dining. Within this rather small park - only 321 sq. kms. -- there are 200 species of butterflies, 345 bird species, and perhaps the most important: the endangered elusive giant of the African forest, the mountain gorilla. B/L/D

 

Day 3/4

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Gorilla trekking day! After breakfast, take a short drive to Park Headquarters, and meet with the excellent local guides and trackers, who will give a talk on the etiquette of gorilla trekking. You will then hike into the forest, where the gorillas were last seen, and track from that point. The trekking can take from one to six hours, and climb to altitudes of up to 7,500 ft. The terrain is rough and at times muddy. Although the hike is physically demanding, the beauty of the forest and surrounding scenery make the trek worthwhile. Once the gorillas are located, all fatigue is forgotten and this experience is often described as being the most profound natural history experience in the world. Picnic lunches are provided, and it is important to take plenty of water. With reference to photography, be prepared for low light conditions. It can rain at a moment's notice, so waterproof clothing is essential and so are zip lock bags for photographic equipment. You will spend an hour in the presence of these incredible creatures. Afterwards you will retrace your steps down the mountain, and return to the Gorilla Forest Camp for dinner and overnight. *** There is no guarantee of seeing gorillas. B/L/D

 

Day 5

Bwindi / Lake Mburo

After breakfast, depart on a lovely drive passing through the area called the Switzerland of East Africa. Lunch is at the White Horse Inn in Kibale Town. Then continue into Ankole cattle country around Mbarara. These amazing cattle have incredible horns which you will find fascinating. The drive to Lake Mburo may provide sightings of zebra, impala, and eland. Arrive this evening at the Mihingo Lodge for dinner and overnight. In appreciation of its fragile surroundings, Mihingo Lodge is an environmentally friendly accommodation. The buildings are constructed in such a way as to melt into the rocky outcrops and savannah landscape around them. Electricity is provided by solar panels, and there is a natural water catchment system to take advantage of the rains and seasonal streams. B/L/D

 

Day 6

Lake Mburo / Entebbe / Nairobi

Optional early morning game drive, returning for breakfast. Then depart for the five hour drive to Entebbe Airport for your Kenya Airways flight to Nairobi. B

 

EcoTraining

African Bush Field Guide Training at it's best

www.ecotraining.co.za

 

 

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