Day 1: Arusha
ARUSHA. Transfer from the airport to the hotel.
Day 2: Serengeti National Park
Breakfast and transfer to the airport to take the PLANE to Serengeti National Park. Our 4x4 vehicle is waiting for us at the airstrip in the heart of the park to start our safari. SERENGETI in Tanzania is the natural extension of the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. There are no borders between the two countries in the reserves so they are ignored by the animals in search of fresh pastures, crossing each year between July and October about a million and a half wildebeest, 250,000 zebras and half a million gazelles, followed in short by lions and hyenas pleased with such a concentration of meat. These are the famous Migrations that dispatch one of the most overwhelming spectacles of nature. The Serengeti welcomes us for these two nights in our SERENGETI SAFARI CAMP, in the middle of Seronera, the largest concentration of lions in the world and directly in the path of the great migrations. With private bathroom and shower in each tent. The sense of distance and savannah is the key to the appeal of our camp, where elephant and buffalo may stroll peacefully among the tents at night or a hyena may venture in from the darkness and lie down to listen to the stories told around the campfire. The tents are spacious, with private bathrooms providing the highest level of privacy and creating a sense of real exclusivity that evokes the Africa of the movies. A hot outdoor shower to unwind from the safari and then the daily ritual to toast the arrival of the campfire before a roast or grilled dinner over the orange light of the charcoal embers. And finally, after an exquisite dinner, we return to what remains of the campfire, silent circles to contemplate or simply enjoy, while others are noisier becoming fun gatherings wet with a gin and tonic to boost the safari stories even juicier. At night the tranquility of the environment is interrupted only by the unusual symphony of roaring lions or the passing of penitent wildebeest on the great migration. This day we will go through the border formalities to enter Tanzania.
Day 3: Serengeti National Park
Second day in our SERENGETI SAFARI CAMP, in the middle of Seronera, SERENGETI NP. The best safaris, or at least the best chance of witnessing hunting scenes, take place at dawn, when the savannah wakes up and the nocturnal animals are still active, and at dusk. We will dedicate these moments to meet the big five: lions, buffaloes, elephants, rhinoceroses and leopards. In addition to these undisputed protagonists, large herds of herbivores, always alert to the entry into action of a cheetah or a pride of lionesses, are present throughout the year. We will sleep in the middle of one of the largest wildlife sanctuaries on the planet, we will sleep in the "endless plain". Its landscapes correspond to the mythical image of Africa: wide open spaces, deep blue skies dotted with clouds, cool sunrises and fiery sunsets, and at night, a unique display of stars. With private bathrooms and showers in each tent.
Day 4: Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Game drive at dawn on the way to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. We will carefully walk through another singularity of Serengeti NP, the Kopjes, islands of rocks in a sea of grass where lions, leopards and cheetahs love to rest on top of these rocks. And leaving behind the endless plains and if the schedule permits (the morning safari should be dispensed with), we will optionally visit the Olduvai Gorge, where many fossils and artifacts of early hominids have been found. This is all part of the larger Serengeti ecosystem and borders the NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA. We will also visit a Maasai Boma or Maasai village to experience first hand their ancestral traditions and way of life in the Ngorongoro area, our next destination for tonight. NGORONGORO SAFARI CAMP. Another luxury like the Serengeti to enjoy this special accommodation in the Ngorongoro Crater area.
We arrive at the stunning camp, perched above the Ngorongoro Crater, by road after a day of safari: the arrival is accompanied by the smell of wood smoke. Spacious private tents with absolutely all the comforts of a good hotel is undoubtedly the modern experience that most resembles the first expeditions of the pioneer hunters and adventurers exploring an unknown Africa. A sense of unpretentious authenticity is palpable, with huge handmade double beds covered in pristine white cotton down comforters to ward off the cold nights. A large bathroom is set up in the back, with showers that are buckets suspended in mid-air. Our team is quick to offer guests all the comfort of safaris of yesteryear: a campfire, a potent symbol of life in the African bush, shooting upwards against the pink of the setting sun, is a palpable sign that the long day of safari is over and it's time to relax, hot water carefully carried to each tent for a well-deserved shower! and finally, a formal dinner, long table set with great detail, crystal, porcelain and illuminated by candlelight, and of course garnished with safari stories. The camp becomes even more spectacular at night with dozens of lanterns illuminating the camp and the tinkling of the ice that will accompany a drink as the sun sets or simply enjoying the wonderful African skies in the dark around the campfire. Old-fashioned safari paraphernalia along with exotic touches is palpable in every corner of this camp. With private bathrooms and showers in each tent.
Day 5:
With the first rays of the sun we descend in 4x4 vehicles into the interior of the Ngorongoro Crater for our game drive. No other reserve offers a spectacle as grandiose as the Ngorongoro Crater. A volcanic caldera 600 meters deep and more than 20 kilometers in diameter, it contains the largest "permanent" concentration of wildlife in Africa. Wild animals and Masai herders cohabit here. Spectacular landscape, inhabited by more than 40,000 Maasai herders, dominated by the Rift Valley and the nine volcanoes of Ngorongoro that began more than 4 million years ago. The only one that is currently active is Oldoinyo Lengai, the mountain of god for the Maasai. The Ngorongoro crater, a giant volcano that in its time was perhaps higher than Kilimanjaro itself, allows thousands of wildebeest, zebras, buffalo, gazelles, lions... to graze in its interior, which unlike in the Serengeti do not migrate due to the continuous presence of water in the area that assures their permanent sustenance. And after our unique and exclusive experience inside the caldera of the so-called Eden Volcano, we head to Arusha. Transfer to the airport.
