8 Day Parks &
Tribal Peoples
Day
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Destination
Arrival -JRO
(Kilimanjaro Airport)
Lake manyara
& OPTIONAL CYCLING TOUR
lake eyasi
& hadzabe tribal hunt
Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park
ngorongoro crater
empakai crater & Maasai led walking tour
departure and optional visit to shanga
artisans workshop
Description
Arrive JRO airport and meet with our driver guide.Transfer to Maasai Land Lodge in Arusha.
We start our journey with a game drive in Lake Manyara National Park including a picnic lunch en route.This small park offers breathtaking views and a large variety of habitats:acacia woodlands, baobab strewn cliffs, hot springs, swamps and the lake itself. It also supports a large number of animal species and incredible bird life. You'll see elephants, giraffes and flamingos but keep alert, too, for its famous tree-climbing lions. Manyara also has the largest concentration of baboons anywhere in the world. Climb down from your safari vehicle and stretch your legs with an optional cycling tour around the park.
Today we travel back in time. An early morning start will bring us to Lake Eyasi located on the floor of the great Rift Valley in the crater highlands of Tanzania. This area is home to the Hadza, indigenous inhabitants of the lake region. We'll join these bushmen and witness an unforgettable hunting experience. In the early afternoon we return to our lodge for lunch and then make our way towards the Ngorongoro Crater for dinner and an overnight at Rhino Lodge.
On today's full-day game drive you'll experience why the Serengeti calls to so many adventurers. Not only will you be able to spot, identify and photograph its abundant wildlife (lions, hyenas, topi, impalas, gazelles, zebras, cheetahs and leopards) our knowledgeable guides will draw on their years education and experience to help you understand the fascinating and often symbiotic relationship between its animals. The Serengeti is not only one of the world's most famous National Parks it's also a renowned biosphere and World Heritage Site.
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At TOUCHSTONE TANZANIA we understand you've traveled far to experience the best our game parks have to offer. That's why we set a pace that allows us the leisure to follow the game and stop often ensuring our clients that "just right" photo opportunity. We also understand that a single day in the Serengeti is never enough to experience all this park has to offer. Depending upon the time of your visit you may witness the wildebeest's annual migration as long queues of not only wildebeest but zebras, gazelles and these animals' natural predators move through the area in search of green pastures.
No Tanzanian safari would be complete without a descent into the Ngorongoro Crater, another of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. En route to the crater we'll visit Maasai bombas (villages) and experience this indigenous people's unique and unspoiled customs and traditions. Afterwards our drive leads towards a spectacular descent into the crater itself. Notice the change in temperature as we drop down onto its floor and the panorama that will soon make up the backdrop for your day of magic. Look for hyenas, mountain reedbuck and jackals. Bird lovers will be enchanted by the numerous species including white pelicans and flamingos that dot the crater lakes of Ndutu and Magadu. We'll stop for a mid-day break along the shores of one of these lakes, a favorite watering hole not only of waterfowl but also hippos.With luck we may even spot one of Tanzania's endangered white rhinos on our drive out of the crater.
Today we continue our visit to Maasai lands and head to the Empakai Crater for a half-day of hiking. Our Maasai guide will lead us on a walking tour into the crater for a great view and opportunity to photograph its abundant waterfowl including the Lesser Flamingo. Surrounded by steep-sided forested cliffs the crater itself also provides a glimpse of the Oldoinyo Lengai, one of our country's most active volcanoes. Clients with a reasonable amount of fitness and sturdy walking shoes will count today's tour among the highlights of their trip. After a picnic lunch we head out of the crater for our drive back to Arusha and your final overnight stay.
After breakfast at the hotel our guests connecting with a morning or afternoon flight will be transferred to JRO airport. Guests catching an evening flight will have the opportunity to visit the SHANGA WORKSHOP and VISITOR CENTER in Arusha where they may observe people with disabilities creating stunning handmade jewelry and glassware all for purchase in the gift shop. If your flight schedule permits you may also enjoy a leisurely lunch at SHANGA's excellent on-site cafe before being driven to the airport and your farewell to your guide and to Tanzania.
