The East African countries of Tanzania and Kenya are renowned for their abundance of wild game life. More importantly, these two countries also offer the best game viewing in the world and when this is timed with the Great Migration, nothing beats it.
The Great Migration takes place every year when, in search of water and food, animals move from one grazing area to another. They do so in large herds and their numbers run to over 1.5 million wildebeest, coupled with some 300,000 zebras and gazelles. This is not counting the predators who also flock to have their chance at this huge event. The move is timed with the grazing season and when the move takes place , this is a photographer’s paradise. Like all migrations, this too is an arduous task covering a distance of well over 2500 kilometer s. Some 200,000 animals never make it back as they become prey to the carnivore that are also gathered there in search of food.
To view this spectacular event, one has to be at the right place and time. Whilst weather conditions can never be guaranteed and nature is the king of the “jungle”, our experience of actually operating game safaris and studying weather patterns spreading over several years has helped us put this short list of three Great Migration Safaris in Tanzania and one in Kenya.
On our 4 x 4 Land Cruisers specially designed for the local terrain, each person gets a window seat and each vehicle is limited to a maximum size of 7 participants plus our English speaking guide/driver. All this makes the Great Migration Safari an excellent family holiday. With common interests for the 6, 16, 46 and 66 year old (and even beyond) to bond over, this holiday will certainly remain as the family’s wildest time together.
| Tour Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Duration | : | 10 days |
| Minimum | : | 02 persons |
| Maximum | : | 06 persons |
| Price (From) | : | US$ 3850 |
| International air not included | ||
Day 01: Arrive Arusha (Kilimanjaro)
Jambo! We are cordially welcomed as we arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport and are transferred to our hotel in Arusha. Balance of the day is free. Arusha is the exact centre between Cairo and Cape Town and is the gateway to the safari game parks of Northern Tanzania.
Overnight: Arusha Serena Hotel, Arusha (1 night)
Day 02: Arusha/Lake Manyara (Drive)
Our Great Migration Safari starts as we drive to Lake Manyara with picnic lunch en route. We enter the majestic Lake Manyara Game Park and enjoy the first of our exciting safaris. This small park is sandwiched between the Rift Valley escarpment and Lake Manyara. It is a pretty location with a good range of game, including giraffe, elephant, baboon and the rarely seen tree-climbing lion.
Overnight: Lake Manyara Serena Lodge, Lake Manyara (1 night) (B, L, D)
Day 03: Lake Manyara/Olduvai Gorge/Serengeti (Drive)
Depart for the famous Olduvai Gorge, where the Africanthorpus skull was found. Olduvai Gorge is one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world. The gorge is a very steep- sided ravine roughly 48 kilometer s long and 100 meters deep. Exposed deposits show rich fossil fauna, many hominid remains and items belonging to the one of the oldest stone tool technologies, called Olduwan. The objects recovered date from 15,000 to over 2 million years ago. Optional visit to a Masai Village and then proceed to one of the great game parks in the world, The Serengeti. Here we stay put for the next five nights allowing us ample opportunities to follow the migration in the Western and Central Serengeti . Serengeti* is a World Heritage S ite described by UNESCO as follows: “The vast plains of the Serengeti comprise 1.5 million hectares of savanna . The annual migration to permanent water holes of vast herds of herbivores (wildebeest, gazelles and zebras), followed by their predators, is one of the most impressive natural events in the world”.
Overnight: Serengeti Serena Lodge, Serengeti (5 nights) (B, L, D) x 5
Day 04, 05, 06 & 07: Serengeti
Serengeti is a vast ecosystem in Northern Tanzania and extending into Kenya, where it is called Masai Mara. Serengeti spans over 31,000 square kilometer s, giving rise to its name, which is derived from the Masai language and means “endless plains”. Although populations fluctuate, there are an estimated 1.3 million blue wildebeest, 200,000 zebras, 400,000 Thomson’s gazelle and a host of other animals including elephants, giraffes, hippos, buffaloes, lion s, cheetahs, hyenas and the rare but still seen wild dogs, black rhino and leopards. We have a full day of game viewing at the endless plains – certainly a day to remember. During this stay, you will have the opportunity to take an early morning optional balloon safari. We will be dividing our time here between two areas of the vast Serengeti in order to get the best possibility of experiencing the migration.
Serengeti Serena Lodge is set high on the saddle of a tree-clad ridge, commanding panoramic views across the Serengeti. T his lodge is the ultimate fusion of traditional African architecture and world-class style. Winner of numerous awards from the world travel press, it is perhaps the finest venue the Serengeti has to offer. Centrally located adjacent to the famous Western Corridor and Grumeti River, the lodge has been designed to blend completely into the living landscape. A series of traditional domed ‘rondavels' are widely spaced throughout the grounds, which are cooled by groves of acacia trees and watered by sparkling streams. On the very edge of the ridge is a ‘vanishing horizon' pool, which looks out over the ‘endless plains' after which the Serengeti is named. (B, L, D) (B, L, D)
(B, L, D) (B, L, D)
Day 08: Serengeti/Ngorongoro (Drive)
Enjoy yet another morning safari in the Serengeti before we drive to the Ngorongoro Crater*. The jewel in Ngorongoro's crown is a deep, volcanic crater, the largest un flooded and unbroken caldera in the world. About 20 kilometers across, 600 meters deep and 300 square kilometers in area, the Ngorongoro Crater is a breathtaking natural wonder. Going uphill we are transferred to our lodge that has a spectacular panoramic view of the Crater from above . Regularly voted one of the best hotels in the world, the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge is a unique lodge in Tanzania which clings to the rim of the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater, the largest and most perfect volcanic crater on earth. Long and low, the Serena Lodge is built from local river stone and camouflaged with indigenous vines. Designed to blend completely into the landscape, it is entirely invisible from the floor of the Crater 600 meters below.
Overnight: Ngorongoro Serena Lodge, Ngorongoro (2 nights) (B, L, D)
Day 09: Ngorongoro
Known as ‘the eighth wonder of the world', the Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa's best-known wildlife arenas. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it offers a unique biosphere which has remained virtually unchanged since the dawn of time. Deep within the Crater, enclosed by towering walls, some 25,000 large mammals wander the plains, lakes and forests of ‘the land that time forgot', dominated by enormous bull elephants, rhino and lions. We enjoy a 6 -hour crater safari, making this the last and most memorable safari before ascending to the Crater r im for our overnight. No wonder it has been compared to Noah’s Ark - Ngorongoro is known for lions, elephants, buffaloes, wildebeest , Thomson's gazelles, zebras, reedbucks, rhino , monkeys, baboons, hippos, hyenas, jackals and thousands of flamingos at the lake. (B, L, D)
Day 10: Ngorongoro/Depart Kilimanjaro
After an incredible migration safari, we depart with packed lunch to Kilimanjaro Airport for our departure flight.
You have an ideal opportunity to add gorilla viewing in Uganda/Rwanda, and a visit to Zanzibar Island, Victoria Falls or Madagascar. Please ask for details. (B, L)
B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
Departure Dates & Prices
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Notes
Inclusions
Participants
This tour operates on a minimum of 02 and a maximum of 06 participants
Customised Itinerary
If you would like to have a tour on dates other than the above ones or with a customised itinerary, please contact us and we will be happy to work out an exclusive program for you.
Contact Info
You may e-mail us at bestway@bestway.com or call 1-604-264-7378.
Residents of U.S.A./Canada may call us toll free at 1-800-663-0844.
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