On arrival, your friendly guide will welcome you and take you to your accommodation, and help you get settled in.  He or she will make sure you are all set for supper and will go over your planned itinerary with you to answer any questions you have.  He or she will also want to hear about any special dreams you may not yet have mentioned, as all our guides want your entire experience to be superb.  Once you are settled and comfortable, your guide will leave you to enjoy the evening and the sounds and smells of the Tanzanian night.

Have a wonderful early breakfast at your hotel in Arusha and let the adventure begin on the road to Lake Natron (famous for its flamingo herds).  If this is your first trip to Africa, you’ll learn that the journey is half the fun!  Watch for donkeys, cattle and all sorts of new flora and fauna on your way to Lake Natron.  You’re likely to start spotting animals as you get closer to Lake Natron, too; watch for giraffes, zebra, and warthogs.  Watch the scenery change as you get closer.  As you approach Lake Natron, you will see Ol Doinyo Lengai, the famous “Mountain of God” rising above you.  For the Maasai people, this mountain is the home of God.  It is also the only active volcano in the world that erupts natrocarbonatite lava.  As the day warms up, stop for a packed picnic lunch, and then as you get near Lake Natron, stop and go for a walk with the local people up to a cooling waterfall.  Then visit the lake for a bit of a walk before dinner.  Watch for kingfishers and other interesting birds at your lodge.

Where you go in the Serengeti will vary depending on the time of year, and your particular interests.  If the Great Migration is your dream, then your guide will take you wherever the massed herds of the wildebeest are at this time of year (August-September, up in the Mara, other times of year in other parts of the Serengeti).  If you want to spot predators above all, you’ll head for the Southern Serengeti in March through May, and into the Seronera or Central Serengeti in June through September.  If you want to see crocs and hippos, your guide will take you to one of the big rivers (Mara or Grumeti) and the Retina Hippo Pool.  Or you can sit back and relax and simply soak up the atmosphere and all the wild animals of the Serengeti.  You will spot them everywhere as you travel!  From lions to cheetah to leopards to elephants, zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, Cape Buffalo.  The wonder never stops in the Serengeti and you’ll have three full days to explore and get off the beaten track to find the animals in their home territory.

After a relaxing breakfast, head to the Olduvai Gorge Museum, where you will find a beautiful scenic picnic area with very scenic views out over the Oldupai Gorge and towards the Ngorongoro Crater.   This museum is a must-see for anyone interested in anthropology (and even for many who wouldn’t think they were!).  Exhibits in the museum present some of the most significant anthropological discoveries about the evolution of humankind, including five significantly different types of human forbearers from different periods of time.  The nearby lakeshore has just the right environment to preserve an amazing fossil record.  Mary and Louis Leakey conducted digs in the Gorge for decades, where they found fossils from the earliest hominins, as well as stone tools, and fossilized footprints; some of which were more than 3.75 million years old!  The Olduvai Gorge Museum has exhibits as well as guides who offer lectures.  Spend the morning here, and take advantage of the facilities and the lovely picnic area with its stunning views, then head for the Ngorongoro Crater, an extinct and exploded volcano caldera chock full of animals!  Your accommodation is situated right on the Ngorongoro Crater rim, with spectacular views down into the crater, from your room and from the terraces. Enjoy the view, meal and luxuries while you look down into the world-famous Ngorongoro crater.

As you leave the Ngorongoro Crater, you may want to stop briefly at one of the viewpoints that look back down into the crater.  You get a spectacular view of the whole from up here. Watch for leopards, warthogs and various other animals as you drive out!  Then descend towards Lake Manyara.

Your next stop will be for a tour at Mto Wa Mbu.  Mto wa Mbu is a farming community where representatives from all 120 Tanzanian tribes live in proximity to one another.  A local tour guide will walk you around the village and show you:

• how rice is cultivated & processed
• a banana plantation and how banana beer is made (you may even get to taste some!)
• a children’s school
• local artists, including painters and woodcarvers
• the colors, sounds and smells of the local market

After the tour of Mto Wa Mbu (always a highlight for our guests!), travel on to Lake Manyara National Park.  You are likely to see hippos, warthogs, Cape Buffalo, zebra, and giraffe.  Possibly even the famous and unique tree-climbing lions, so keep your eyes open!  Likely, too, to see all sorts of birds; egrets, spoonbills, storks, bee-eaters, lilac-breasted rollers, kingfishers, herons of various types, and many, many more.  As the evening approaches, you will be ready to stop and relax for the night with a delicious dinner at your evening’s accommodation.

Enjoy a full morning and early afternoon of game drives in Tarangire.  Watch elephants thundering down the hillside towards you, or Zebra kicking up the river water with their hooves.  Watch giraffe running through the acacia, and see if you can spot a lion, just waiting for someone to come near.  See how many different varieties of birds you can spot, as your guide is quick to point them out if you are interested.  Watch for leopards if you’re lucky.  Stop for your packed lunch whenever the mood suits, and let your guide show you all the natural wonders to be found in Tarangire.  Maybe spot the banded mongoose stretched out over termite mounds enjoying their afternoon naps.  When your mind is full of elephants, lions, and giraffes, it is time to head back on the road to Arusha for your departure.