During this 4-day lodge safari you will visit three of the most well-known reserves on Tanzania’s “northern circuit” – the Lake Manyara National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti National Park. With all the diverse landscapes and a crater full of animals, this safari has something for everyone and is ideal for those with limited time.
Arusha
3 Hours Before Flight Time
After a short briefing in the morning, you set off to the Lake Manyara National Park. The small park stretches along the 600 m high Rift Valley Escarpment and is dominated by the alkaline Lake Manyara. It is here where thousands of flamingos seem to colour the shallow waters pink. Many water birds gather at the lake and more than 400 bird species are found in the park. The diverse vegetation provides a habitat for many animals such as monkeys in the forest, giraffes and antelopes on the grasslands and elephants around the acacia trees. If you are very lucky you might also see the Manyara lions, lounging in the trees. In the late afternoon you will leave the Lake Manyara National Park and head to the Kirurumu Manyara Lodge, where you will spend the night.
Lunch; Dinner
Enjoy an orientation walk of Zurich’s OLD TOWN, Switzerland’s center of banking and commerce. Then, leave Zurich and start your Swiss adventure. You’ll quickly discover that Switzerland isn’t just home to the Alps, but also to some of the most beautiful lakes. First, stop at the foot of the Jura Mountains in the picturesque town of Biel, known as Bienne by French-speaking Swiss, famous for watch-making, and explore the historical center. Next, enjoy a scenic drive to lakeside Neuchâtel, dominated by the medieval cathedral and castle. Time to stroll along the lake promenade before continuing to stunning Geneva, the second-largest city in Switzerland, with its fantastic lakeside location and breathtaking panoramas of the Alps.
Dawn is a good time to watch wildlife and so you will be up early to join an early morning game drive. You will return to the camp for breakfast before heading out for another game drive in the park. Here in the Seronera region you will often see wildebeests and zebras in close proximity of lions and other predators such as leopards and cheetahs. After a picnic lunch you will continue your journey towards the Ngorongoro Crater. Once you have reached the crater rim you will enjoy fantastic views of this 600 m deep collapsed volcano. You will stay at the Ang’ata Ngorongoro Camp, situated on the crater rim.
Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
After an early breakfast you will drive down the steep and narrow road that takes you into the crater. The slopes are forested but soon the landscape changes to savannah. Here the wildlife is just breath-taking and with a little luck you can observe the Big Five – lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard – in just a few hours. You should also see warthogs, wildebeests, zebras, hippos and some of the more than 500 bird species of the area. After a morning dedicated to game viewing and a picnic lunch, you will leave the crater in the early afternoon to drive back to Arusha, where you will arrive in the early evening.
Breakfast; Lunch