Western Kilimanjaro to Southern Serengeti
This safari is centered on the plains of Western Kilimanjaro and then moves across to the remote Southern Serengeti. Western Kilimanjaro camp is set in a private concession which means just that - it is private and not a public park. It covers 75,000 acres and borders Kenya's Amboseli National Park. The landscapes here consist of floodplains, hills and acacia woodland. This destination is amazing as the camp is luxurious and game spotting is done against the dramatic back-drop of Mount Kilimanjaro. In the evening enjoy the stars of the southern sky and the amazing sight of Mount Kilimanjaro illuminated by moonlight.
The Southern Serengeti is an incredible place from January through to March, the wildebeest migration is in the area and during this time the hordes amass around the Kusini Camp for the birthing of their young. This is the world's last great migration and so can be said to be unique, without any danger of exaggeration.
Day 1 & 2 - Kambi ya Tembo in the Western Kilimanjaro
Kambi ya Tembo (Elephant Camp) looks across the plains at Kilimanjaro and offers accommodation in ten tents with en suite facilities. Each luxury tent is under the shade of a massive, old acacia tree and combines the luxury and warmth with the best cultural and natural experience possible. Full board here includes tea/coffee local beers, wines, sprits and laundry service.
Day 3 - Transfer to Tarangire National Park
Travel from West Kilimanjaro and stop in Arusha for lunch in this small bustling town in Northern Tanzania.
After lunch travel for ninety minutes to the Tarangire National Park and to River Camp Lodge which is close to an old Baobab, that dominates the dry riverbed. This camp is made up of 18 Luxury Safari Tents within 25,000 hectare concession which is set aside for conservation by the local Maasai community of Minjingu.
Day 4 - After breakfast enter into Tarangire National Park for the full day, stopping for picnic lunch in the Park.
In the late afternoon drive to Ngorongoro Farm House. This is an exclusive lodge facing the Ol-deani Volcano, and is set on a huge coffee farm. Three separate and intimate camps of nine comfortable bungalows each are built in the design of an old colonial farm. They are tastefully decorated, using local materials offering an imaginary journey to days long past.
Day 5 - Ngorongoro Crater: the full day is spent exploring the
world's largest unbroken volcanic caldera. The steep sides of the crater mean that it has become a natural enclosure for wildlife, including most of the species found in East Africa. The night is spent in one of the luxury lodges perched on the rim of the crater - all rooms offering magnificent views of the crater bellow.
Day 6 to 8 - Journey to the Southern Serengeti with game viewing en-route. The lodge is Kusini Camp - full board here includes tea/coffee local beers, wines, sprits and laundry service.
The Serengeti would not be the same without the beautiful rock outcrops known as kopjes. The rounded shapes of these ancient granite rocks are the result of cracking and erosion from exposure to sun, wind, and rain. They provide shelter and capture water for a wealth of wildlife and plants. In fact, without such environs, lions and other large animals would be unable to survive the dry season on the plains.
Kusini Camp is perfectly sited in a cluster of kopjes, Kusini is a permanent tented camp blended seamlessly into the delicate environment of the predator-rich plains of the Serengeti. The surrounding short grass plains provide the setting for the most spectacular natural phenomenon in the continent of Africa, the wildebeest migration, during which time the hordes amass around the camp for the birthing of their young.
Day 9 - Leave the Serengeti and drive through the Ngorongoro Conservation and return to the Ngorongoro Farm House.
Day 10 - After breakfast game drive in Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara National Park is home to millions of flamingos, pelicans, storks and other plentiful bird life, as well as hippos that can be observed at close range. Pink flamingo graze by the thousands whilst yellow-billed storks swoop and corkscrew on thermal winds rising up from the escarpment, and herons flap their wings against the sun-drenched sky. This park is also famous for the tree-climbing lions. In addition to the lions, the national park is also home to the largest concentration of baboons in Tanzania.
Return to Arusha and end of safari.
About the Author
For further information on Kilimanjaro, Tanzania and Zanzibar see http://betheladventure.co.uk using tourism to fund community initiatives focused on the education of the young and the medical care for the whole family. Using tourism to change lives.
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