7-Day Tanzania Lodge Safari with Lake Natron

You will depart with packed lunch boxes towards Lake Natron. Located about a 3.5-hour drive away from Mto wa Mbu/Manyara, Lake Natron is a surreal destination and unique natural spectacle. Its waters are highly alkaline and unusually shallow, averaging just one meter in depth. After checking into your campsite and having a short break, you'll put your walking shoes on as a Maasai tribesman takes you on a walk around the shores of Lake Natron on the lookout for birds, especially the lesser flamingos. Lake Natron is the most important and regular breeding site for lesser flamingos in East Africa hosting up to 2 million of them during the breeding season. The majority of egg-laying and hatching takes place from September to January.

After an early breakfast, you will head towards the Serengeti. On adventurous slopes, it goes the Rift Valley up into the wide plains of the Serengeti. Serengeti National Park is one of the largest natural migration systems for wild animals. Annually between the three mentioned conservation areas, over 1.4 million gnus, almost 300,000 Thomson's gazelles, about 200,000 zebras and several thousand topis migrate with the rainy seasons to the areas with greenery and lush meadows. Furthermore, the park is home to many other animal species, such as giraffes, buffalos, hyenas, elephants and crocodiles. Particularly large is the population of feline predators, about 3000 lions, a good 300 cheetahs and an estimated 400-700 leopards have their hunting ground here. On the way, you will enjoy viewing a lot of different wild animals e.g. leopards, lions, buffaloes, elephants, giraffes and zebras and birds.

Today, you will spend the whole day in the park. You'll head out and start to explore at sunrise. You will have a full-day game drive exploring the beautiful scenery of Serengeti, searching for the Big Five. You will then return to the campsite for a hot lunch and then head out for an afternoon game drive. There is more to Serengeti than large mammals. There are more than 500 bird species recorded, ranging from the oversized ostrich and bizarre secretary bird of the open grassland to the black eagles that soar effortlessly above the savannah. You will continue to search for Serengeti wildlife and return to the camp at sunset for dinner and your overnight stay.

This day begins early in the morning with a picnic lunch before descending the 2000 feet to the crater floor in our 4WD vehicle for wildlife watching. Let's have a look around this Garden of Eden. Ngorongoro Crater is a massive and deep volcanic crater in Tanzania. The crater's bottom has abundant grassland, marshes, woodland, and constant water, which is why the fauna is so diverse and prolific.

Early risers are rewarded with breathtaking views of the rising sun over the crater’s edge. After a hearty breakfast, you will drive down the adventurous track into the crater. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the seven wonders of Africa and the most incredible ecosystems on earth, formed millions of years ago in the massive explosion of a volcano. It is 610m deep and covers roughly 260sq km. Due to its dense animal population of approximately 25 000, the crater offers the best game viewing of all the parks in Tanzania. In a matter of minutes, you will be able to see wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, elephants, and some of the more than 500 bird species in the area. With a little bit of luck, you might catch a glimpse of the endangered black rhinos through the grass. After lunch, you will ascend the steep walls of the crater and head to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

After breakfast, you will traverse the rough road to Lake Eyasi, another soda lake in the Rift Valley. You will arrive in the afternoon for a cultural interaction with the Tatoga tribe (a very interesting tribe). Our Tatoga guide at the village will lead the tour. You will explore the dry and rugged landscape area on foot, which is still inhabited by a small group of bushmen: the Hadzabe or Watindiga. These tribes still live in bands, hunting with bows and arrows, and gathering roots, tubers and wild fruits, just as humans did to survive 10,000 years ago. Another interesting tribe in this area is the Datoga (also called the Barabaig or Mang’ati). Initially, they were exercising a lot of rivalry over grazing land with the Maasai tribe. Later on, you'll drive back to Arusha or drop off at the airport.