FAMILY SAFARI - Serengeti Highlights of Tanzania

ARRIVAL

You will be met at the airport with a signboard with your name written on it. You will be whisked away to your hotel to recover from your flight and enjoy your first taste of African hospitality. After a good night's rest you will be ready for the start of your safari tomorrow!

The drive from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Arusha takes approximately 1,5 hours.

DAY OF RELAXING

Today is a real relaxing start of your holiday. Enjoy your first morning in Africa your way. Have a sleep in - or rise early and enjoy all the lodge has to offer! Jump in the pool - or talk a walk through authentic Tanzania village life. Take the day to relax and acclimatize so you are ready for a good start to your safari. Shadows of Africa.

Upon request, Shadows of Africa can assist in arranging additional guided tours and day trips.

After breakfast, you'll be transferred to Arusha Airport for your flight to the Seronera area of the Central Serengeti. Enjoy a bird's eye view of Tanzania as you make the short trip, where you'll be met by your Shadows of Africa driver upon arrival.

You'll spend your day driving through the plains of Togoro and the Mbuzi Mawe kopjes on our way to cross the Banagi River into the Seronera region of the Central Serengeti. Along the way, you'll spot everything from the enigmatic dik-diks to towering elephants, and everything in between.

The Seronera is often known as 'big cat country', and its kopjes and acacias provide an excellent opportunity to spot prides of lazy lions, sleek cheetahs out on the hunt, and leopards overseeing everything from their lofty perches.

The region's hippo pools and wide open spaces provide ample opportunities for game viewing.

Dinner and overnight in the heart of the Serengeti National Park according to the standard and the type of accommodation requested from our options.

Today you can choose when you will do game drive and when you want to relax in the lodge. You can wake before dawn to take part in a sunrise game drive. As the sun sets fire to the savannah, you'll have the best opportunity to see predators in action as they take advantage of the low light and cooler temperatures to look for an early meal. It's an ideal time to see lions, leopards, and cheetahs in action as well as the early morning movements of the wildebeest, zebra, and other herbivores.

After your unforgettable morning, you'll return to your lodge for a late breakfast and to freshen up before hitting the road again with a picnic lunch / or to stay in the lodge in the afternoon to enjoy the view from the mess tent or the platform in front of your room . Your driver will select the best possible route based upon the time of year and the kind of animals you'd like to see, catering your day so that your opportunities to see the Serengeti's diverse wildlife are maximized.

You can also have a normal morning game drive after breakfast, and return to the lodge for hot lunch. From 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm, it is hotter than the rest of the day, so you may choose to stay in the lodge after lunch, and start another game drive in the late afternoon.

You have another option to take to the skies with a sunrise hot air balloon safari and champagne breakfast. Speak with your safari expert about adding this once in a lifetime experience to your safari.

After breakfast, we get right on the road back towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Our drive takes us back through the Serengeti via a different route, offering plenty of opportunities to spot the animals that eluded you on day two. As far as the eye can see, you’ll spot thousands upon thousands of animals in herds; wildebeests and zebras migrating together, tall and graceful giraffes, jumping antelopes and gazelles, the powerful African elephant and the most respected group of animals: the predators. You will have the chance to spot lean cheetahs and shy leopards, foraging hyenas, and last but not least, the king himself; the lion.

Once arrived in Ngorongoro Conservation Area you have the chance to visit an original Maasai Boma. The Maasai is the only tribe that is allowed to live inside this area.

Dinner and overnight on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater according to the standard and the type of accommodation requested from our options.

After breakfast, you'll depart for Ngorongoro Crater; considered by some to be the Eighth Wonder of the World. When you get your first glimpse of this vast, verdant caldera from the panoramic viewpoint, you'll soon understand why it has earned such a lofty reputation.

Home to over 120 species of mammal including the fabled Big Five, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is one of the most sought after safari destinations in the world. It's a particularly good place to see the endangered black rhinoceros enjoying a lonely meal out on the grass plains, as well as a place to see large numbers of hippopotamus enjoying the cool water.

From the comfort of your open-top vehicle, you'll be able to observe and photograph some of Africa's most recognisable faces. The crater is home to a large number of predators including lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, and hyenas, as well as a large population of wildebeest, zebras, antelope, cape buffalo, and more. It is truly one of Africa's premier safari destinations.

After the thrills and excitement of the day, you will have a picnic lunch by the park's famous hippo pool before driving to Karatu for your overnight.

You'll be up before breakfast today, as you'll be joining the Hadzabe bushmen for the opportunity to hunt for your own food!

One of the last true bushman tribes in Africa, the Hadzabe live very much as they always have despite the rapid development of Tanzania. With only 2,000 members, the Hadzabe tribe are a fascinating people who offer us a window into how life in Tanzania was in the past.

The local hunters will prepare a demonstration of hunting techniques just for us. Far from being a mere performance, this display reveals a great deal about their everyday lives when they must hunt for animals to feed their families. You will see firsthand how the Hadzabe use distinctive motions and even the body parts of certain animals to lure their prey close enough that they can be brought down with hand-crafted poisons.

After a late breakfast, you'll have the opportunity for a drive around Lake Eyasi proper. While this shallow soda lake is not home to the same variety of wildlife you'll find in a national park, you'll have the chance to spot a variety of bird and mammal life. On occasion, flamingos and hippos even call the lake home.

You'll also have time to meet with the Datoga people. Mostly farmers and cattle breeders, these fascinating people offer another insight into tribal life in Tanzania.

Once your day's activities have been completed, you'll make your way to Karatu to overnight.

Today you will discover modern day Tanzanian village life - from a tuk tuk! During this tuk tuk tour you go on a 2-hour stroll through the local farming village of Mto Wa Mbu. This village is unique in Tanzania since it is home to over a 120 different tribes from across Africa. The walk will take you to see local farms, schools, a kindergarten, local homes, the market and milling machines.

You will conclude your morning of exploration with a hot local lunch under the banana leaves.

EVEN GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END

Today is the last day of your Tanzania Adventure! You can spend the day at leisure - either enjoying the pool and gardens of your hotel - or you can choose to make an easy village walk to learn a bit more about daily life in Tanzania.

You will be picked up by a Shadows team member to be brought to the Kilimanjaro International Airport for your return flight home.