Tansania Wildebeest Calving Private Safari

Drive to Lake Manyara National Park in the morning. Set against the steep escarpment of the Rift Valley, you’ll find Lake Manyara National Park with its evergreen groundwater forest and various ecosystems, including acacia woodland, grassy plains, a swampy fan delta, and – of course – the expansive lake. This diversity attracts various mammal, bird, and wildlife species. Manyara is also home to rare tree-climbing lions. The park offers excellent game viewing with buffalo, impala, giraffe, bushbuck, waterbuck, hippos, and many elephants roaming near the lake. You can also be on the lookout for blue monkeys, velvet monkeys, and the very active olive baboon.

Head out after breakfast for the drive to Serengeti National Park. “Serengeti” is derived from the Maasai language, meaning “endless plain.” En route to the Serengeti, you can visit a Masaai Village, a perfect place to explore Maasai culture and even participate in some tribal activities. Why not choose to visit Olduvai Gorge, known as the Cradle place of humanity. The Museum is a testament to the long journey that humanity has made from its humble roots in East Africa to its current state as the dominant species on earth.

Relax for a full day in the Serengeti, unequaled for its beauty and home to the Great Wildebeest Migration. The huge herds of plains game, such as wildebeest, zebra, and antelope, dominate the park, while the attendant predators, such as lion and cheetah, are to be found amongst the many kopjes scattered across the plain. Its landscape varies from open grass plains in the south, savanna with scattered acacia trees in the center, hilly, wooded grassland in the north, to extensive woodland and black clay plains to the west.

Enjoy a morning game drive in the Serengeti before your transfer to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, part of the southern Serengeti ecosystem. Most wildebeest migration can normally be found on the short-grass plains from December to April. The area is usually heavily populated with elephants, birds, and resident games. Check-in at the lodge with an afternoon game drive.

Enjoy a full-day game drive in the Ndutu area. Explore the range of different habitats, including swamps, woodland, soda lakes, and the world-famous Serengeti short grass plains. See great herds of wildebeest and zebra roam. This time of year allows you to witness calves running minutes after birth. This is also the time of year with the best predator action! The marshes and lakes support various bird life, and the resident lion prides. Cheetahs are abundant in the plains, and the wooded ridges are always worth a look.

You descend into the Ngorongoro Crater this morning for game driving and exploration. The crater is 600m deep, 16km across, and 265 sq km in area. Enjoy the spectacular scenery and game viewing in what has been described as the world's eighth wonder. Many of Tanzania’s last remaining black rhinos can be seen grazing on the open grassland of the crater floor, surrounded by some of the 20,000 large animals that occupy the crater, including lion, cheetah, eland, zebra, and gazelle. Flamingos, among other bird species, can often be seen feeding at Makat Soda Lake. In the afternoon, drive back to Moshi for your overnight stay at Springlands Hotel.

Enjoy a morning at leisure before your transfer to Kilimanjaro airport for your flight home.