Simba Safari, Serena Lodges - Private Tour
- 8 Days
- From : Arusha
- To : Arusha
- Private
- Guide : English
- Minimum age : 10 Years Old
* This product requests separate payment. Promotion code or coupon from Ticket Here is not applicable.
Experience eight days of breathless adventure on safari in northern Tanzania with this odyssey that explores three national parks and a conservation area. ‘Safari’ comes from the Swahili word for ‘journey’ and over the course of this unforgettable itinerary, you will undertake a journey like no other: you will discover some of the most dramatic landscapes in the world, come face to face with wildlife and encounter intriguing cultures.
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Lake Manyara National Park: a lush habitat where tree-climbing lions, huge hippos, zebras and wildebeest herds can be seen. The shores of the lake, encrusted with pink flamingo, attract more than 400 species of birds. Large herds of buffalo, cheetah, giraffe and impala roam the lake shores and the forested valley slopes.
Serengeti National Park: Home to millions of wild animals and the famous location of the yearly wildebeest migration. The resident population of lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, and birds is also impressive. Its unique ecosystem has inspired writers such as Ernest Hemingway, filmmakers like Hugo von Lawick and Alan Root.
Ngorongoro Crater: the planet’s largest intact volcanic caldera is a world within a world in which humans and wildlife perfectly cohabit. Due to its size and diversity, the crater floor is comprised of several distinct areas, ranging from forest, swamps, lakes and springs, to open grassland and some sandy dunes. This area promises you a truly unique wildlife experience.
Tarangire National Park: lush and green wetlands provide an ideal habitat for hundreds of species of birds. Famous for its abundance in elephants, tree-climbing lions, leopards and pythons. The park hosts a large number of baobab trees and termite mounds.
What’s included?
TOUR GUIDE:
- Operated with bilingual English-, French-, or German-speaking local driver-guide throughout the tour (The assigned local driver-guide may change during the itinerary. Airport transfers will be operated with English-speaking drivers)
ACCOMMODATION:
- 7 night’s accommodation
MEALS:
- 7 Breakfasts
- 7 Lunches
- 6 Dinners
TRANSPORT:
- Arrival and departure private transfer in an air-conditioning car from/ to Kilimanjaro International Airport
- 4×4 vehicle with a pop-up roof and guaranteed window seat during game drives and all transportation throughout the tour (maximum 7 persons per vehicle) on a private basis
ENTRANCE FEES & ACTIVITIES:
- All entrance fees and activities mentioned in the itinerary: 1 game drive at Lake Manyara National Park, 1 game drive at Serengeti National Park (Day 3); 2 game drives at Serengeti National Park (Day 4); 1 game drive at Ngorongoro Crater (Day 5); 2 game drives at Ngorongoro Crater (Day 6); 1 game drive at Tarangire National Park (Day 7)
OTHER:
- Meet & Greet
- All park fees and government taxes
- 1 bottle of mineral water (500ml) per person per day on game drives
Exclusions
- Visas
- Domestic flights
- International flights
- Drinks during meals (unless specified otherwise)
- City tax not included, payable on the spot
- Any visit not mentioned in the program
- Porterage and gratuities
- Expenditures of a personal nature, drinks and meals or items not stated explicitly in the program
- Any alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, mineral water, camera/video camera fee (if any)
- Travel Insurance or any loss or extra cost arising due to unforeseen circumstances such as flight delays, accidents, etc.
Please note
- Day 8, the drop-off is at Kilimanjaro International Airport at around 02:00 pm. Flights to be booked 04:00 pm onwards
- No refund for unused services. Splitting of the package is not allowed
- We reserve the right to change itineraries and activities due to weather conditions, technical problems or security reasons
- Early check-in, late check-out, connecting or adjoining rooms in the hotel are subject to availability and not guaranteed
- This tour is a combination of regular tours and shared arrangements, clients may be required to change vehicles
- Park fees may change without prior notice. This is beyond our control and any increase levied will have to be covered by the client
- Due to limited luggage space in vehicles, suitcases are unsuitable for scheduled road safaris. We recommend luggage packed in inexpensive barrel/sausage bags or soft-sided bags not exceeding 15kg and 65×46 cm. Excess luggage can be handed over to the representative at the time of briefing. It will be handed over to you on your return from the safari. Additional costs may apply to pick up drop off luggage at specific points
What do I need to bring?
Passengers should bring only soft-sided bags on safari. Passport/ identity card required for internal flights, for which baggage is limited to 15kg per person, including hand luggage. Excess baggage will be charged at check-in. Passengers arriving Tanzania may be asked to present a valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate. Travellers’ cheques are generally not accepted in east Africa. US banknotes cannot be older than 2004 and must have the most current security markings (large portrait of the president). Sun protection, sunglasses, a hat and mosquito repellent can be very useful during your stay.
Accommodation options
ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
Day 1 Arusha:
- Superior Hotel Category = Arusha Serena Hotel or similar 5*
Day 2-3 Lake Manyara:
- Superior Hotel Category = Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge or similar 5*
Day 4-5 Serengeti:
- Superior Hotel Category = Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge or similar 5*
Day 5-6 Karatu:
- Superior Hotel Category = Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge or similar 5*
Day 7 Tarangire:
- Superior Hotel Category = Tarangire Sopa Lodge or similar 4*
Cancellation policy
- Once ordered, this tour cannot be cancelled or refund or amended at any circumstances.
Day 1 : ARRIVAL ARUSHA
After landing in Kilimanjaro International Airport, a tour representative will meet and greet you before guiding you to your transfer to Arusha Serena Hotel. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure, be that heading out to start exploring Arusha at your own rhythm, or perhaps taking advantage of the comfortable facilities. This hotel stands amid coffee plantations on the shores of Lake Duluti. Designed to echo the traditional style of the colonial coffee farm, which originally stood on this site, it offers a range of tastefully presented cottage-style rooms set amid extensive landscaped grounds.
Overnight in Arusha.
Day 2 : ARUSHA – LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK (120 Kms – 2 hrs)
After breakfast at the hotel, spend the morning at leisure discovering the exclusive views or specific flavours of this lively town. Take some time for a safari briefing followed by lunch. In the afternoon, depart Arusha passing through the Maasai Steppe, which is filled with picturesque African villages, as well as maize, coffee and banana plantations. At the town of Makuyuni turn northwest and continue the journey through a scenic escarpment that brings you to your lodge, perched on the edge of the Rift Valley with stunning views over the distant Lake Manyara. The Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge offers a unique blend of tranquillity, wildlife discovery, and ornithological richness. Designed to reflect the brilliance of Lake Manyara’s unique birdlife, the architectural motif melds swooping avian curves with the gentle concentric patterns of traditional Maasai ‘bomas’, while the vibrantly coloured wall frescoes depict the intricacy of bird migration patterns. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Overnight in Lake Manyara.
Day 3 : LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK – SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK (245 Kms – 5 hrs)
Breakfast is followed by a game drive in Lake Manyara National Park. Return to the lodge for lunch. Afterwards, leaving Lake Manyara behind, the journey continues northwest across the stunning hilly countryside of the highlands, which is filled with wheat and coffee plantations, and then into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. From here lie the vast plains of the Serengeti, where you begin spotting wildlife as you approach the entrance gate. Enter the park with game viewing en route to the lodge. Arrive at Serengeti Serena Lodge, check-in and enjoy a tasty dinner. Set high on the saddle of a tree-clad ridge and commanding panoramic views across the Serengeti, this lodge is the ultimate fusion of traditional African architecture and world-class style. Adjacent to the famous Western Corridor and Grumeti River, the lodge has been designed to blend completely into the landscape and has been styled to offer a showcase of cultural performance, heritage and traditional art. This is best illustrated by the lavish Makonde carvings which decorate both the rooms and the stunning domed dining room. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Overnight in Serengeti.
Day 4 : SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK (5-6 hrs on game drives)
The Serengeti National Park is famed for being home to millions of animals and the annual Great Migration of wildebeests, zebras and gazelles but the dramatic landscapes in which the wildlife prowls are themselves worthy of admiration during the morning and afternoon game drives. Riverine forests and woodlands, rocky outcrops called kopjes and a volcano are just some of the backdrops in which the animals can be spotted during the game drives. With some luck, here you will see the Big Five: the lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros. Birds and reptiles are also plentiful in the national park. An optional balloon safari is also available today, departing the lodge before sunrise with flights at different levels to give you both an overview of Serengeti National Park and a close look at the wildlife. After almost an hour of flight time, land and enjoy a bush breakfast and a glass of champagne. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Overnight in Serengeti.
Day 5 : SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK – NGORONGORO CRATER (190 Kms – 4 hrs)
After breakfast, depart for Ngorongoro with a picnic lunch. Enjoy viewing game across the vast Serengeti plains and stopping en route for a picnic lunch. Continue to Ngorongoro Serena Lodge, set high on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, arriving just in time for dinner. Regularly voted one of the best hotels in the world, this unique lodge clings to the rim of the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera. Long and low, the lodge is built from local river stone and camouflaged with indigenous vines. Designed to blend completely into the landscape, it is entirely invisible from the floor of the crater. Known as the eighth wonder of the world, the Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s best-known wildlife arenas. A UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site, it offers a unique biosphere that has remained virtually unchanged since the dawn of time. Deep within the Crater, enclosed by towering walls, some 25,000 large mammals wander the plains, lakes and forests of this ‘land that time forgot’, dominated by enormous bull elephants, rhinos and lions. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Overnight in Ngorongoro.
Day 6 : NGORONGORO CRATER (5-6 hrs on game drives)
Wake up to breakfast and depart to explore what is commonly referred to as the world’s largest natural wildlife arena. Descend with a picnic lunch through the early morning mists, delving 600 metres into the crater. Due to its size and diversity, the crater floor is comprised of several distinct areas, ranging from forest, swamps, lakes and springs, to open grassland and some sandy dunes. This area promises you a truly unique wildlife experience. Return to the lodge in the late afternoon and spend the rest of the day at leisure. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Overnight in Ngorongoro.
Day 7 : NGORONGORO – TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK (195 Kms – 4 hrs)
Depart Ngorongoro Crater after breakfast, heading southeast past Lake Manyara and Mto Wa Mbu Village. Drive through the highlands and the Karatu district, admiring the scenic wheat plains and coffee plantations. Turn south on to the main Arusha-Dodoma road and enter the park. From here to the Tarangire Sopa Lodge, enjoy a game drive en-route. After lunch, climb onto your safari vehicle and enjoy an afternoon game viewing within the park. Hidden among the kopjes lies Tarangire Sopa Lodge, surrounded by ancient baobab trees. It is the home to one of the greatest concentration of elephants in Africa, and other game including the elusive leopard. Over 400 bird species have been identified within the park. With water constantly available through the Tarangire River, the greenery is lush, providing a wonderful contrast to the burnt ground. The lodge boasts 75 spacious rooms with glass sliding doors to a balcony with a great view of the landscape beyond. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Overnight in Tarangire.
Day 8 : TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK – DEPART ARUSHA (155 Kms – 3 hrs)
Depart after breakfast and head northeast to Arusha. The journey will take you back through the Maasai Steppe to Arusha. Upon arrival, have lunch before hopping onto your transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport, where you’ll catch your flight to your next destination. Breakfast and lunch included.