2020 AFRICAN MYSTRIQUE

Travel south to Tarangire National Park, where baobab and acacia trees dominate the landscape. After lunch, embark on an exciting afternoon game drive. Tarangire is the the sixth largest national park in Tanzania and is best between July to March when large numbers of elephant and other animals migrate there from Lake Manyara. The park is famous for huge baobab trees, large herds of elephant  and tree climbing pythons. Tarangire National Park covers 2,850 sq miles and is well worth a visit given how well it demonstrates how diverse East Africa is. The bird life here is absolutely extraordinary, where sightings of the Paradise Whyder and the Yellow collared lovebird are frequent.

Travel south to Tarangire National Park, where baobab and acacia trees dominate the landscape. After lunch, embark on an exciting afternoon game drive. Tarangire is the the sixth largest national park in Tanzania and is best between July to March when large numbers of elephant and other animals migrate there from Lake Manyara. The park is famous for huge baobab trees, large herds of elephant  and tree climbing pythons. Tarangire National Park covers 2,850 sq miles and is well worth a visit given how well it demonstrates how diverse East Africa is. The bird life here is absolutely extraordinary, where sightings of the Paradise Whyder and the Yellow collared lovebird are frequent.

Today features morning & afternoon game drives in the savannah grasslands. Enjoy panoramic views of baobab and acacia trees as you search for the elephant, eland, zebra, and Cape buffalo that congregate around the waterholes. Relax at your lodge or camp between game drives. Dinner & overnight at Maramboi Luxury Tented Lodge.

Take the Ernest Hemingway route to Lake Manyara National Park, a Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Enjoy one last game drive in Tarangire in route to Lake Manyara National Park at the base of the Rift Valley escarpment. This small park is ecologically diverse, with groundwater forests, grassy plains, and alkaline Lake Manyara. During the game drive, watch for elephant, Cape buffalo, and giraffe. The park is also home to the world’s largest concentration of baboon. Continue to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area for the night and enjoy dinner & overnight stay at Kitela Luxury Lodge.

Our day will begin with a journey to Lake Eyasi where we will enjoy visiting with the nomadic Hadzabe tribe to learn about their hunting techniques and their way of life in this challenging environment. Your day with the Hadzabe is not something you are likely to forget. Singing and rhythmic chants drift over from the women’s camp. They grow no food, raise no livestock, and live without rules or calendars. They are living a hunter-gatherer existence that hasn’t changed in the past 10,000 years. What do they know, that we have forgotten? We will venture with them for the day and the morning after, then have dinner and stay overnight at the Lake Eyasi Lodge.

Today we visit with The Datoga Tribe. The Datoga are first and foremost warriors, known for their stealth ability to eliminate their enemy. Little is know or archived about the Datoga. It is known that they migrated some 3,000 years ago from the Highlands of Ethiopia. Datoga’s are farmers specializing in onion plantations, but share similarities to Maasai in some traditions. They are characteristically known for keeping to themselves. They refused to engage themselves in colonization and vehemently resent the government, making them an enemy of the state. However, their current situation has placed them in a pivotal challenge of continuing their traditional existence. An ongoing challenge has been Datoga’s poor attention to health and education but has been slowly changing. Until recently only 5% of Datoga spoke the national language Swahili. After our visit with the Datoga, we’ll enjoy full board accommodation at Kisimangeda Luxury Tented lodge located on an amazing valley.

Today we embark into the heart of Tanzania- Ngorongoro Crater also known as the Eden of Africa. Embark with Maasai Warriors to the
 Ngorongoro area for a full day game drive. The crater is technically a caldera, the world’s largest un-flooded, in fact, at more than 2,000 feet deep with a floor covering over 102 square miles. Game viewing here is fantastic, as most of the animals stay in this area year round. You can see lion, cape buffalo, hippo, elephant, and flamingo. This is also your best chance to see the rare black rhinoceros. A picnic lunch will be served in the crater, then dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Sopa Luxury Lodge, located at the rim of the Crater.

Today, drive to Serengeti National Park, Tanzania’s largest and most famous park. But first, we’ll make a stop the Olduvai Gorge in northern Tanzania, which is internationally recognized for Louis and Mary Leakey’s famous discoveries of early humans and magnificent antiquities documenting the evolutionary history of our stone tool-using ancestors. Proceed to Serengeti National Park where you’ll will have a picnic after you reach the park gate. The park is home to the annual Great Migration of wildebeest and zebra, generally between late November and July, and it attracts visitors from around the world due to it’s incredible game viewing. At the end of a day we’ll retreat to Serengeti

The Serengeti covers an area of roughly 5,700 square miles, so it’s no surprise that the name comes from the Maasai word siringit, meaning endless plains. Explore this vast park during morning & afternoon game drives. Search for the Big Five: lion, leopard, Cape buffalo, elephant, and rhino; as well as an abundance of other animals, including cheetah, giraffe, gazelle, and eland. Between game drives, take advantage of leisure time and relax Serengeti Kati Kati Luxury Tented Camp.

Today early morning we will embark on a Serengeti hot air balloon tour followed by in bush Champagne breakfast. Then fly to Arusha in time for lunch at Arusha Coffee Lodge in the plantation. Relax at lunch and slowly depart to Mount Meru Hotel.

Enjoy a guided cultural walking tour with park rangers through Arusha National Park. Walk across the wilderness to Mount Meru Waterfall, Little Momella Lake, an open savanna to Acacia Scrubland, Afro Mountain, Cloud Rain Forest, and Afro Alpine vegetation. There are several alkaline lakes and the spectacular Ngurdoto Crater. Mammal species include elephant, buffalo, various primates, giraffes and leopards. You will be accompanied by an armed guards. At 4,556 m tall, Mt. Meru, the fifth tallest mountain in Africa, and provides the best views of Mount Kilimanjaro directly from your bungalow at Africa Amini Life traditional Maasai Lodge, where you will be welcomed with an open heart including traditional dances, songs and more. Enjoy the evening African sunset, food, drinks, accommodations, and stories from Maasai and Meru tribe chiefs.

Today we spend time with the Maasai warriors, explore the base of Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro via Ngabobo village. Get up close with Maasai and Meru culture, gaining experiences deep in Africa. We will have a spear competition activity with the Maasai Warriors, dance, costumes and so much more. You will be accommodated at traditional Maasai Lodge on full board accommodations.

At 9am we will depart from Arusha National Park to Mount Meru Village, Ombeni’s home village. Then we visit with Songoro primary school where Ombeni Safaris and Ombeni Foundation are deeply involved and committed. This is the school where Ombeni himself attended. You will be warmly welcomed by students, teachers, parents, and village elders. After visiting, we will drive up to Mount Meru. Our Cruiser will be left at Ombeni’s farm and we will hike to Lemika Hill for a picnic at the foot of Mt. Meru. After lunch we will hike back through agricultural fields of bananas and coffee plantations, and finally stay overnight at Arumeru River Lodge Luxury Lodge.

Today is your final day in Tanzania, so, Let’s make it special by inviting local bands, African percussionists, dancers, local chiefs, cuisines, and so much more. This is where Ombeni likes to show off his best. We will have a wonderful time celebrating this incredible journey.

Today we will say goodbye to Tanzania and your Timeless Serengeti Migration Safari. You will have the morning to relax at your hotel, shop in the Arusha local market for souvenirs, and return to your hotel where you will relax or can walk around the coffee plantations until departure time. Two hours before your flight you will be shuttled to Kilimanjaro International Airport to arrive in time for your home bound flight.