Tanzania Safaris: Authentic Camping Safari - WF

Valid from 01 January until the 31st of December 2008

Imagine finding yourself under the vast African sky in the middle of one of the last expanses of true wilderness left on our planet, possibly listening to the haunting and mysterious sounds of night predators and their prey as the drama of their interactions unfold.  Is this your kind of safari?

On our Authentic Mobile Safaris we offer a style of travel which is extremely comfortable, whilst still mobile camping, allowing our guests to get off the beaten track and away from the main safari thoroughfares.  On this style of safari we book private wilderness campsites to keep you away from the crowds and as close as possible to the wildlife action.

Our support vehicle and camp crew travel ahead of the group and set up the camp.  We provide 3.5 x 3.5 m dome tents, which are extremely spacious and we provide camp beds, foam mattresses and warm bedding which consists of a sleeping bag, cotton inner sheet and a small pillow.   The shower and eco-friendly toilet are en suite, so you dont have to leave the safety of your tent at night. Sumptuous meals are prepared by our friendly safari chef(s), and are either served in the mess tent, or if you prefer, directly under the stars.  Outside your tent and at the meal table you will have the use of large, comfortable, foldaway chairs and we provide washstands and a large towel for each client.  During the safari (from Day 3) you may wish to take advantage of the support vehicle for carrying your larger items of luggage and carry only a daypack, allowing extra space and comfort inside your safari vehicle.

Inside your spacious safari vehicle you will find a selection of reference books on Tanzanias parks, history, its flora and fauna, and a cool box for drinks.   In our specially customised extended Land Cruisers the windows are enlarged and the roof height extended to allow ease of photography and game viewing, with plenty of room to stretch your legs.  Our standard Land Cruisers are also very comfortably customised for safari and both types of vehicles have game viewing hatches that allow 360-degree views.

Your guide and their assistants are experienced professionals who will prioritise your comfort and safety as well as ensuring optimal game-viewing opportunities throughout your safari with us.

Meals usually consist of a cooked breakfast, light lunch and a three-course dinner.  We supply 2 litres of mineral water per person, per day and 2 soft drinks/sodas on the mobile safari section.  We regret that we are unable to supply other beverages or alcoholic drinks, however your guide will be happy to show you where best to purchase these prior to departure and at convenient points along the way.  Your drinks supply will be carried in the supply vehicle.

Authentic Mobile safaris are a relaxed alternative to a lodge safari - for those who prefer to sleep under canvas and get away from the crowds.

Please note that we can offer this same itinerary, or similar itinerary to private groups and individuals on any date, and we can also combine with some nights in lodges should you prefer.

ITINERARY

DAY 1
Your guide will meet you at your Arusha hotel and conduct a pre-departure briefing at 08h30 for a 09h00 departure.  Your guide can assist you should you wish to exchange money or purchase other beverages or snacks.  The rest of the safari crew will have gone ahead to set up your camp.

The drive to Tarangire is just over two hours and so we will either be able to enjoy lunch at the campsite or a picnic lunch en route so that you will be able to spend the rest of the day game-viewing.

The Tarangire ecosystem is the third largest in Tanzania (20 000 square kilometres), of which the park occupies a mere 13%.  During the dry season, the park has the second largest concentration of wildlife in Tanzania.  The unique acacia and baobab vegetation provides a home for over 550 bird species, as well as lion, leopard, buffalo and large herds of elephant; also species such as gerenuk, oryx and eland, rarely seen in the other parks in the north.

Lunch and dinner included.  Overnight at a private campsite at Lake Manyara National Park, or in a private concession nearby.

DAY 2
This morning we rise early and explore Lake Manyara National Park (either for the day or possibly an early morning and late afternoon drive instead), and enjoy game viewing and bird watching in this pretty little National Park.  Overnight camping at your private site.

Lake Manyara is a shallow, alkaline lake at the base of a sheer stretch of the western Rift Valley escarpment.  The north-western area of this lake is protected in a 330 sq km national park, which contains a remarkable diversity of terrestrial habitats:  the grassy floodplain of the lakeshore, the rocky base of the escarpment, a belt of thick acacia woodland and a lush patch of groundwater forest just inside the northern entrance gate.  An interesting bio-diversity of fauna and flora can be observed here and a variety of large mammal species including elephant, buffalo, wildebeest, giraffe and lion.  Perhaps, however, the most immediately visible residents are the troupes of olive baboon, sometimes found in the company of the smaller and rather beautiful blue monkey.  This is also a wonderful location for viewing groups of elephants and for keen birders.  Manyara has recorded almost 400 species due to the wide habitat diversity.

DAY 3
An early start this morning in order to allow the support crew to start breaking down camp while we enjoy breakfast.  As the camp crew get on their way to set up camp at our next location, we will be able to take our picnic boxes and head off towards Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

We may stop en route at the bustling towns of Mto-wa-mbu, where there is a lively curio market, and then on to Karatu, a rich farming area.  We then weave our way upwards into the densely forested slopes of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, pausing to admire the splendid view of the crater floor 600m below at Heroes Point.

We head down into the caldera below and spend the rest of the day enjoying game viewing in one of the most spectacular places on earth!  Photographic opportunities are abundant, and one often sees four out of the Big Five in a short time!  We will have a picnic lunch at the floor of the crater at a pleasant lakeside location where we can stretch our legs and soak up the magnificent scenery.  Arrive early evening at our private campsite.

All meals included.  Overnight private campsite inside Ngorongoro Conservation area.

At 8 300 sq km Ngorongoro Conservation Area is named after its central feature, the Ngorongoro Crater, which is the worlds largest intact volcanic caldera and within which has evolved an extraordinary natural sanctuary for some of Africas densest populations of large mammals.  The crater floor itself is 260 sq kms and from the viewing points at the rim the vast herds of wildebeest, buffalo and zebra look like mere ant formations winding their way across the grasslands below!  The crater is also home to a great diversity of environments and you may encounter all of the large herbivores mentioned above, as well as lions, hyenas, jackals, male elephant (females and family groups tend to stay up on the higher slopes) and, in the forest around the rim, occasional leopard and bushbuck.  There is an active black rhino breeding project inside the crater and you may be lucky enough to spot some of these magnificent, shy beasts during your tour, but sightings are limited as breeding areas are strictly protected and usually closed to public access.

The crater rim can be very cold at night and cloaked in mist in the early mornings.  It can also be quite bleak and windy (July and August).  You will need a heavy jumper, several layers or a warm jacket here.

DAY 4
This morning we break camp and embark on a game drive into the great Serengeti plains.  Before crossing from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area into the Serengeti National Park we should take the opportunity to visit the Olduvai Gorge where we may attend a short talk on the archaeological importance of Olduvai and the work of Mary and Louis Leakey in excavating the area and discovering some of Africas most important hominid fossils. You may like to consider an optional extra of a visit to a Maasai village boma where you can spend some time learning about the culture, traditions and beliefs of this ancient, noble warrior tribe.  This is at an additional cost, and should be discussed with the guide, and paid directly to the guide and the Masai.

The Serengeti is unequalled for its beauty and contains more than three million large mammals spread over the vast endless plains.  It is here, at certain times of the year, that we may encounter the breathtaking spectacle of the annual wildebeest migration, where one and a quarter million wildebeest trek in columns of up to forty kilometres long in search of grazing, drawing with them their predators and numerous other species of game.  From January to March the herds can largely be found in the southern area, proceeding north through the centre and Western Corridor during June and July before entering Kenyas Masai Mara.  They return south in November to repeat this amazing instinctive procession all over again.

Please note we endeavour to use our permanent Serengeti Wilderness Tented Camp for the nights spent in the Serengeti on this itinerary.  This is NOT however, guaranteed, but is offered as a free upgrade on the scheduled departures only, subject to availability.   Your consultant will confirm with you close to date of travel where you will be staying. Should the camp not be available, we will pre-book our campsite in the area where the migration is anticipated but please note that the movement of game in recent years has proved to be highly unpredictable due to abnormal weather patterns disrupting the growth of vegetation and thus the food sources followed by the herds.

All meals included.  Overnight Serengeti National Park.

Balloon safari If you would like to go on an early morning balloon safari over the Serengeti, this MAY be possible but is largely dependent on the position of your pre-booked campsites and the season that you travel.  (For instance it is not possible to travel from Kirawira or Grumeti in the Western corridor, or Lobo or Bologonja in the north to do a balloon safari as the balloon company collects clients from the Seronera central area only).  Please note that balloon safaris can only be organised by PRE-ARRANGEMENT and there is an additional cost for this, detailed below.  It can only be booked for Day 6 or 7 of your safari.

DAY 5 & 6

Morning and afternoon game drives in Serengeti National Park.

Africas most famous game reserve covers an area of almost 15 000 sq km and is world-renowned for its dense predator population and the annual wildebeest migration.  The park is part of the much large Serengeti eco-system, which includes Kenyas Masai Mara Game Reserve, and encompasses more than double this area.  The greater park of the park is open grassland, patches of acacia woodland and isolated areas of granite rock outcrops called koppies.  Animal migration is linked to the annual rainfall patterns and its effect on their feeding habitats.  Formerly the home of the Maasai tribe who displaced the Datoga pastoralists in the 17th century, the name Serengeti is derived from the Maasai word serengit, meaning endless plain. The national park was created by the Tanzania Government in 1951 and became famous through the work of Professor Bernard Grzimek (in particular his book Serengeti Shall Not Die).

Huge herds of wildebeest and zebra can be found here along with smaller concentrations of Thomsons gazelle, Grants gazelle, impala, kongoni, Kirk s did dik, klipspringer and small numbers of roan, oryx, oribi, eland and waterbuck.  There are also significant numbers of buffalo, giraffe and warthog.  Elephants are relatively scarce on the open plains, more common in the northern areas and the western corridor.  The few remaining black rhinos are restricted to an inaccessible part of the park.  But the most popular animals to be found here in greater abundance than elsewhere on the northern circuit are the cats.  Lions, cheetahs and leopard may all be seen here along with other predators, such as the spotted hyena, golden and black-backed jackals, wild cats and servals.

All meals included.  Overnight Serengeti National Park.

DAY 7
We recommend that you consider the option of flying back from the Serengeti to Arusha today.  It is an exceptionally scenic flight over the highlands of Ngorongoro, across the vast expanse of the Rift Valley escarpments, and through the green coffee plantations surrounding Arusha airport.  On a clear day you will see amazing views of Mount Merus dark profile rising up above the town, cloaked in wisps of cloud, and sometimes Kilimanjaro in the distance.  The flight is an additional cost, detailed below.

If flying back, breakfast only will be included.

Alternatively, you may prefer to drive back to Arusha - arriving late afternoon (picnic lunch included).  There may be a little time to shop for curios along the way or just outside the town centre.  Drop-off at your Arusha Hotel (own arrangements).  End of programme

INCLUSIONS:
* 6-Night authentic mobile safari by road in 4x4 vehicle with open game
viewing hatches,  with full back up crew in second vehicle
* All meals on safari
* Game viewing activities as indicated
* Services of a driver/guide, support crew and cook
* Camp beds and mattresses
* Bedding, small pillows and towels
* Bottled water (no sodas) for game drives / in vehicle throughout

EXCLUSIONS:
International flights & taxes, airport transfers, Arusha accommodation (pre & post safari), visas, travel insurance, health requirements, gratuities, drinks, all items of a personal nature and any service not specified.

STYLE OF SAFARI
On this style of trip our clients are not expected to participate in any of the camp preparations or chores.  Our camp crew will take care of all aspects of camp life behind the scenes, allowing our guests to have a real holiday in some of the most beautiful game areas in Africa.

Group size is restricted to maximum 7 persons to a vehicle all with window seats.  Our stretch vehicles are very spacious with game viewing open hatches and large windows for photography, while standard cruisers have standard Land Cruiser windows and large game viewing hatches with overhead shade - those vehicles will carry up to five persons.  Our safari chef prepares all meals and vegetarians can be easily catered for but please do advise us well in advance so that we can shop accordingly.

We have put together a few set departures for people to enjoy a slightly longer visit than normal to the Serengeti, and to join like-minded guests on this once in a lifetime trip!  The minimum age limit is 16.  We can arrange a private trip for families with children under 16 on request.

The safari departs Arusha at 09h00-09h30 on a SATURDAY morning, it is necessary to spend FRIDAY night in either Arusha or Moshi to join this safari.  Ideally guests should overnight in Arusha the NIGHT BEFORE the safari commences.