Wild At Heart Safari

Your safari begins the moment you exit the Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and are greeted by Wanderful Tanzania’s local guide(s). They will help you with your luggage and will take you to your first night’s accommodation at a beautifully appointed safari lodge in Arusha.

Tarangire National Park is a must-see destination for any safari-goer. The park covers an area of roughly 2,850 square kilometers, making it roughly a quarter of the size of the famous Serengeti. Despite its smaller size, Tarangire is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including large herds of elephants that are a highlight of any visit. The park is also known for its unique and distinctive baobab trees, which dot the landscape and provide a beautiful backdrop for your safari experience.

In addition to its wildlife and vegetation, Tarangire is also known for its diverse ecological regions. The park features river valleys, forests, marshes, and grasslands, each offering a different experience for visitors. Your guide will do their best to explore as much of the park as possible, ensuring that you get the most out of your visit. Tarangire is also home to more than 550 bird species, making it a paradise for bird-watchers.

And, as always, keep one eye out for the hundreds of bird species that make their home in this park. You should have no problem spotting all of these and so much more while in this truly magnificent park.

It is worth the early wake up to be one of the first groups to reach the crater floor on “Crater Day”… the last game drive, and final day of safari-related activities

While on the floor of this UNESCO site, it will be everyone’s primary goal to be on the lookout for the endangered Black Rhino. This will be your best shot at finding this element of the Big Five!

Although Tanzania has many wilderness and wildlife show pieces, this one is particularly difficult to put into words. With remarkable views from the ridge above, to the real action on the crater floor, the crater embodies a constant stir of wildlife and unspoiled scenes to keep you engrossed.

One of our past guests described Ngorongoro as “Where Heaven Meets Earth!” Another said it was like “A mixture of Narnia and Seuss, with just a dash of Jurassic Park!” However YOU describe it, it is a MUST-SEE on any Tanzanian safari!

Millions of years ago this enormous volcano collapse and formed this massive CALDERA that everyone mistakenly calls the “Ngorongoro Crater.”

Present day, this caldera is now an incredible, self-sustaining ecosystem that boasts the highest density of African wildlife on Earth, and a UNESCO World Heritage site to boot!

You are in for a treat on this “Day of Rest,” as it is bereft of animals, tribes, and rough dirt roads! Instead, you’ll spend the day gliding through purely pleasurable pursuits!

After departing your lodge, the guides will bring you to the African Galleria for incredible souvenir shopping, fascinating exhibits, and a chance for you to sample some authentic Swahili food and cocktails at their beautiful open-air restaurant.

The Galleria is part museum, part classroom, and part souvenir extravaganza. It is truly worth spending a few hours here, interacting with the craftsmen and finding unique and special trinkets for everyone on your Christmas list!

You can learn all about the rare and precious gemstone called “Tanzanite” that is mined from only one in the world (very near the JRO airport, interestingly enough!). This gemstone is simply exquisite and 1000 times more precious than diamonds. Experts estimate that the mine will be exhausted by 2035, which will continue to drive the value of these stones higher and higher.

Another immersive and interactive exhibit at the Galleria focuses on Ebony wood. Both of these are fascinating and fun to explore… so check them out for sure!

If you need a break from shopping… or have simply spent your retirement on Tanzanite (kidding/not kidding – the prices here are incredible!!!), head out to the open-air restaurant and grab a cocktail, beer, or soft drink and order up a couple items of local east African cuisine to munch on as well. Some of the best food I’ve EVER eaten has come from this restaurant!

The open-air restaurant… AMAZING FOOD and COLD BEER / COCKTAILS!

AFTERNOON CHILL-OUT AT THE FARM HOUSE

Once we return from this shopping/lunch excursion, we will head back into the highlands of Ngorongoro for two nights at the beautiful Ngorongoro Farm House, The balance of this day is yours to fill as you wish!

Perhaps your up for just relaxing around the pool? Maybe a spa treatment is calling your name? At 5 pm you can join “Baba Dingy, AC” on his daily guided walking tour through the lush gardens and coffee groves of the lodges 600 acres.
Baba Dingy is the Assistant Chief of the local Iraqw tribe – (the “qw” is simply a guttural sound that has to be heard to be understood).

Baba Dingy will also be around in the evenings to offer a tour of the beautiful Farm House grounds, if you wish to join him. He works for tips only.

What’s your name?
Share your name to let the document owner know who’s joining in.

After breakfast, the trucks will roll out once again, headed down the mountain and into the spectacular Ndutu Plains of the Southern Serengeti. Just before we turn off of the main road, however, we will carve out a bit of time for you to visit the Oldupai Gorge for a “lunch-and-learn” session and a spin through their small, well-curated museum. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is known around the world as “The Cradle of Humankind,” as the oldest human footprints were famously discovered there by Mary Leakey in 1959.

The site remains an active archeological excavation site, with universities, museums, and other research institutions sending teams of scientists there each year to continue the exploration.

It is a fascinating place to spend a couple of hours and realize that every single person on the planet can trace their lineage to this very spot on Earth.

NDUTU PLAINS

Following lunch, your guides will continue the drive on into the lush, green Ndutu region… birthing grouds for the Great Migration herd and on to your new tented camp, and home away from home for the next 3 nights!

You’ll be in the Ndutu region of the Serengeti for 3 nights. The Hot Air Balloon Safari will also take place during this portion of the trip, if you are participating in that adventure!

This area was made famous by documentary and cinematic filmmakers, and by researchers such as Jane Goodall.

The best months to visit the Ndutu Region are from December (when the Great Migration herds start to arrive from the north) until April when the millions of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle have begun their next march northwards once again.

In the early months of the year – with a peak in February – the wildebeest herds are calving on the verdant grassy plains (upwards of 8,000 baby animals are born in this region each day during calving season), which, in turn, also attracts the attention of cheetahs, lions and hyenas. All six of the big cat species can be found in the area all year – lion, leopard, cheetah, caracal, serval and African wildcat.

In this region, Lake Ndutu and Lake Masek form shallow basins where water accumulates from the nearby highlands. The water in both lakes are extremely saline… too saline for human consumption. Lake Ndutu comes alive with animals during the migration because it is surrounded by the dense woodlands and short-grass plains, which provide ample cover and food.

The majestic and world famous Serengeti is the thing that dreams are made of! Granite kopjes (pr. co-pees) pop up, seemingly out of nowhere, and dot the landscape like islands in a sea of wind-blown grasses.

The park has a well-earned reputation for reliable and unforgettable wildlife encounters, seemingly around every bend in the road!

You should have no problem spotting elephants, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, hippos, and more! Your guide(s) will help you spot the big cats, as those are usually much harder to locate.

And, once again, the birds play a huge role in the beauty and vibrancy of the park. They are nothing short of mind blowing, both in volume and variety!

Saying goodbye to your safari guide(s) at the end of an incredible journey is bittersweet. They have shared their knowledge, expertise and passion for Africa’s wilderness with you, making your safari experience safe, comfortable, and unforgettable.

These guys were complete strangers just 12 short days ago, but now they are your forever friends.

Be sure to look out the windows as your plane lifts off from the tiny dirt runway, and silently say your thanks and goodbyes to the mighty Serengeti too!

Upon landing back in Arusha, new guide(s) will meet you to escort you through your final day in Tanzania. Time permitting, they may offer a lunch and shopping opportunity, or perhaps a few hours in day-use rooms so that you can repack, refresh, and prepare for your long flights home again.

Either way, the goal of this day is to ensure you get to the airport in plenty of time to negotiate the check in and security process, and then relax onto your homeward flight… with your heart and mind full of the wonderful memories from your time in Tanzania!

Once home, we truly hope that you’ll tell your friends about the epic adventure and fun you had with Wanderful Tanzania! REFERRALS ARE OUR BIGGEST COMPLIMENT!