11-day “Birding with Bryan” Photosafari

Your safari begins the moment you exit the Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and are greeted by your 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.

The majestic, vast, and world famous Serengeti is the thing that dreams are made of! Granite kopjes pop up, seemingly out of nowhere, and dot the landscape like islands in a sea of wind-blown grasses. God rays peak out from behind the clouds, high above all of the magnificent creatures that call the Serengeti “home.”

There is nothing like hearing the roar of a distant lion from your tent at night and then sharing the road with a huge male lion for more than an hour at sunrise the next morning. You can’t help asking, “Was that YOU making all the noise last night?”

This magnificent park has a well-earned reputation for reliable and unforgettable wildlife encounters that, at times, seem to be around every bend in the road! You should have no problem spotting elephants, giraffes, zebras, antelopes of every variety, hippos, etc. And the birds! Birds are ever present in the parks of Tanzania… and in May, the birds should be nothing short of mind blowing in both volume and beauty!

You will leave the Serengeti and head for the magnificent Ngorongoro highlands. As your guides make their way along the rim road that circles the top of the crater, they’ll stop at the viewpoint to give you a sneak peak at what awaits you the following day. It will be a very early start on Crater Day, as you’ll want to be one of the first groups onto the crater floor! Hopefully you’ll be ready to help your guides locate the elusive and endangered Black Rhinos that live inside this incredible crater. This will be your best chance of finding this element of the Big Five! Naturally, you’ll also be on birds as well… as there are always birds here (storks, kory bustards, flamingos, crowned cranes, secretary birds, etc.)

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 we mistakenly refer to 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!

This day will arrive before you know it, and way before you wish it to be upon you.

Your guide(s) will drive you back to Arusha, stopping along the way for a beautiful lunch, some shopping, and (time permitting) even a day-use room so that you can shower, repack, and get ready for your long flights back home once more!

Your guide(s) will ensure you arrive to the international airport in plenty of time to relax onto your flights. That’s where the hardest part of your entire safari will take place… the goodbyes!

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 11 short days ago, but now they are your forever friends. They will see you off with full hearts, memories that will never fade, and a newfound appreciation for this precious planet we all share.

Once safely back at home, we truly hope that you’ll tell your friends about the epic adventure and fun you had with Wanderful Tanzania!