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SAFARI-GIRL

AFRICAN SAFARIS

"Enchanted Tanzania"

June 13 - June 25, 2012

Escorted by Denise Bonnell

“The first time I visited Tanzania was in 1996, after a two-week safari in Kenya. Half of my safari group signed up for the Tanzania extension which included Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara, and Ngorongoro Crater. Like everyone else, I was completely overwhelmed with the wild beauty of Tanzania and the abundance of wildlife. It was during this time that I had one of my most memorable “safari” experiences in the Ngorongoro Crater floor. We had stopped to observe two female lions walking down a hillside to the left of our vehicle. There was a waterhole in front of us so we assumed they were headed there. We sat quietly in our vehicle waiting for the lions to pass by. The windows of our 4X4 safari vehicle were rolled down all the way. The first lioness walked by us and headed straight to the waterhole. We were so excited! Then the second lioness appeared, only this time she diverted from the path and headed directly towards our vehicle!

 

As we waited for her, she suddenly walked straight to my window. She was so close I could smell her breath. I trembled with excitement as she looked up at me. Neither of us moved. We stared at each other for about a minute or so. Everyone in the vehicle froze. I remember her piercing yellow eyes. They were beautiful! She was majestic, huge, and had scars on her face from her past kills (and attempted kills). She was one of the most beautiful creatures I had ever seen. She then slowly turned away and continued on to the waterhole. As the two lions drank together, I sat staring at them thankful for what I had just experienced. This is Africa and anything can happen.  I had just witnessed something that I will never forget.

 

Since then, I have been to Tanzania many more times and this enchanted country is one of my very favorite places to view wildlife. I have been on safaris where we stayed in permanent tented camps and on safaris where we stayed in mobile tented camps. I decided to combine both for this safari! What better way to see Tanzania than from a mobile tented camp, right in the middle of the Serengeti, and from two gorgeous permanent tented camps, situated in pristine African wilderness. I have also planned for us to stay at two beautiful lodges at the beginning, middle, and end of our safari, where we will have the opportunity to pamper ourselves as well as share everything we have seen and learned with the others about one of the most beautiful places on earth – Tanzania!”

-- Denise Bonnell

Tanzania, where the John Wayne movie “Hatari” was filmed, is a country of legends. It is the home of some of Africa’s most renowned wildlife reserves, many of which are still undiscovered by tourists and every bit as exciting as the Serengeti. From the breathtaking beauty of Ngorongoro Crater, to the totally wild savannahs of the world-famous Serengeti, this safari has everything for the safari traveler. Included in this itinerary is a stay in two different permanent tented camps, a mobile tented camp right in the middle of the Serengeti, and two luxurious lodges. It is a combination that will not only make your safari “unforgettable” but will provide you with so many photo opportunities your camera will be clicking non-stop!

The accommodations used in this itinerary, with the exception of Arusha Coffee Lodge, are owned by Tanganyika Wilderness Camps, and include a unique collection of permanent tented camps, mobile camping, and beautiful lodges. The properties are all situated in private areas of exceptional natural beauty that are rich in wildlife and inhabited by spectacular local tribes. The main aim of Tanganyika Wilderness Camps is to provide clients memorable safari experiences in exclusive camps and lodges with an atmosphere of privacy and intimate isolation. Tanganyika is also committed to the long-term conservation of the environment and wildlife and work closely together with the local communities to help improve the living conditions of the people.

These camps and lodges are “off the beaten path” and are truly exceptional in every way.
 

Highlights of this safari include the following:

• Two nights at Maramboi Tented Camp which is a permanent camp situated between Lake Manyara and Tarangire National Park. Tarangire is one of the most beautiful protected areas in Northern Tanzania. It has the highest concentration of wildlife during the dry season and is the only park in the area where one can find a large concentration of elephants year round. Lake Manyara is a scenic gem, with a setting extolled by Ernest Hemingway as “the loveliest I had seen in Africa.” A narrow belt of acacia woodland in the park is the favored place of Manyara’s legendary tree-climbing lions and impressively tusked elephants.

• One night at Ngorongoro Farm House, a small and exclusive lodge only 5 km from the Ngoronogro Lolduare gate. This beautiful lodge, set among huge old trees, was built in the style of an old colonial farm and offers guests an imaginary journey to the life of days gone by.

• Tour of Ngorongoro Crater with picnic lunch. Many call Ngorongoro the 8th wonder of the world. It is the permanent home of nearly 25,000 animals with ideal game viewing opportunities all year round. The Crater floor contains alkaline and fresh water lakes and teems with large carnivores, herbivores, primates and birds. It also boasts one of the last viable populations of the nearly extinct black rhinoceros.

• A visit to Olduvai Gorge, also called “The Cradle of Mankind”, home to the excavation work pioneered by Louis and Mary Leakey. Olduvai Gorge continues to yield a remarkable record of human evolution beginning some 2 million years ago.

• Three nights at Kati Kati Camp, a luxury mobile tented camp strategically located in the vast Serengeti plains. The “World-famous” Serengeti is Tanzania’s most famous game park. It encompasses nearly 15,000 sq. kms. and is unrivaled anywhere for its seasonally shifting concentrations of herbivores. Nearly 1.5 million wildebeest, 500,000 gazelle, and 250,000 zebra complete a cyclical annual migration within the ecosystem between November and June.

Waking up to the sounds of the Serengeti – the distant echoes of hooves across its vast plains, or the loud trumpet calls of the Tarangire elephants as they make their way across the Tarangire River, or descending down the access road into the ethereal blue-green vistas of the Ngorongoro Crater and spending the day surrounded by more wildlife than you ever imagined, are memories that will stay with you forever!

ITINERARY

June 13

LOS ANGELES/EN ROUTE

The excitement of your safari adventure begins as you check in at the British Airways counter for your flight at Los Angeles International Airport (or from your gateway city in the U.S). 

June 14

LONDON

Arrive London Heathrow in the afternoon and depart for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in the early evening.

June 15

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA/ARUSHA

Arusha Coffee Lodge, Tanzania

Arusha Coffee Lodge, Tanzania

Arusha Coffee Lodge, Tanzania

Arusha Coffee Lodge, Tanzania

Arusha Coffee Lodge, Tanzania

Depart Dar es Salaam at 9:00 in the morning for your short flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport where your guide, Denise Bonnell, will meet you at the airport for your transfer to the Arusha Coffee Lodge.  Freshen up, relax, and enjoy your afternoon at the lodge.  Arusha Coffee Lodge lies cradled in the endless acres of Tanzania’s largest coffee plantation.  This exclusive lodge has been designed around the farm’s original plantation, radiating the warmth and invitation of the old colonial plantation homes historically distinctive to the coffee plantation.

Accommodations consist of beautifully furnished bungalows with large four poster beds, split level lounge areas, and your very own private deck overlooking the berry laden coffee bushes.  It is the place to relax and rejuvenate before or after your Tanzania safari.  Laze around the swimming pool or garden terrace, enjoy a sundowner at the Safari Bar, or unwind after a delectable meal in the lounge with a good liqueur and a fireside chat. 

Welcome Dinner and Safari Briefing.

ARUSHA COFFEE LODGE                 (L,D)

Arusha Coffee Lodge, Tanzania

June 16

TARANGIRE/LAKE MANYARA

Maramboi Tented Camp, Tanzania

After breakfast, we board our four wheel drive safari vehicles and head west to Maramboi Tented Camp, near the northwest corner of Tarangire and located on the migratory corridor of Manyara and Tarangire.  Luxurious Maramboi Tented Camp offers impressive views of the Rift Valley and Manyara National Park.  The extraordinary location of this tented camp allows for plenty of wildlife viewing opportunities and is one of the few places in East Africa where one can clearly see migrating herds of wildebeest and zebra followed by predators.

Tarangire National Park is beautifully unspoiled and game drives through the park afford visitors wide open views to distant variously purpled formations of volcanic mountain ranges.  It also has regions of dense bush, but with high grasses and huge old baobab trees instead of the green forests of Manyara.  The land is hilly and dominated by the impressive valley of the Tarangire River which attracts good numbers of migrant animals during the dry months.

Tarangire is famous for its huge numbers of elephants, baobab trees, and tree-climbing lions.  Herds of up to 300 elephants scratch the dry river bed for underground streams while migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, hartebeest and eland crowd the lagoons.  Tarangire has the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem – a smorgasbord of predators – and the one place in Tanzania where the dry-country antelopes such as the stately fringe-eared oryx and peculiar long-necked gerenuk are regularly observed. 

Home to more than 550 species, the park is a haven for bird enthusiasts who can expect to see dozens of species even in the dry season.  The swamps are the focus of the largest selection of breeding birds anywhere in the world.  Yellow-collared Lovebirds are a common bird sighting in the trees along the Tarangire River.

MARAMBOI TENTED CAMP        (B,L,D)

Maramboi Tented Camp, Tanzania

Maramboi Tented Camp, Tanzania

Maramboi Tented Camp, Tanzania

Maramboi Tented Camp, Tanzania

This photo of Maramboi Tented Camp is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Maramboi Tented Camp, Tanzania

June 17

TARANGIRE/LAKE MANYARA

Maramboi Tented Camp, Tanzania

Maramboi Tented Camp, Tanzania

Maramboi Tented Camp, Tanzania

Maramboi Tented Camp, Tanzania

Morning and afternoon game drives are scheduled today but since there is no limit on the driving, we may elect to take a picnic lunch and stay out all day.

Maramboi Tented Camp offers permanent camp facilities and endless vistas of rolling golden grasslands and palm lined desert between Tarangire and Manyara Lake.  An impressive landscape from the Rift Valley gives the visitor an amazing natural welcome to an area extraordinarily rich in wildlife.  The camp offers stunning views of Manyara National Park, the Ngorongoro highlands, the Rift Valley, and sometimes even Oldonyo Lenga, a sacred mountain to the Maasai.

Maramboi has 10 spacious tents built on ample wooden decks.  All have en suite facilities and private verandas with 24 hour 220V electric lighting. There is also a beautiful open air dining room with stunning views.  Wildebeest, reedbuck, zebra and warthogs can be seen and heard close to the decks around camp.  Warthogs are often seen, and heard, around camp as well.  Activities at Maramboi include game drives, guided walking safaris, birdwatching on the shores of the not too distant Lake Manyara, as well as cultural interaction with the Dakota and Maasai tribes, whose bomas populate the adjacent land.

MARAMBOI TENTED CAMP          (B,L,D)

Maramboi Tented Camp, Tanzania

Maramboi Tented Camp, Tanzania

June 18                                     TARANGIRE/LAKE MANYARA/NGORONGORO CRATER

Depart after breakfast, game viewing along the way, and head towards Lake Manyara National Park for a morning game drive.  From the entrance gate, the road winds through an expanse of lush jungle-like groundwater forest where hundred-strong baboon troops lounge nonchalantly along the roadside, blue monkeys scamper nimbly between the ancient mahogany trees, dainty bushbuck tread warily through the shadows, and outsized forest hornbills honk cacophonously in the high canopy.

Contrasting with the intimacy of the forest is the grassy floodplain and its expansive views eastward, across the alkaline lake, to the jagged blue volcanic peaks that rise from the endless Maasai Steppe. Large buffalo, wildebeest and zebra herds congregate on these grassy plains, as do giraffes – some so dark in coloration that they appear to be black from a distance.

Inland of the floodplain, a narrow belt of acacia woodland is the favored haunt of Manyara’s legendary tree-climbing lions and impressively tusked elephants. Squadrons of banded mongoose dart between the acacias, while the diminutive Kirk’s dik-dik forage in the shade. Pairs of klipspringer are often seen silhouetted on the rocks above a field of searing hot springs that steams and bubbles adjacent to the lakeshore in the far south of the park.

Manyara provides the perfect introduction to Tanzania’s birdlife. More than 400 species have been recorded, and even a first-time visitor to Africa might reasonably expect to observe 100 of these in one day. Highlights include thousands of pink-hued flamingos on their perpetual migration, as well as other large waterbirds such as pelicans, cormorants and storks. 

After our game drive and a picnic lunch, we make our way to Ngorongoro Farm House where we will spend the remainder of the afternoon.   A small and exclusive lodge facing the Oldeani Volcano, only 5 kilometers from the Ngorongoro Lolduare gate, Ngorongoro Farm House was built to offer guests an original experience reminiscent of the atmosphere of the old days.  The Farm House was inaugurated on February 20th, 2003.  The spacious cottages were built in the style of an old colonial farm and are beautifully decorated with local materials.

NGORONGORO FARM HOUSE    (B,L,D)

Ngorongoro Farm House, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Farm House, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Farm House, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Farm House, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Farm House, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Farm House, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Farm House, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Farm House, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Farm House, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Farm House, Tanzania

June 19

NGORONGORO/LAKE MASEK

Lake Masek Tented Camp, Tanzania

Lake Masek Tented Camp, Tanzania

Lake Masek Tented Camp, Tanzania

Lake Masek Tented Camp, Tanzania

Lake Masek Tented Camp, Tanzania

Lake Masek Tented Camp, Tanzania

After breakfast, we make our way to the Crater floor.  Game drives in the Crater, the heart of the 3,200 square mile Ngorongoro Conservation Area, provide an excellent opportunity to view black rhino, elephant, cheetah, antelope, lion, zebra, flamingos, wildebeest, zebra and many other species at close quarters, including birds.  The enormous crater functions as an ecosystem unto itself.  The 2,000 ft. high perimeter of the crater and plentiful water liberate the over 25,000 wildebeest and zebra from the migration that their cousins from the Serengeti endure.  For lunch, we will enjoy a picnic next to one of the hippo pools on the crater floor.

After lunch, we make our way to Lake Masek Tented Camp which is located by the shores of Lake Masek in Ndutu, situated between the vast plains of the Serengeti National Park and the northwest side of Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The camp consists of 20 permanent tents which are built on raised platforms.  The interiors are comfortable with large beds, traditional wooden furniture, and attractive furnishings.  Each tent has an ensuite bathroom with flush toilet, shower, and a freestanding bath.  At the front of each tent is a covered verandah which is open-sided so you can relax and enjoy the lake views.

The cozy main house has a magnificent lounge and dining area as well as a well-stocked library. From here you can enjoy fantastic 180 degree views over Lake Masek.  Meals are often served on the wooden balcony as well as inside.

Lake Masek is a great game viewing area and has been a favorite for wildlife photographers and film makers for years.

LAKE MASEK TENTED CAMP        (B,L,D)

Lake Masek Tented Camp, Tanzania

Lake Masek Tented Camp, Tanzania

Lake Masek Tented Camp, Tanzania

June 20

LAKE MASEK

Lake Masek Tented Camp, Tanzania

After breakfast, we will take a bush walk along the banks of Lake Masek with a ranger.  No telling what we might see for there is abundant game around camp and Lake Masek, including the Big Five.  Later on, after lunch, we will then take an afternoon game drive which will end right before dark.  We will then head back to camp, relax around the fire to talk about our day, and then head to our tents to get cleaned up for dinner.

LAKE MASEK TENTED CAMP    (B,L,D)

Lake Masek Tented Camp, Tanzania

Lake Masek Tented Camp, Tanzania

Lake Masek Tented Camp, Tanzania

Lake Masek Tented Camp, Tanzania

June 21                                                         LAKE MASEK/OLDUVAI GORGE/SERENGETI

Louis Leakey, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

Kati Kati Tented Camp, Tanzania

Kati Kati Tented Camp, Tanzania

This morning we say our goodbyes and board our safari vehicles for yet another adventure – the “World-famous Serengeti”, Tanzania’s most famous game park.  The Serengeti encompasses nearly 15,000 sq. kms. and is unrivaled anywhere for its seasonally shifting concentrations of herbivores. Nearly 1.5 million wildebeest, 500,000 gazelle, and 250,000 zebra complete a cyclical annual migration within the ecosystem between November and June.  On our way, we will stop at Olduvai Gorge, which some call “The Cradle of Mankind.”  This steep-sided ravine in the Great Rift Valley stretches all along East Africa.  It is one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world has been instrumental in furthering the understanding of human evolution.  Excavation work there was pioneered by Louis and Mary Leakey.  After a short stop at the museum, we will continue our drive west across the Serengeti plains, until we reach our mobile tented camp, Kati Kati.

Mobile tented camps are unique in that the safari company hauls all of the camping gear, including large tents, to the “best” game viewing areas in the parks.  By the time the group arrives, everything is set up and the camp looks like it has been there forever!  The tents, each with enough space between them to be private, are spread around a large mess tent and a fire pit for evening campfires.  The staff and cooking tents are in the back of the campsite. 

The big difference between mobile tents and permanent tents is the shower setup.  The showers in permanent tents have hot and cold running water and are usually surrounded by tile.  The showers in mobile tents (bucket showers) have canvas walls, a wooden slat floor, and a large overhead bucket or bag on top.  A camp staff member heats the water outside, pours it in the container above your shower, and then lets you know when to pull the chord.  There is plenty of time to take a nice hot shower.  Also standard in most mobile tents are portable flush toilets, which look just like regular toilets.  There is also a sink with a large mirror in the bathroom area; real beds with linen sheets and warm blankets; colorful rugs; and a desk with a mirror and a chair.  It really is quite cozy and just wonderful after a long day of game drives to fall asleep in comfortable beds with the sounds of Africa all around you.      

Afternoon Game Drive.

KATI KATI TENTED CAMP              (B,L,D)

June 22

SERENGETI  NATIONAL PARK

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania’s oldest and most popular game reserve and a “World Heritage” site, is famous for its annual migration, when some six million hooves pound upon its open plains. The spectacle of predator versus prey dominates this world-famous park.  Golden-maned lion prides feast on an abundance of plain grazers.  Solitary leopards haunt the acacia trees lining the Seronera River, while high densities of cheetahs prowl the southeastern plains.  Very unusual too is that all three African jackal species live here, alongside the spotted hyena and a host of more elusive small predators, ranging from the insectivorous aardvark to the beautiful serval cat.  Even when the migration is quiet, the Serengeti offers more scintillating game viewing in Africa: great herds of buffalo, smaller groups of elephant and giraffe, and thousands upon thousands of eland, topi, kongoni, impala, and Grant’s gazelle.

But there is more to the Serengeti than large mammals. Colorful agama lizards and rock hyraxes scuffle around the surfaces of the park’s isolated granite kopjes. A full 100 varieties of dung beetles have been recorded, as have 500-plus bird species, ranging from the outsized ostrich and bizarre secretary bird of the open grassland, to the black eagles that soar effortlessly above Lobo Hills.  As enduring as the game-viewing is, the liberating sense of space that characterizes the Serengeti Plains, stretches as far as the eye can see. 

A typical day on safari begins when the sun rises. As you are getting ready, steaming hot coffee is brought to your tent. By the time it's light outside, you are already in your safari vehicle. Game viewing is best in the early morning and late afternoon. After the morning game drive, the drivers take you back to camp. Of course, it all depends on what you see and how long you want to observe. Maybe you will want to spend more time watching a mother cheetah care for her cubs, or see if the lion is successful in taking down the zebra it has been watching all morning. Sometimes picnic lunches are packed so you can spend the entire day out in the bush. There is always something magnificent to see.

Morning and Afternoon Game Drives.

KATI KATI TENTED CAMP          (B,L,D)

Kati Kati Tented Camp, Tanzania

Kati Kati Tented Camp, Tanzania

Kati Kati Tented Camp, Tanzania

Kati Kati Tented Camp, Tanzania

Kati Kati Tented Camp, Tanzania

Kati Kati Tented Camp, Tanzania

Kati Kati Tented Camp, Tanzania

June 23

SERENGETI  NATIONAL PARK

Kati Kati Tented Camp, Tanzania

Kati Kati Tented Camp, Tanzania

Kati Kati Tented Camp, Tanzania

Kati Kati Tented Camp, Tanzania

Kati Kati Tented Camp, Tanzania

Activities today include morning and afternoon game drives with perhaps breakfast or a picnic lunch out in the bush.  Before dinner we will sip our drinks and munch on appetizers as we share stories with our new found friends.  The Serengeti becomes alive at night.  It is quite exhilarating to sit around the campfire, wondering where all of the animal sounds are coming from.  Other than the campfire, the people sitting around it, and the lanterns in front of the tents, it is impossible to see any further.  But it makes it that much easier to see the millions of stars, which blink like Christmas lights, across the inky black African sky.  Many people who go on safari are surprised at how easy it is to fall asleep at night, despite the sounds of wildlife outside their tents.  But after a full day of game drives, and stories told around the campfire, sleep comes easily.  There is something so raw and primitive about being right in the middle of nature which is what makes staying at a mobile tented camp so special.

KATI KATI TENTED CAMP             (B,L,D)

Kati Kati Tented Camp, Tanzania

Kati Kati Tented Camp, Tanzania

June 24

SERENGETI/ARUSHA

After breakfast, we drive east to the Seronera airstrip, bid farewell to our drivers, and fly to Arusha where we will be met and transferred to the Arusha Coffee Lodge for lunch.  We will then transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport for our short flight back to Nairobi where we connect with our British Airways flight back to London.

EN ROUTE

(B,L)

June 25                                                     LONDON/LOS ANGELES (OR GATEWAY CITY)

 Arrive in London in the early morning for your connecting flight back to the U.S.

Cost: $4,663 per person sharing

The Cost Includes:

• All transfers between airports and lodges in Tanzania.

• Safari transportation in private four-wheel drive Land Rover safari vehicles.

• Accommodation at the Arusha Coffee Lodge.

• Full board accommodations based on two persons sharing with private facilities while on safari.

• Well experienced driver/guides while on safari.

• Welcome Dinner including House Wines.

• Table d’hote meals as listed in the itinerary – B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner.

• Bottled water during game drives.

• All park entry fees and special Ngorongoro Crater permit.

• Olduvai Gorge fees.

• Extra lunch the last day.

• Scheduled flight from Seronera (Serengeti) to Arusha.

• Transfer from Arusha to Kilimanjaro Airport.

Cost Does Not Include:

• Air transportation to and from Tanzania.

• All items of personal nature (i.e. telephone calls, internet, beverages, and laundry).

• Fees for passport, visas and insurance.

• Alcoholic and other beverages except where stated in “Cost Includes.”

• Gratuities to porters and driver/guides.