The Experience
What your day looks like
This is a birding safari in Tanzania takes you the best birding spot ranging from the mountains and rainforests to savannah and to marshy areas. Tanzania’s abundant vegetation cover are homes to both resident and migratory species of birds. East African nation of Tanzania is well-known for its huge wilderness areas. The "big five" animals (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, and rhino) can be found roaming the plains of Serengeti National Park, a safari hotspot, and Kilimanjaro National Park, which is home to Africa's tallest mountain. Offshore are the tropical islands of Mafia, which have coral reefs and whale sharks as neighbors, and Zanzibar, which has Arabic influences.
Highlights
Why travelers choose this experience
- Explore Mikumi National Park with an experienced Birdist
- Explore Uluguru Mountain Hike
- East and West Udzungwa Mountains, and explore Kilombero Flood Plain
- Bird the Miombo Woodlands and hike Usambara Mountains
- Bird the South Pare and game viewing in Mkomazi National Park
- Visit Arusha National Park
- Adventure in Tarangire National Park
- Tour in Serengeti National Park
- Bird watching on Lake Victoria and safari in Ngorongoro Crater
Your Itinerary
Your day, step by step
Day 1
Arusha
Welcome to Tanzania! Upon arrival at the Airport, you will be warmly welcomed and meet up by our staff for a meet and greet followed by drive to your hotel.
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Arusha
Meal Plan: Dinner only will be available.
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Arusha
Accommodation: Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel.
Day 2
Arusha
Long Drive At 07:30am, you will be transfered to Mikumi National Park (6hrs driving).
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Arusha
Eco Tour at Mikumi National Park. Mikumi National Park Half day bird watching and game drive at Mikumi National Park before proceeding to the lodge in the evening. More than 400 bird species have been recorded in Mikumi National Park, with various colorful common residents as the yellow-throated long, lilac-breasted roller, and bateleur eagle joined by maltitudes of European migrants during the rainy season. Hippos are the best attraction of the double of pools situated 5km north of the main gate of the park, supported by various species of water-birds.
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Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Will be available.
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Accommodation included.
Day 3
Arusha
Hiking. Hike At about 07:30am, you will head to Uluguru Mountain, and hike the Mountain for the search of endemic and other species of bird. Rare bird species such as Ploceus bertrandi occur in damp valleys adjacent to the forest-edge, while Schoutedenapus myoptilus and Apus barbatus feed inside the forest and normally nest within the Forest Reserves. At the waterfalls you can easily encounter the Onychognathus tenuirostris and in the open savanna you will be amused by the reeling song of Cisticola woosnami. Falco biarmicus nests among the many cliff-faces and Falco peregrinus may also nest, but is seemingly uncommon. Falco fasciinucha can occasionally be seen around. This is the only locality at which Nectarinia loveridgei and Malaconotus alius occur. With more than two endemic species and numerous endemic race such as Sheppardia sharpei, Andropadus tephrolaemus, Phylloscopus umbrovirens, Orthotomus metopias and Apalis thoracica.
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Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be available.
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Accommodation included.
Day 4
Arusha
Birdwatching. Birding full day You will be picked by your guide from the lodge and drive towards Ukaguru with packed lunch for full day endemic search and other species of bird. Later in the afternoon return to the lodge for an overnight stay. These Ukaguru Mountains are a raised fold plateau that lie in the reward side of the taller Uluguru Mountains, 40 km away to the south-east. Onychognathus tenuirostris and Ploceus bertrandi both can easily be seen as well as the Falco fasciinucha. The highland and the grassland is the northern limit of Cisticola nigriloris and hosts a population of Saxicola torquata, often taken as an endemic race Saxicola torquata promiscua. All recent fieldwork has been placed in only two major areas of Mamiwa-Kisara North Forest Reserve. The extreme end of these montane forests are important birding areas for the migrant Sylvia borin and Sylvia atricapilla, Phylloscopus trochilus.
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Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be available.
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Accommodation included.
Day 5
Arusha
Birdwatching at Udzungwa Mountains National Park. Birding You will be picked and transfer to East Udzungwa and Kilombero Plain with picnic parked lunch. Among that walking trails in the forest include the more challenging two-night Mwanihana Trail leads to the high plateau, with its panoramic views over the surrounding sugar plantations, before ascending to Mwanihana peak, the second-highest point in the range. Apart from the vegetation and terrain, ornithologists are attracted to Udzungwa for numerous bird species embracing over 400 species, from the lovely and readily-located green-headed oriole to more than a dozen secretive Eastern African endemics. Four bird species are unsual to Udzungwa, among which the forest partridge, first encounted in 1991 and more closely related to an Asian genus than to any other African fowl. Later in the evening you will be transferred back to the lodge for an overnight.
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Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be available.
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Accommodation included.
Day 6
Arusha
Birdwatching at Udzungwa Mountains National Park. Birding the forest At about 07:30am you will be picked by the guide and go for guided nature walk for bird viewing and hiking Mt Udzungwa for forest birds and endemic primates. While in the forest, look out for birds of interest like Circaetus fasciolatus that is resident at low densities in low altitude forest at the foot of the east-facing escarpment. In the forest interior Swynnertonia swynnertoni is rare between 1,000–1,200 m, Modulatrix orostruthus occurs above 1,300 m, and Apalis chariessa is uncommon. Bathmocercus winifredae is locally frequent in forest undergrowth at 1,300–1,700 m. Three species of threatened sunbird occur, with Anthreptes rubritorques uncommon in forest interior above 850 m, Nectarinia rufipennis fairly common in forest at 600–1,700 m, and Nectarinia moreaui relatively common.
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Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be available.
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Accommodation included.
Day 7
Arusha
Drive to Amani Nature Reserve You will be picked up and driven with a packed lunch to Amani Nature Forest Reserve, which is 375 kilometers away. For the remainder of the afternoon, explore the area's best birds before heading to the lodge to rest.
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Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be available.
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Accommodation included.
Day 8
Arusha
Birdwatching. Amani Nature Reserve The entire day will be spent searching for uncommon species of birds in the nearby forest reserve. A leisurely breakfast is followed by a full day of nature tours and bird watching at East Usambara and the Amani Nature Forest Reserve.
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Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be available.
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Accommodation included.
Day 9
Arusha
Birdwatching. Birdwatching nature walks Guide will pick you up and drive you to West Usambara for birdwatching and nature walks. The Usambara Mountains are a part of the ancient Eastern Arc chain, which extends in a broken crescent from the Taita Hills in southern Kenya down to Morogoro and the southern highlands. They are located in the northeastern region of Tanzania. The rocks that formed them may be as old as 600 million years, and they are thought to be at least 100 million years old. There are many different types of plants and wildlife supported by the diverse natural vegetation of submontane forest in the mountain ranges, much of which is endemic and for which the area is renowned both nationally and internationally. With over 350 species identified, the East Usambaras are particularly well-known for their birdlife. The Usambaras are a haven for birdwatchers. Numerous and various species can be seen, and experts consider the Usambaras to be one of Africa's top bird-watching regions. More than 2000 plant species, of which roughly 25% are endemic, can be found in the Eastern Arc Mountains, along with many other endemic plant and animal species. 50 of the 276 kinds of trees are indigenous! Due to the damp environment and proximity to the sea (approximately 40 km), the East Usambara highlands have a remarkable amount of unique species. Only in the East Usambaras can one find 16 different tree species. The Eastern forests Usambaras have many rare species in all groups of animals, except mammals. High level of endemism is found amongst molluscs, amphibians and reptiles. The East Usambaras have been compared to Galapagos Islands with regard to diversity of endemic species.
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Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be available.
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Accommodation included.
Day 10
Arusha
Birdwatching. Full Day Birding A guide will pick you up and take you to the highlands for a full day of bird watching at West Usambara. Within Shume-Magambo Forest Reserve, Apus barbatus breed on rock overhangs, while the regionally widespread Caprimulgus poliocephalus guttifer inhabits forest edges. At Magambo, the uncommon Cinnyricinclus sharpii is frequently spotted in the canopy.
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Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be available.
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Accommodation included.
Day 11
Arusha
Birdwatching. Birding Half-day birding excursion to West Usambara with a packed lunch. (BLD) Pare Mountains The Pare Mountains are also a part of the renowned Eastern Arc range in north-eastern Tanzania. This area is incredibly rewarding for birders seeking endemic species to the area as well as passionate hikers looking for off-the-beaten-path trekking trails. In addition to their natural resources, the Pare tribe lives in the Pare Mountains as farmers and herders who have mostly maintained their traditional way of life. A trip via the Pare Mountains passes through nearby towns and lovely woodlands in addition to offers the chance to explore a less visited part of the country. In comparison to Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru, the steep, crystalline ridges and summits of the Eastern Arc region are significantly older and belong to a different geological structure. The current ranges started to take shape some 100 million years ago, and 25 million years ago, at the beginning of the Miocene Epoch, they reached their present state. The southern Pare Mountains are located in Kilimanjaro Region, 150 kilometers south of Moshi. The mountains appear to be a desolate and barren region from the surrounding plains, but as you begin to ascend the slopes, one of Africa's most unique vistas is unveiled for your eyes The Chome Forest Reserve, a dense tropical forest with numerous rare trees and flora, is located on top of the mountains. You can easily spend an entire day strolling through the forest in the park without running into anyone, which gives you a feeling of seclusion. The nearby communities are among the most remote in Northern Tanzania, and the locals have maintained their distinctive Pare culture for centuries. From one village to the next, there are a number of winding, narrow footpaths that can be used for community walks to visit and learn more about the local ways of life.
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Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be available.
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Accommodation included.
Day 12
Arusha
Birdwatching. Southern Pare Mountains Your guide will pick you up for a full day of bird watching in the Southern Pare Mountains with picnic lunches. You can take your time and look around here. About 150 km south of Moshi lie the southern Pare Mountains. The mountains appear to be a desolate and barren region from the surrounding plains, but as you begin to ascend the slopes, one of Africa's most unique vistas is unveiled for your eyes. The Chome Forest Reserve, a dense tropical forest with numerous rare trees and flora, is located on top of the mountains. You can easily spend an entire day strolling through the forest in the park without running into anyone, which gives you a feeling of seclusion.
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Arusha
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be available.
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Accommodation included.
Day 13
Arusha
At 7:30am, your driving guide will pick you up and bring you to Mkomazi National Park. Bring a lunch, as you'll go on a walking safari with an armed ranger and end the day with a wildlife drive and bird watching. You will travel to Moshi (120km, 2 hours) later in the day to spend the night there.
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Eco Tour. Mkomazi National Park Mkomazi is also an Arc Mountain Ranges, which are situated beneath the lush slopes of the magnificent Usambara and Pare ranges and are watched over by Kilimanjaro, Africa's most recognizable snow-capped summit. The social African wild dog and the critically endangered black rhino, both of which were successfully reintroduced in the 1990s, are protected at Mkomazi. You will be rewarded by the wildlife to explore vast herds of giraffe, eland, hartebeest, zebra, buffalo, and elephant in addition to the picturesque grandeur of the park. Wild dogs, who are roving by nature, can be spotted virtually anywhere in the park, while black rhinos are confined to a walled sanctuary, guaranteeing their protection for the benefit of present and future generations. The fringe-eared oryx, with its long, sweeping horns, and the attractive spiral-horned lesser kudu are two other dry-country specialized species that are uncommon elsewhere in Tanzania. With more than 450 bird species recorded, the park is a great place for birdwatchers. Among them are dry-country endemics like the cobalt-chested vulturine guinea-fowl, other large ground birds like the ostrich, kori bustard, secretary bird, and ground hornbill, as well as some migratory species like the Eurasian roller.
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Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be available.
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Accommodation included.
Day 14
Arusha
Eco Tour at Arusha National Park. Arusha National Park This is the closest national park to Arusha town, northern Tanzania's safari capital, which you can easily explore whether you are in Arusha for a business trip or want an extension for your safari to other destinations. Later in the afternoon, you will go exploring the park on foot on your walking safari with an armed ranger before traveling to Arusha town. The Mt. Meru ash cone, summit, Momela Lakes, Ngurdoto Crater, and the rich highland forests that cover its lower slopes are all included in the tiny national park. While visiting the park, you can go for wildlife viewing around the Momela Lakes at a leisurely and tranquil pace. Many people also pause as they walk through the forest to look for groups of endangered colubus monkeys playing in the trees. A common activity for visitors to Arusha National Park is to take an adventure excursion inside the park while they climb Mt. Meru or enjoy the numerous paths that crisscross its lower slopes. A three-day journey to the summit of the crater is one of the various hiking alternatives; it is a more sedate—and some would argue more difficult—alternative to the iconic peak of adjacent Mount Kilimanjaro. The trails to rivers and waterfalls on the lower slopes provide for a tranquil day trip. The attractions and delights of Arusha National Park include ancient fig tree forests, crystal clear rivers pouring from mountain streams, and the opportunity to see colobus monkeys. A lake in the park supports a wide variety of migratory and resident ducks, as well as shaggy waterbucks that show off their massive lyre-shaped horns on the water's edge. Between herds of grazing zebras, giraffes glide across the grassy hills, while pairs of wide-eyed dik-dik dart into the underbrush like hares on spindly legs.
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Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be available.
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Accommodation included.
Day 15
Arusha
Short Flight You will be picked up from the resort this morning after breakfast and taken to the neighboring Arusha Airport for your domestic flight to Tarangire airstrip, where you will be met and driven to Elewana Tarangire Treetops with a game drive en route.
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Wildlife Safari at Tarangire National Park. Evening Game Elewana Tarangire Treetops is located in Randilen, a private Wildlife Management Area (WMA) on the border of the Tarangire National Park, Tanzania. You will depart for an evening game drive in the park. Then, you will return to the lodge for the night. A baobab tree that is 1,000 years old has its distinctive feature concentrated around a main lodge. The lodge's 20 rooms are all perched above the ground, providing views of the tops of the marula and baobab trees in the area. Each Treetops Room features an exotic double shower en suite bathroom and one of the largest bedrooms of any camp or lodge in East Africa, measuring 65 square meters in size. With home furnishings that radiate warmth and show a dedication to regional craftsmanship. Quench your thirst at the lodge's restaurant or have a lantern-lit meal in a traditional Boma while listening to Maasai chants. You can even eat by candlelight poolside while watching a variety of wildlife come to the lodge's water hole to drink. While here, add to your safari experience with a variety of activities available. To learn more about the ways of life, go on a game drive, a night game drive, a guided nature walk in the park, or a community walk into the masai culture. Tarangire National Park The Tarangire River, which runs through the park, inspired the name of the area. The vast wide grass plains of southern Maasailand are located around 120 km to the southwest and south of this location. Numerous animals can be found in this enormous area, including some of Africa's largest elephant herds. Visitors will be able to witness threatened and endangered species in this park, including ebony trees, pythons, cheetahs, elephants, andnWild dogs from Africa, smaller and larger Kudus, Beisa Oryx, Gerenuk, and others. With more types of birds documented in Tarangire than in the renowned Serengeti, the park is a birder's paradise and home to over 550 different species. Agapornis personatus, Cosmopsarus unicolor, and Histurgops ruficauda, three Tanzanian endemics, have sizable populations in the park, and Agapornis fischeri, a fourth, is a frequent visitor. Watch out for birds of interest that have reasonably high populations of the native and endangered Anthus caffer in East Africa.
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Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be available.
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Accommodation included.
Day 16
Arusha
Take a quick flight into the Serengeti National Park. After being greeted, you will be driven to your lodge.
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Leisure at Tarangire National Park. Beyond Grumeti Serengeti Tented Camp is located on the banks of a tributary of the Grumeti River, in an area with few lodges that allows you to explore more freely away from the crowds. Ten tent suites are available at the camp, each with a private veranda that overlooks the riverfront and is shaded.This is the ideal place to while away an afternoon thanks to the large day beds. The interiors combine hues of wildebeest grey with accents of natural stone and bone, and stone shower towers are open to the sun and stars. Relax and unwind on the spacious decks are perfect for enjoying sundowners overlooking the river and the camp’s rim-flow swimming pool provides a view of the seasonal hippo pools below. Serengeti National Park The Serengeti hosts the second largest terrestrial mammal migration in the world, which helps secure it as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa, and as one of the ten natural travel wonders of the world. The Serengeti is one of the greatest areas to see prides in their natural habitat and is known for having a huge lion population. In addition to various game reserves, the area is home to Tanzania's Serengeti National Park. There are around 500 bird species and 70 large animal species. These various ecosystems, which include riverine forests, marshes, kopjes, grasslands, and woodlands, contribute to the high diversity. Buffalos, gazelles, zebras, and blue wildebeests are a few of the frequently encountered large creatures in the area.
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Arusha
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be available.
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Accommodation included.
Day 17
Arusha
Wildlife Safari at Tarangire National Park. Game Drives all day A morning and an afternoon game drive will take up your entire time in the area. You can choose to go on a guided nature walk or ride in a hot air balloon across the Serengeti plains to view the wildlife in any of the places. Enormous lion prides, hyena clans, large herds of local plains animals, and black-and-white colobus monkeys, which are unique to the Serengeti, can all be seen during game drives from the camp. A unique aspect of the avifauna is the presence of three Tanzanian endemic species, two of which, Francolinus rufopictus and Histurgops ruficauda, are not thought to be threatened internationally. Locally widespread in mature Acacia forest, where Parus fringillinus is also prevalent, is Agapornis fischeri. On the lower slopes of the Varichoro Hills and in the Acacia robusta woods along the Duma river, flocks of Prionops poliolophus have been observed. In an environment with a high concentration of Acacia drepanolobium, Apalis karamojae can be found.
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Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be available
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Accommodation included.
Day 18
Arusha
You will be driven to a local airfield to catch a scheduled flight to Manyara Airstrip, where you will be met by a representative of our company who will drive you to & BEYOND Ngorongoro Crater Lodge.
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Leisure at Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Free to Choose Everything has been carefully selected to excite the senses and enhance the breathtaking vistas of the gorgeous surroundings. You can choose from a variety of activities, such as game drives on the crater floor, walks around the lodge grounds, banquets on the bottom of the crater, and day trips to the nearby Olduvai Gorge and Shifting Sands. Ngorongoro Crater The Ngorongoro Crater, frequently referred to as "Africa's Eden" and the "8th Natural Wonder of the World," is unquestionably the location that you should not miss on your next African safari into Tanzania. The larger region, known as the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, contains the eponymous Olduvai Gorge in addition to vast stretches of highland plains, scrub, and forests that total about 8,300 square kilometers. That location is special and intriguing since only indigenous tribes, like the Masaai, are permitted to reside there. It is a protected region. The ancient caldera, which is about three million years old, protects one of the most stunning wildlife refuges on earth. The Conservation Area's distinctive and lovely scenery is created by the alkaline soda lakes Lake Ndutu and Lake Masek, both of which are home to abundant wildlife populations. Within its perimeter, threatened black rhinos are protected, enormous elephants with long trunks roam the woodlands, male lions prowl the plains, and flamingos swarm the soda lakes. This bowl of abundance is home to an estimated 25 000 large species, including about 6 000 wildebeest, 16 critically endangered black rhinos, and about 70 lions. Leopards are mostly found in the breathtaking Lerai Forest, whereas cheetah frequently enter and exit the Crater. Big numbers of water birds can be found in several wetlands, including Lakes Lagaja (also known as Ndutu) and Masek at the western end of Olduvai Gorge and a lake in the Empakai Crater that has a large population of Phoenicopterus minor during certain times of the year. Additionally, the Anas capensis and Oxyura maccoa, two now-rare species in East Africa, have crucial habitats near this lake. Despite the lack of regular counts, Lake Makat is significant for Phoenicopterus minor and Phoenicopterus ruber. Gorigor, a freshwater marsh on the eastern side of the crater floor, is home to numerous rare wetland species and a heronry, including at least Threskiornis aethiopicus and Ardeola ralloides.
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Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be available.
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Accommodation included.
Day 19
Arusha
Wildlife & Eco Tourism at Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Ngorongoro Crater We'll get an early start on this day, leaving at 6:00 am to drive down to the Ngorongoro Crater, where we'll spend the entire day watching birds and going on a wildlife drive. The meals can also be prepared and served as bush dinners.
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Arusha
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be available.
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Arusha
Accommodation included.
Day 20
Arusha
This morning after breakfast at the lodge.
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Thank you for visiting! You will be driven to Manyara Airstrip for a short flight to Arusha for your international flight back home. We are happy you came and hope to see you again soon!
Planning Details
Before you go
Included
Transport with exclusive use of the safari van as from the 1st day to departure day as per itinerary Pick up and drop off on arrival and departure at the airport Services of a knowledgeable bird guide Parks, reserve, and conservation areas entry fee Emergency evacuation Other pre-tour information
Not Included
Medical and travel insurance including luggage. Beverages Items of personal nature such as telephone, laundry, gifts among others Visa, airport tax Tipping of Safari driver guide, lodge porters, waiters, etc Other extras such as balloon Safari, Masai Village visit
What to Bring
Comfortable clothing and footwear Camera and other personal belongings
Meeting & Pickup
Upon arrival at the Airport, you will be warmly welcomed and met up by our staff in Arusha International.
Planning Notes
Hotel pickup offered: Yes Confirmation: Manual By Business
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