Classic Tanzania

Tanzania is the perfect East African destination for any traveler with an open mind and heart to experiencing wildlife and culture, past and present. Discover the beauty and excitement of wildlife viewing in vehicles and on foot in Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, and the endless plains of the Serengeti. As you sip banana beer with new friends in modern Mto Wa Mbu village, join in the welcoming dance at a traditional Maasai homestead, and meet Zinjanthropus, one of the earliest fossils of man at Olduvai Gorge, you will realize you are not the first to be entranced by this magical land.

Days 1/2 - New York/Arusha

Board your KLM/Northwest Airlines flight in New York. The next morning connect in Amsterdam with your flight to Tanzania. Upon arrival in Arusha this evening you are escorted to your beautifully-landscaped lodge. SERENA MOUNTAIN VILLAGE. (Meals Aloft)

Days 3/4 - Tarangire National Park

Journey across the gently rolling countryside adorned with majestic baobab trees to Tarangire National Park. On your daily game drives you may see huge herds of wildebeest, zebra, elephant, eland and oryx which all gather in Tarangire until the onset of the rains when they migrate to good grazing areas. Enjoy nature walks, foot safaris and extended bush trekking, to learn first-hand about the symbiotic intricacies of the eco-system that surrounds you and see some of the over 300 bird species that call Tarangire home. Visit a Maasai homestead for an insight into the customs and lifestyle of this nomadic tribe. Then return to enjoy your luxury tented camp's elegant furnishings, superior service and campfire hospitality. On a spotlit night drive you may see the same lion that had been lazing in the sun that day, alert and sleek on the prowl. KIKOTI CAMP. (B,L,D Daily)

Day 5 - Lake Manyara National Park

You will be welcomed by a local villager and shown around Mto Wa Mbu, a modern village made up of people from several tribal areas. Enjoy a lunch of traditional Tanzanian dishes served under banana trees and visit a school. Continue to Lake Manyara National Park, an ornithological paradise with over 350 species of birds. You may see Verreaux's Eagle, a variety of vultures, storks, swifts and swallows winging their way atop the spectacular cliffs overlooking the lake which often has a pinkish view with its flamingos, pelicans and storks shimmering in the distance. Wildlife abounds and you may also see buffalo, wildebeest, impala, giraffe, zebra, and the elusive tree-climbing lion. At your charming lodge, swim in the pool that seems to meld with the horizon overlooking the Great Rift Valley. LAKE MANYARA SERENA LODGE. (B,L,D)

Days 6/7 - Lake Manyara National Park/Ngorongoro Conservation Area

This morning savor the beauty of your lodge or trek along the escarpment, rappel, mountain bike or canoe on Lake Manyara (all at additional cost). After lunch, drive to the Ngorongoro Crater, a World Heritage site, where you will descend 2,000 feet into seemingly the land that time forgot. The mist which often obscures the crater floor of this extinct volcano from the surface only adds to the sense of wonder when the floor reveals elephant lumbering through the primeval forest, lion resting in the tall grass, black rhino grazing, and the distinctive grunt of the hippo as you lunch overlooking the hippo pool. Your lodge is built into the rim of the crater. Each room has its own rock-enclosed balcony so your first and last glimpse of the day will be the magical crater below. NGORONGORO SERENA SAFARI LODGE. (B,L,D Daily)

Days 8/9 - Olduvai Gorge/Serengeti National Park

Drive to Olduvai Gorge, where in 1959 Mary and Louis Leakey unearthed 1.7-million-year-old Zinjanthropus and Homo Habilis (Handyman). In the adjacent museum, see many of the stone tools and other fossils found at Olduvai. Outside, a Tanzanian guide will explain the geological features of the gorge and the work of the Leakey's. Continue to Serengeti National Park, home to a seemingly infinite variety of wildlife from the regal lion, leopard, and cheetah, to their often wary prey, giraffe, topi, buffalo and impala. The kopjes (prehistoric rock outcroppings) host hyraxes, dwarf mongooses, and red-headed agamas, and often a sleepy black-maned lion or leopard. Each year, more than two million wildebeest, accompanied by thousands of zebras and other herbivores, cross the Serengeti in search of fertile grasslands. The architecture of your stunning lodge is inspired by a traditional African village. SERENGETI SERENA SAFARI LODGE. (B,L,D Daily)

Days 10/11 - Serengeti National Park

Continue your exploration of the Serengeti in the Grumeti River area of the Western Corridor, famous for the huge crocodiles and hippo pools. Enjoy the Victorian elegance and romance of "camping" the way it was meant to be, four-poster beds, private bathrooms, hand-carved wooden furniture and tea or coffee brought to the porch of your tent each morning. Enjoy delicious cuisine in the dining tent served on fine china and silver and an after dinner drink before retiring to your tent. KIRAWIRA CAMP. (B,L,D Daily)

Days 12/13 - Arusha/Amsterdam/New York

Transfer to the airstrip for your flight back to Arusha. Shop or relax in your dayroom at SERENA MOUNTAIN VILLAGE. After dinner, transfer to the airport for your flights home.(B,L,D;Meals Aloft)

Optional Extension To Zanzibar

Life post-safari along the Indian Ocean coast can be as relaxing or active as you choose. Sleep in and lounge pool side. Then when you have the energy, why not indulge in a little snorkeling, windsurfing or swimming with the dolphins? Explore the mix of Swahili, Arab and Indian influences in Stonetown, a place of winding alleys, bustling bazaars, mosques and unique brass-studded, carved, wooden doors. Dazzle your senses at a spice plantation and watch as the rare, red colobus monkey frolics overhead in Jozani Forest.

Your Safari Includes:

Roundtrip air transportation between New York and Arusha. Extension returns from Dar es Salaam.
Domestic flights within Tanzania as specified.
Superior accommodations throughout.
All meals as specified.
All wildlife viewing by either safari minibus with photographic roof hatch or private Landcruiser, driven by a naturalist-guide. A window seat is guaranteed.
Professional naturalist with minimum 10 tour members in Tanzania.
Complimentary bottled water in vehicles. Complimentary set of field glasses in vehicles.
Gratuities for baggage handling, hotel tips and taxes.
All game park entry fees.
Complimentary backpack, baggage tags and passport wallet.