World Explorer
Tanzania
True explorers take the road less traveled. Join that elite group of travelers to discover the beauty of Tanzania. Feel the freedom of flight from the every day world and from crowds from the moment you arrive at Mountain Village with your views of Mt. Kilimanjaro peeking behind a cloud and Mt. Meru's proud, craggly peak. Then, it's off to Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti staying in luxury tented camps and lodges whose design and comfort rival anything on this planet.
Days 1/2 - New York/Amsterdam/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 in the evening, you will be escorted by your Classic Escapes representative to your beautifully-landscaped lodge. SERENA MOUNTAIN VILLAGE. (Meals Aloft)
Days 3/4 - Lake Manyara National Park
A short flight takes you to Lake Manyara National Park (80,300 acres) an ornithological paradise with over 350 species of birds. A variety of storks, swifts and swallows wing their way atop the spectacular cliffs overlooking the lake which is often a pinkish hue from its abundance of flamingos. The Park has an incredible wealth of habitats, from swamps and a tranquil lake, to the mountain escarpment of the Great Rift Valley. Your wildlife viewing may reveal blue vervet monkeys and an abundance of baboons, bushbuck, waterbuck, elephant, buffalo, wildebeest, impala, giraffe, zebra, and the elusive tree-climbing lions, the signature of this park. Ten spacious tree houses are cradled in the boughs of mahogany trees about a kilometer from the lakeshore offering privacy and exclusivity in cool, leafy surrounds. Enjoy meals in the magnificent open-plan guest area overlooking the forest boma. LAKE MANYARA TREE LODGE. (B,L,D)
Days 5/6/7 - Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Drive through the picturesque countryside to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a World Heritage site. The word Ngorongoro comes from the sound of the bells adorning the necks of the Maasai cattle as they make their steep descent into the Crater floor. There can be few places on earth to rival the tremendous diversity of landscapes existing in this region. The turbulence of fracturing, rifting, volcanic activity and ongoing erosion has molded a contrasting complexity of peaks, craters, valleys, plains and lakes, all co-existing in the same area. Descend 2,000 feet by land rover into this microcosm of East African scenery with abundant wildlife – more than 25,000 larger animals, mostly elephant, zebra, wildebeest and lion, as well as black rhino. The Crater Lodge consists of three adjacent, glamorous camps with 30 Maasai-inspired suites perched on stilts on the rim of the Crater. From the outside, this unobtrusive lodge resembles a magical Maasai village. Set in classic crescents, each stone and thatch suite has spectacular views of the crater, yet is almost invisible from the crater floor. It is truly a decadent place designed to spoil you! NGORONGORO CRATER LODGE. (B,L,D Daily)
Days 8/9 - Serengeti National Park
Fly to Serengeti National Park, what the Maasai refer to as Siringitu, "the place where the land moves on forever." Here life's possibilities seem as infinite as the endless variety of wildlife you will see such as lion, leopard, and cheetah, and their 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. The drama of the migration takes place here as more than two million wildebeest, accompanied by thousands of zebras and other herbivores, cross the Serengeti in search of fertile grasslands. Your camp contains just 10 intimate, turn-of-the-century style cottages of local rock and thatch. From each private terrace, a diversity of resident wildlife may be viewed in the valley. Round stone walls and polished floors beautifully offset the soft cream and gossamer-fabric interiors. Being outside and adjacent to the Serengeti, Klein's Camp offers the best of both worlds – the night drives, off road driving and game walks of a private concession, combined with game viewing in the game-rich Serengeti. KLEIN'S CAMP. (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. Your spacious, high-roofed tent perches on a raised platform and has en suite bathrooms and showers open to the sun and stars. Lined with hand-sculpted African finishes, hand-blown Kenyan glassware and the unexpected colors of bright lime, scarlet, bronze, orange and crimson, at night you will lie under the cool shade of African thatch grass, stirred by ceiling fans. GRUMETI RIVER CAMP. (B,L,D Daily)
Days 12/13 - Arusha/Amsterdam/New York
Fly back to Arusha where a dayroom awaits you at the SERENA MOUNTAIN VILLAGE. After a casual farewell dinner you will be escorted to the airport for your return flights home. (B,D Meals Aloft)
Optional Extension To Zanzibar & Mnemba Island
Delay your return to the "real" world with a few pampered days on the Indian Ocean. Beginning in Zanzibar, life post-safari can be as relaxing or active as you choose. Sleep in, sway gently in the breeze of your hammock overlooking the Indian Ocean or lounge pool side. Then when you have the energy, why not indulge in a little snorkeling or swimming with dolphins? Explore the mix of Swahili, Arab and Indian influences in Stonetown, a place of winding alleys, bustling bazaars, mosques and grand Arab houses. Dazzle your senses at a spice plantation and watch as the rare, red colobus monkey frolics overhead in Jozani Forest. Enjoy a couple days on the nearby island paradise of Mnemba staying in banda cottages, bordered on three sides by tropical beach forest and overlooking the beach and coral reef. When you tire of lying on the softest, whitest sand in the world, you can snorkel and scuba dive in the clear blue sea.
Your Safari Includes:
- Round trip air transportation between New York and Arusha; the extension returns from Dar es Salaam.
- Domestic flights within Tanzania as specified.
- Superior accommodations throughout as specified.
- All meals as specified.
- All wildlife viewing by open Landcruiser.
- Professional naturalist with minimum 10 tour members.
- All beverages while on safari, including alcoholic.
- Gratuities for baggage handling, hotel tips for included services and taxes.
- All game park entry fees.
- Complimentary backpack, baggage tags and passport wallet.