10 Days Mara River Tanzania Camping Migration Safari

After a short briefing in the morning, you will travel southwest towards the Tarangire National Park, named after the Tarangire River that flows through the park. The park is one of the most attractive and diverse nature preserves on the northern circuit. Scattered throughout the park you will find a large number of baobab trees for which the park is well known for. The river is usually the best location to not only spot the large elephant herds, but also various other wildlife such as giraffes, antelopes, gazelles, zebras and buffaloes. The park also boasts around 550 species of bird and bird enthusiast will easily be able to capture them on film. After an extensive game drive through the park, you will leave in the late afternoon and travel to a nearby campsite for your overnight.

Meals Plan: Lunch; Dinner

After breakfast you will leave the Tarangire Area and continue your journey to the Lake Manyara National Park. The shallow alkaline Lake Manyara stretches along the base of the Rift Valley Escarpment and attracts thousands of birds, including huge flocks of flamingos. Other animals that call the park their home include buffaloes, elephants, hippos and Masai giraffes as well as troops of boisterous baboons and monkeys in the forests. The park once became famous for tree climbing lions and if you are lucky to spot them you will be amused by the site of these animals lounging on branches in the acacia trees. After a game drive in the park you will ascend to the Ngorongoro Highlands, where you will overnight on a campsite situated on the crater’s edge with magnificent views of the caldera below.

Meals Plan: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

You will have breakfast at dawn and see the sunrise over the crater before travelling down the steep trail into the crater below. Here, inside the world’s biggest caldera, you will see a diversity of wildlife ranging from zebras, gnus, Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles to lions, leopards, elephants and mountain reedbucks in the forests on the slopes. The crater is also one of the best places to see the magnificent but endangered black rhino. You will have lunch at a picnic spot before you exit the crater in the early afternoon and travel to the open plains of the Serengeti. The Serengeti is the most famous park in Tanzania and it is here where the biggest animal migration in the world takes place. Herds of wildebeests and zebras cross the border between Tanzania and Kenya in search of fresh grass and water, with predators waiting patiently in the shadows. The night will be spent at a campsite in the central Serengeti.

Meals Plan: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

You will set off on an early morning game drive while enjoying the warming rays of the sun. Adventurous guests may choose to experience the Serengeti from the air and join a hot-air balloon ride followed by a champagne breakfast in the bush. This activity is not included in the tour price and needs to be booked in advance. After a hearty breakfast at your camp, you will continue exploring the Serengeti National Park in search of animals you might have missed the day before. The Serengeti is also home to the “Big Five” – lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard and today you might be able to tick off all the members of this group. A stop at the visitor centre is also possible for interested parties. You will head back to your camp in the late afternoon for your evening meal and overnight.

Meals Plan: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

After an early breakfast, you will start the journey to Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa and the second largest freshwater lake in the world. The region around Lake Victoria is one of the most densely populated in Africa, with several million people living on its shores. Due to its somewhat remote location, away from the tourist hot spots, the area offers a different side of Tanzania. You will be able to experience the lives of the local people – see the fisherman at work or the children playing in the school’s playground. You will spend the night at a campsite.

Meals Plan: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Lake Victoria boasts one of the largest fishing industries in Africa and fish has become a staple in the diets of the local population. You will join a canoe trip on Lake Victoria and see the local fisherman at work. You will see how the locals catch fish the traditional way and admire the previous night’s catch, before embarking on the longest section of your safari – the journey to the Masai Mara. Arriving at the border you will bid farewell to your Tanzanian safari team and start your Kenyan adventure with a new vehicle and new team. You will overnight in tents on a campsite outside the Masai Mara Game Reserve.

Meals Plan: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

The following days are set aside for game drives in the Masai Mara with your experienced guide. You will take a trip to the Mara River, the greatest hurdle for the wildebeests and zebras due to the number of crocodiles patiently lurking below the surface. The end of October and the beginning of November is one of the best times to catch thousands of animals crossing these dangerous waters, a fascinating but often gruesome sight to behold. In the Masai Mara further predators await their arrival, such as lions, of which the Mara is reputed to have the highest population of all reserves in Africa. The Masai Mara offers spectacular game viewing throughout the year and sightings are not solely dependent on the migration or seasons. You will stay the nights at a campsite inside the park.

Meals Plan: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

After a relaxing breakfast you will leave the game reserve and journey to the Lake Nakuru National Park, which you will reach by early afternoon. The park, with its algae-rich alkaline lake, attracts in season thousands of flamingos, engulfing the lake in a hue of pink. In addition to its well over 450 species of bird, the park is also home to Rothschild giraffes, zebras, waterbucks, baboons and buffaloes. The park hosts one of the largest concentrations of black rhino and has been fenced to protect the endangered giraffes and rhinoceros populations. You will spend the night on a campsite inside the park.

Meals Plan: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

After breakfast you will continue your journey to the bustling capital of Nairobi. On your way to the park gate you will enjoy a last game drive through the park. Arriving in Nairobi, you will be taken to the city centre or directly to the airport.

Meals Plan: Breakfast; Lunch