Item: Luxury Safari: Explore Tanzania's Big Five
Rating: 5
Author: Nathantg149pd

Luxury Safari: Explore Tanzania's Big Five

5.0

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Arusha

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Embark on a 6-day private budget safari to Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Lake Manyara. Explore the best of Tanzania’s national parks on a budget and experience the wonders of wildlife and nature.

Duration: 8 days

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Arrival in the Highland Sanctuary

Arusha - Begin your adventure in the lush heart of Arusha. Upon arrival, you will be taken to Arusha Farmhouse, a charming colonial-style retreat surrounded by aromatic coffee plantations. Enjoy the refreshing mountain air and embrace the tranquil pace of Africa as you prepare for the exciting journey ahead….

Arrival in the Highland Sanctuary

Accommodation: Arusha Farmhouse or similar

The Land of Giants

Tarangire National Park - After a delightful breakfast, embark on an exhilarating 2-hour drive to Tarangire National Park, famously known as the “Land of Giants.” Upon arrival, immerse yourself in the park’s stunning beauty, observing the vast elephant herds and ancient baobabs that characterize this timeless landscape.

As the sun rises, enjoy a sophisticated picnic lunch overlooking the Tarangire River, where the view is as breathtaking as the wildlife below. As the afternoon heat sets in, the adventure continues. Explore deeper into the park’s heart, discovering the serene, less-traveled areas where the most intimate wildlife encounters occur. As the golden hour casts its glow over the savannah, retreat to the luxurious Jungle Pearl Resort for a restful evening under the African stars.

Through the Mist to the Endless Plains

Serengeti National Park - Depart between 8:45 and 9:00 AM, tracing the edge of the world. Travel through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, stopping for 15 minutes at the renowned Crater Viewpoint to admire the stunning panorama. By midday, arrive at the Naabi Hill Gate, the entrance to the Serengeti. After a break and lunch, venture into the endless plains for a sunset game drive.

The Heart of the Serengeti and the Highland Ascent

Serengeti National Park - Awaken to the vibrant energy of the Serengeti. Today is dedicated to uncovering the secrets of the central plains, tracking the majestic big cats as they move through the tall grass. After a day filled with thrilling sightings, begin the ascent toward the misty highlands. Leave the endless plains behind and cross into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to reach Embalakai Authentic Camp. Here, luxury meets wilderness in a secluded forest setting, nestled in the ancient volcanic highlands.

The Eden Descent & The Hippo Pool

Ngorongoro Conservation Area - At dawn, descend 600 meters into the Ngorongoro Crater, a sunken paradise where the “Big Five” thrive in a landscape frozen in time. Experience nature at its most concentrated. After a morning of awe-inspiring sightings across the caldera floor, enjoy a refined picnic lunch at the Hippo Pool. Dine in the heart of the wild, watching the hippos bask in the cool waters as the midday sun sparkles on the surface.

Following lunch, embark on a final, focused 1-to-2-hour game drive through the acacia forests before ascending the crater walls. Transition to the Ngorongoro Farmhouse, where the evening is spent in the serene luxury of the coffee plantations.

The Tree-Climbers of Lake Manyara

Lake Manyara National Park - After a leisurely breakfast at the farmhouse, travel to Lake Manyara National Park, a gem nestled at the base of the Great Rift Valley escarpment. This park offers a lush contrast to the plains, with groundwater forests teeming with baboons and a soda lake shimmering with thousands of pink flamingos.

Spend the day tracking Manyara’s renowned tree-climbing lions and large elephant herds that roam through the dense acacia woodlands. After a refined picnic lunch within the park’s canopy, continue exploring the diverse habitats, from the hot springs to the lake’s edge. As the afternoon light softens, retreat to the forest embrace of Forest Hill, where luxury and nature converge for a restful evening.

The Pulse of Materuni & Tropical Elegance

Materuni Waterfalls - Today, the rhythm shifts from the vast savannah to the lush, mist-covered foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. Journey to Materuni, the home of the Chagga people. A short, scenic hike through local fruit and coffee farms leads to the thundering Materuni Waterfalls, where the mountain’s glacial waters cascade into a crystal-clear pool.

After a refreshing pause, participate in a traditional coffee-making ceremony, learning the ancient process from bean to cup. As the afternoon draws to a close, head to the Pink Flamingo Boutique Hotel. Here, the “luxury nature” style takes on a tropical flair—nestled in a secluded garden oasis, it is the perfect sanctuary to reflect on your journey.

The Final Farewell

Kilimanjaro International Airport - Reflect on the lions of the Serengeti and the mist of the waterfalls over a final breakfast. You will be escorted to the airport for your departure, carrying the essence of Tanzania’s greatest parks with you.

What's Included

Professional safari driver & guide
All Entries, Government tax, transport
Warm meals (not in dry boxes) and water
Air-conditioned safari jeep, pop-up roof, cooler fridge & charging ports
Lunch
Dinner
Breakfast
Roundtrip airports transfer

What's Not Included

Gratitude’s ,All things of personal nature ,Visa ,Travel Insurance

Additional Information

This tour is a stunning blend of “luxury nature,” where the untamed beauty of the savannah meets sophisticated elegance. At Forest Hill, guests awaken to the silhouette of Mount Meru, while the Pink Flamingo provides a tropical haven at the base of Kilimanjaro.
The experience delves deeper than just the sights, uncovering the essence of the land. In the…

Location

Arusha Center Inn Tourist

Bondeni Street

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

5.0

(1 Rating)

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1 star

Nathantg149pd

Sep 28, 2024

Outstanding 8-day safari, the trip of a lifetime! - When we first decided to start planning an Tanzania safari, we quickly found out what so many have before us: there is a huge number of tour companies to choose from, and countless itineraries to explore within them. While interacting with various tour operators to select one, we found James of African Polecat Safaris to consistently demonstrate a clear understanding of what we were looking for and present lodging and activity options that not only appealed the most to us, but that were the most competitively priced. Do not be turned away due to the smaller digital footprint of this company! From our initial inquiries up through settling on an amazing personalized itinerary and through our final trip preparations, James was there for us to answer all questions we had. We changed our itinerary several times due to changes in our availability and what our priorities were while there, and James patiently guided us through it all. On arrival to JKO airport, we were picked up by Brian who handles a lot of their transportation east of Arusha. Brian was exactly where we expected him to be and provided comfortable transportation from JKO to Arusha. Picking us up from Arusha on the first day of our safari was our guide Manfred. Manfred would be staying with us throughout our whole trip, so I really wanted to hit things off with him. Great guy, we liked him immediately. He introduced us to our vehicle where we’d be spending most of the coming week, helped us pack our things into the car, and off we went to enjoy our first day of wildlife viewing. Accompanying us after this first day was Brighton, who came along to get pictures for the company to use on their website and other various media. Brighton was likewise excellent company, and provided his own insights of the local wildlife (we found out later that he helped train others of African Polecat Safaris staff). It is impossible to credit Manfred enough with how fantastic this whole experience was. We booked a private safari for just us two, and Manfred was so kind to make us feel at home in the vehicle and welcome us with water, other drinks, and anything else we needed for the duration of the trip. On a day where we weren’t feeling well, Manfred was happy to alter our daily itinerary slightly (on our request) to return to the hotel sooner than expected. Each evening when having dinner with Manfred, he would ask us what we hoped to see the next day. The first time we had this conversation was after Tarangire (prior to our first day in the Serengeti). I think we said something about seeing a few of the “big five”. The next day, we saw them all (extremely rare), and from then on it became almost a game that we played. We would come up with some requests that were bordering on crazy (“a yawning hippo and more lions” or “two more Mara River crossings”), and every time without fail Manfred would deliver. I can confidently say that Manfred will do the same for you. There’s a lot of time in a car involved in a safari such as ours, and it’s important to expect that going in. These various locations are not very close together (transit ranges from 1.5 to 5 hours), and most of the roads west of Karatu are rough and bumpy. Further, some patience is required to see the sights that you’re looking for. This is why I think that the relationship between guide and client is very important for a trip to be successful. Similar to how James had an excellent feel for what we were looking for in an itinerary, Manfred was easy to talk to and kind, and understood exactly how to make our safari the best it could be. Last point I’ll make about Manfred is that we appreciated the way he shares the road and his knowledge with other guides. His manner of driving is always courteous to others and he frequently speaks to other guides and offers to help them. He’s always positively contributing to radio discussions about wildlife sighting (where others may not be so willing to share that knowledge). We selected a range of activities representative of the northern Tanzania region, including the following: 1 day at Tarangire National Park 2 days at Central Serengeti National Park 2 days at Northern Serengeti National Park 1 day at Ngorongoro Crater National Park 1 day at Lake Manyara/Mto wa Mbu Each park provided exactly what we hoped to see, including the many elephants and baobab trees of Tarangire, the full spectrum of “big five” (even a stray rhino) and a large pride of lions resting near a fresh kill in Central Serengeti, several Mara River crossings (including one where we witnessed no less than six crocodile attacks) at the Northern Serengeti, breathtaking rhino sightings in the Ngorongoro crater, and the wonderful people of Mto wa Mbu just before we had to leave. Manfred and Brighton both were very impressed with how quickly my wife was able to spot hidden animals, and joked that she should come work for the company. For our hotels, we most enjoyed the tented camps (we stayed at Moyo in Central Serengeti, and Baobab and Angata in Northern Serengeti). These offer both comfort and the natural environment we were hoping for, surrounded by wildlife. The food at these camps (and at each of the accommodations we stayed at) was excellent! We loved trying the different local dishes. Though I think the meal I will remember the most is enjoying a boxed lunch gathered around the hood of the jeep, out in the middle of the Serengeti. We would encourage those looking for a great wildlife viewing experience to allow themselves sufficient time to visit each of these parks separately and enjoy their uniqueness. Come visit this beautiful part of the world. But do yourselves a favor and do so with African Polecat Safaris. From start to finish, this experience was unbelievable in every sense and I’m so grateful to James, Brian, Manfred, Brighton, and the whole team for making our safari something that we will never forget.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

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From $2,954

up to 15 guests

2 - Adult