TARANGIRE, NGORONGORO, SERENGETI AND RUAHA

Set off this morning on a guided walking safari, learning to look for signs of wildlife nearby, from bird calls to tracks in the earth. You can approach smaller creatures such as warthog, small antelope species and birdlife, all of which are less skittish when approached on foot compared to a vehicle. Return to camp for lunch and a rest during the heat of the day. After tea and cake, head out on a late-afternoon game drive, stopping for sundowner drinks in a scenic spot. The adventure continues with a night game drive, seeking out nocturnal species such as mongoose and nightjars, as well as predators such as lions on the move. Return to camp for a late dinner.

• Wildlife: Elephant, buffalo, leopard, lion, hyena
• 550 bird species
• Safari activities: Game drives, walking safaris, night game drives and seasonal fly-camping (additional cost)
• Varied ecosystem to explore: Baobab forests, rivers, grassy plains and lush green swamps, are a magnet for wildlife
• The perfect first stop on safari

Depart after a leisurely breakfast for the airstrip. From here, you will fly over Lake Manyara to the Manyara Airstrip. A guide from The Highlands will drive you through coffee plantations towards the Ngorongoro Crater, a journey of 3 hours to reach the property, enjoying a packed lunch on the way. Stop at the viewpoint overlooking the crater to soak in the spectacular landscape, then continue your drive around the rim until you reach the Olmoti Crater, where you will stay for the next two nights. If you feel like stretching your legs, you can opt for a guided walk from the camp up to the rim of Olmoti Crater, passing through dense forest and waterfalls on the way.

• Ngorongoro Crater is one of the most unique safari destinations in Africa, where wildlife lives on the floor of a dormant volcano
• Wildlife: Lion, leopard, black rhino, elephant, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest
• Visit authentic Maasai communities
• Walk on or around the other lesser-known craters nearby
• Altitude in the region varies between 1,700 and 3,300 metres above sea level, so night-time temperatures drop significantly — pack warm clothes for the evenings and early mornings

After an early breakfast, depart with your guide for the Ngorongoro Crater, a drive of around 1 hour until you reach the descent road. Spend the morning game driving on the crater floor, in search of the varied wildlife that lives here. You’ll enjoy a picnic lunch during the heat of the day in a shady spot before driving back to The Highlands, where you can relax a little. In the late afternoon, a guide will take you to one of the nearby Maasai villages, where you can learn more about this rich culture and take part in their afternoon activities, which often includes rounding up cattle into the boma for the night.

Depart by road for the Manyara Airstrip, 3 hours away, where you will catch a flight to the central Serengeti, just 45-minutes away. A guide from Namiri Plains will meet you at the airstrip and game drive you back to camp, stopping for any wildlife sightings along the way. Settle into your tent before going on an afternoon game drive. The Serengeti is impressive in terms of both the diversity and density of wildlife found here, so there is plenty to discover each day. Return to camp in the early evening for drinks around the campfire and dinner.

• 15,000 km2 of vast savannah plains
• One of Africa’s most wildlife-rich and iconic national parks
• Part of the larger Masai Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, where the 2-million-strong herds of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle make their Great Migration year-round
• Wildlife: Lion, cheetah, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino, wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, hyena, hippo
• More than 300 bird species
• Safari activities: Game drives and hot-air ballooning (additional cost)

Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives from Namiri Plains, accompanied by expert guides who know the grassy plains, kopjes and acacia woodland like the back of their hands. Search for some of the resident cats but don’t forget the other species too, from giraffe and hippo to wildebeest and buffalo, as well as plentiful birdlife. You will return to camp during the heat of the day to relax by the pool or have a massage to revive you for the afternoon’s activities.

After breakfast, you will be driven to the airstrip for your morning flight south to Ruaha National Park, with a duration of approximately 2 hours. A guide from Jabali Ridge will meet you and game drive you through this very different park, arriving at the camp for lunch. Settle in here and enjoy views overlooking the baobab forest, and a refreshing swim in the infinity pool, before going on an afternoon game drive, exploring the sandy riverbeds looking for elephants as they dig for water or leopards hiding in the rocky kopjes.

• Home to 10% of Africa’s lion population
• Wildlife: Lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, hyena, buffalo, elephant, giraffe and rare antelope species such as sable and roan
• Safari activities: Game drives, night drives, walking safaris
• Unique habitat includes baobab forests, dry riverbeds, rocky kopjes and miombo woodland
• Accessible from the Serengeti, The Selous, Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar

Enjoy a morning walking safari today to experience the flora and fauna from a different perspective, taking in the sounds of bird calls, looking for tracks and signs in the earth, and encountering smaller creatures, which often run away at the sound of a vehicle. Return to the camp to rest and relax, enjoying lunch and some pool time before an afternoon game drive to explore further afield. Ruaha’s varied terrain is home to a wide variety of wildlife including large herds of buffalo, hippo, more unusual antelope species such as sable and lesser kudu, and — if you are really lucky — wild dog, which roam huge distances each day in search of their next meal, making sightings impossible to predict.

You’ll have a final breakfast at Jabali Ridge before a drive to the airstrip for your late-morning flight to Dar es Salaam. The flight will likely stop a couple of times on the way to drop off/pick up passengers, and the total journey will be approximately 2 hours. You will land at the domestic terminal and the airline will help you transfer the short distance to the international terminal, where you can check-in for your international flight home.