Here, everything that is Africa converges in a beautiful display. This Tanzania safari follows the migration of the great herds of the Serengeti from our luxurious tented camps.

The mountains and plains of Tanzania - the Great Rift Valley, the Ngorongoro Crater, and of course, the Serengeti itself - are vibrantly alive. Here, everything that is Africa converges in a beautiful display, from the remarkable variety and sheer numbers of wild animals, to the epic landscapes that inspired the writings of Rudyard Kipling and Isak Dinesen, to the rich culture of the Maasai, who live a predominantly traditional lifestyle to this day. Our Tanzania migration safari takes in the wonders of these places at a relaxed pace, allowing us plenty of time to come to understand what has drawn travelers to East Africa for generations. We plan our safaris carefully to correspond to important times in the annual Serengeti migration, and no matter when you go, our tented camp allows us to be close to the action. Whether you come for the wildlife, the scenery, or the culture, it is the things that are impossible to predict - a pride of lionesses on the hunt, or a rainbow breaking over a herd of elephants, or the thrilled grin of a child for the simple gift of a pencil - that will stay with you long after you leave Tanzania.

Days 1 & 2: Evening arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, Arusha, Tanzania. Transfer to our beautiful highland lodge with views of Mt. Meru and Kilimanjaro. Explore the Great Rift Valley and Lake Manyara National Park, known for its beautiful soda lake often full of flamingoes, hippo pools, and tree-climbing lions.

Days 3-4: Arise early to be the first on the crater floor as the sun comes up and while the wildlife is most active. Enjoy extended game drives, taking time to observe the interactions of the lions, cheetah, hyena, wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, buffalo and black rhino.

Day 5: Descend to the Serengeti, visiting a traditional boma along the way, where our guide introduces us to the Maasai who live and raise their livestock here. Hike into the Olduvai Gorge, known to the world as the cradle of humanity, where the Leakeys made their incredible discoveries of remains of the earliest humans. Known to the Maasai as Oltupai, for a flower that grows abundantly here, the gorge is steeped in history. Continue to our luxury seasonal tented camp on the Serengeti.

Days 6 & 7: Game drives in the Serengeti from our private luxury seasonal tented camp. Enjoy sundowners by the campfire and delicious meals prepared by our bush chef. Soak in the sounds of the Serengeti – distant roars of lions and the rhythmic beat of hooves.

Days 8 & 9: Game drive to our permanent luxury tented camp, home for the next two nights. Located in a remote corner of the national park, far from the often crowded common game drives, Kusini Camp allows us to discover our own private Africa. The migration is often quite close by, and we enjoy it in relative solitude. Early in the morning, sip coffee on the magnificent kopjes (rock outcroppings) overlooking this very exclusive area of the Serengeti.

Day 10: Experience an incredible flight over the Serengeti and Great Rift Valley on our way back to Arusha. Say goodbye before your evening flight, or extend your tour on the exotic island of Zanzibar.

• Our fleet of custom built, 4WD extended cab Land Rovers and Land Cruisers are the best safari vehicles in Tanzania. We limit passengers in each vehicle so everyone has a window seat and plenty of space, and fully retractable roofs allow 360 degree wildlife observation.
• Our Tanzanian guides are experienced naturalists. They know the park rangers and keep in touch with them regularly, so they always have the inside track on where to find the most exciting wildlife.
• Our seasonal luxury camps allow us to be close to the action in privacy and in comfort. Hotel quality linens, full-sized beds (not cots), individual bathroom facilities attached to each tent (including warm showers!), a professional camp staff and indulgent touches like French-press coffee in the morning make Boundless Journeys' tented camp an experience not to be missed.
• Our flight over the Serengeti allows you to maximize your vacation time - and not spend it on long drives as some others do. Our flight also provides an unforgettable element to our journey, seeing the plains from above.

Most Convenient Airport:
Kilimanjaro International Airport, Arusha, Tanzania (JRO)

Meeting Time and Place:
Upon arrival of your international flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha on Day 1 of the trip

Departure Time and Place:
Kilimanjaro International Airport by 4 p.m. To accommodate our return from the Serengeti and afternoon activities in Arusha, please schedule your departing flight after 6 p.m.

Overview:  First-class hotels and lodges, private camp, and comfortable permanent camp; all private baths.

WINTER/SPRING DEPARTURES:

Night 1: Arumeru River Lodge
Usa River, Tanzania
               
A lovely newly-built lodge with the feel of a colonial plantation, situated under impressive Mt. Meru, and with beautiful views of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Accommodations are in individual bungalows, with canopy beds.

Night 2: Bougainvillea Lodge
Karatu, Tanzania
               
In the center of the bustling village of Karatu, Bougainvillea Lodge was built in 2004 and is in a great location for exploring the Great Rift Valley. Comfortable individual cottages are complemented by a restaurant whose chef is locally renowned as the best in the region.

Nights 3 & 4: Sopa Lodge
Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
                   
The only lodge on the eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, Sopa Lodge allows easy access to the crater floor, beautiful sunsets, and a private solarium for each room.

Nights 5 & 6: Kusini Camp
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Perfectly sited in a cluster of kopjes, Kusini is a permanent luxury tented camp blended seamlessly into the delicate environment of the predator-rich plains of the Serengeti. The surrounding short grass plains provide the setting for the most spectacular natural phenomenon in the continent of Africa, the wildebeest migration, during which time the hordes amass around the camp for the birthing of their young. Kusini sits exclusively in this remote region of the Serengeti, affording guests the rare opportunity for secluded  game drives well away from the principle tourist circuit.
 

Nights 7, 8 & 9: Boundless Journeys’ Luxury Seasonal Camp
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Tented camping allows us to be close to the action in privacy and in style. Full-height walk-in tents are 10’ x 24’, with attached private bathroom facilities. Amenities include a wash basin and vanity, towels, terry bathrobes, full-size queen (or twin) beds, hotel-quality linens, writing desk and spacious veranda. There is also a dining tent with full waiter service, a personal bush chef, fully stocked bar, and personal tent valets to look after your tent, laundry, and other needs while camping.

Day 10 (day-use only): Arumeru River Lodge
Usa River, Tanzania
               
Beautifully situated with views of Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro, day-use rooms are provided for resting and repacking before your international flight, if you have not reserved the Zanzibar: The Spice Island trip extension.

SUMMER/FALL DEPARTURES:

Night 1:  Arumeru River Lodge
Usa River, Tanzania

A lovely newly-built lodge with the feel of a colonial plantation, situated under impressive Mt. Meru, and with beautiful views of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Accommodations are in individual bungalows, with canopy beds.
 

Nights 2 & 3:  Buffalo Camp
Loliondo Reserve bordering Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Buffalo Camp allows us to be close to the action in privacy and in style. Full-height walk-in tents are 10’ x 24’, with attached private bathroom facilities. Amenities include a wash basin and vanity, towels, terry bathrobes, full-size queen (or twin) beds, hotel-quality linens, writing desk and spacious veranda. There is also a dining tent with full waiter service, a personal bush chef, fully stocked bar, and personal tent valets to look after your tent, laundry, and other needs while camping.

Night 4:  Serengeti Sopa Lodge
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Tucked among the Niariboro hills of the southwestern Serengeti, Sopa Lodge offers magnificent views, spacious rooms, well-appointed facilities and exceptional wildlife viewing. Its proximity to the Seronera River Valley in particular, with its abundance of resident animals including all the big carnivores, is a highlight at any time of year.

Nights 5 & 6:  Sopa Lodge
Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

The only lodge on the eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, Sopa Lodge allows easy access to the crater floor, beautiful sunsets, and a private solarium for each room.

Night 7:  Bougainvillea Lodge
Karatu, Tanzania

In the center of the bustling village of Karatu, Bougainvillea Lodge was built in 2004 and is in a great location for exploring the Great Rift Valley. Comfortable individual cottages are complemented by a restaurant whose chef is locally renowned as the best in the region.

Nights 8 & 9: Swala Camp
Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

A beautiful permanent tented camp in the remote heart of Tarangire National Park. Ample water supply during the dry season attracts varied wildlife right to the camp, for amazing game viewing even from the porch of your individual platform tent.

Day 10 (day-use only): Arumeru River Lodge
Usa River, Tanzania

A lovely newly-built lodge with the feel of a colonial plantation, situated under impressive Mt. Meru, and with beautiful views of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Accommodations are in individual bungalows, with canopy beds. Day-use rooms are provided for resting and repacking before your international flight, if you have not reserved the Zanzibar: The Spice Island trip extension.

DECEMBER DEPARTURES:

Night 1:  Arumeru River Lodge
Usa River, Tanzania
               
A lovely newly-built lodge with the feel of a colonial plantation, situated under impressive Mt. Meru, and with beautiful views of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Accommodations are in individual bungalows, with canopy beds.

Night 2:  Bougainvillea Lodge
Karatu, Tanzania
               
In the center of the bustling village of Karatu, Bougainvillea Lodge was built in 2004 and is in a great location for exploring the Great Rift Valley. Comfortable individual cottages are complemented by a restaurant whose chef is locally renowned as the best in the region.

Nights 3 & 4: Sopa Lodge
Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
                   
The only lodge on the eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, Sopa Lodge allows easy access to the crater floor, beautiful sunsets, and a private solarium for each room.
 

Nights 5, 6, & 7: Boundless Journeys’ Private Camp
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Tented camping allows us to be close to the action in privacy and in style. Full-height walk-in tents are 10’ x 24’, with attached private bathroom facilities. Amenities include a wash basin and vanity, towels, terry bathrobes, full-size queen (or twin) beds, hotel-quality linens, writing desk and spacious veranda. There is also a dining tent with full waiter service, a personal bush chef, fully stocked bar, and personal tent valets to look after your tent, laundry, and other needs while camping.

Nights 8 & 9: Migration Camp
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
               
Hidden among the kopjes (rocky outcroppings) of the Serengeti overlooking the Grumeti River, Migration Camp exudes a decadence reminiscent of old Africa. Spacious platform tents are carefully placed for privacy, and finished with leather furniture, hardwood floors, and fine linens. Hotel quality private baths offer running water, flush toilets, basin sinks, and hot showers.

Day 10 (day-use only): Arumeru River Lodge
Usa River, Tanzania
               
Beautifully situated with views of Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro, day-use rooms are provided for resting and repacking before your international flight, if you have not reserved the Zanzibar: The Spice Island trip extension.

Each Migration Safari departure is unique, based on the typical conditions for each time of year. Please note that this is a typical itinerary, and actual activities may vary to take advantage of weather conditions, local events, and to allow serendipity to play a hand in your experience. Accommodations are as outlined in the itinerary, although we reserve the right to change these should the need arise.

TYPICAL ITINERARY FOR FEBRUARY, MARCH, AND DECEMBER (for our typical July itinerary scroll down):

DAY 1  
Arrival to Arusha, Tanzania

Upon arrival of your flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport, you are met by a Boundless Journeys representative who will transfer you to our lodge, set quietly amid coffee plantations on the outskirts of Arusha with views of Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Upon arrival to the lodge, you are greeted by a friendly staff, offering refreshments before turning in to rest after your travels.
Arumeru River Lodge, Usa River, Tanzania
 

DAY 2  
Lake Manyara

Game drive through Lake Manyara National Park.

After a pre-safari briefing, we drive through Arusha, entering the Great Rift
Valley, where the Earth's plates are separating, allowing for the formation of the volcanoes in the region -- one reason the Serengeti supports such a unique ecosystem. On the far side of the valley we reach Lake Manyara National Park. Even though Lake Manyara is one of Tanzania’s smaller national parks, its jungle-like forest and immense “soda lake” support a great variety of wildlife. As we slowly make our way along a dirt track through the park, we may encounter pools of water full of hippos, see countless pink flamingoes,
dainty gazelles, and graceful giraffes meandering through tall grass. We enjoy lunch at a viewpoint overlooking the lake, spying on animals through binoculars and scanning the trees for elusive tree-climbing lions.

Upon leaving the park, we drive to Karatu and our home for the evening, a comfortable lodge featuring private bungalow accommodations and the best restaurant in the region.
Bougainvillea Lodge, Karatu, Tanzania

DAY 3 
Ngorongoro Crater

Game drive through Ngorongoro Crater.

This morning we drive to the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, and then descend into the 100-square-mile caldera that is home to a huge concentration of wildlife ― including the "big five" ― elephant, buffalo, leopard, lion, and rhino.

One of seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites designated in Tanzania, Ngorongoro is the world’s largest unflooded caldera. While only 100 square miles in area, the crater is home to six distinct habitats: acacia forest, swamp, short grass plains, long grass plains, rivers, and woodland. Each habitat attracts a variety of animals. The rim of the crater reaches 7,800 feet in altitude and the crater floor rests at 5,000 feet. Home to almost 30,000 animals in an area naturally enclosed by the slopes of the volcano, this is the best location for viewing black rhino and huge, old bull elephants. There is not enough vegetation to support the large cow and calf herds, but the old males “retire” to the crater for the wonderful swamp grass and acacia forest. The only animals we will not see in the crater are the impala and giraffe. It is not known why impala do not inhabit the crater, but giraffe are unable to descend the steep grade without lowering their heads, which raises their blood pressure to dangerous levels.

By later this afternoon, we have arrived at our home for the next two nights, the only lodge on the eastern rim of the crater.
Sopa Lodge, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania


DAY 4 
Ngorongoro Crater

Full day game drive on the crater floor.

This morning we rise early to be the first on the crater floor. This is a magical time with the sun rising above the rim of the crater and the animals still active, and the sheer number of wild animals living in such close proximity is amazing. We enjoy an extended game drive, with plenty of time for photography and to simply observe the interactions of the lions, cheetah, hyena, wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, buffalo and black rhino.
Making our way slowly across the caldera floor, which contains sweeping grasslands, lerai forest, a soda lake, and marshy wetlands, people often have the sense of being in another time. The landscape is so primitive, the ecosystems so intact, that it is like taking a trip to pre-history. Coming upon a lone elephant, a beautiful giant with gracefully curving tusks quietly munching on the soft grasses, just listening to him breathe, is something one won’t soon forget.

Tonight when we are back at the lodge, sitting comfortably by a crackling fire, our thoughts will be on the crater and the unseen drama unfolding in the darkness below, on the hunters and the hunted, completing life’s circle, as they have been for thousands of years.
Sopa Lodge, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
 

DAY 5 
Olduvai Gorge, Maasai village, and into the Serengeti

Walk – easy to moderate, 1-2 hours on dirt tracks; afternoon game drive from the highlands into the Serengeti.

This morning we have time for another visit into the crater, before beginning our descent to the Serengeti. On the way, we explore the Olduvai Gorge, known to the world as the cradle of humanity, where the Leakeys made their incredible discoveries of remains of the earliest humans. Known to the Maasai as Oltupai, for a flower that grows abundantly here, we enjoy a picnic lunch and a short walk, literally in the footsteps of history. Further along we have the unique opportunity to visit a Maasai boma, where we meet the village elders and learn about their traditional lifestyle. We then continue into the short grass plains that define the southern Serengeti, to our exclusive, luxury permanent camp for the next two nights.

It is a treat to shake off the dust after a day of walking and game viewing, and enjoy a cool drink on the beautiful kopjes overlooking the Serengeti. Staff rangers escort us through the grounds in the evening, in the event that some of the local animals may have come in close for a look.
Kusini Camp, Southern Serengeti, Tanzania
 

Day 6
The Serengeti

Full-day game drive through the Serengeti plains.

This morning we begin our first full day in the Serengeti. Known as Siringitu to the Maasai, a word meaning “where the land goes on forever”, the Serengeti covers 5,700 square miles of open grassland, acacia-dotted rolling hills, and rocky outcrops known as kopjes. It is home to millions of earth’s most impressive land animals, and one of the last great migratory ecosystems on the planet. Throughout the year, huge herds of wildebeest and zebra make their way from the southern plains, through the grassy woodlands, and into Kenya’s Masai Mara, before returning to the south to begin the cycle again.

By now we each have favorite animals – for some it is the unflappable giraffe, standing with noble grace at up to 18 feet tall. For others it will be the herds of elephants, always protective of their young. Of course, for many it is the lions, confidently gazing from their sun-warmed kopjes, quietly planning what will be on the menu tonight.
Kusini Camp, Southern Serengeti, Tanzania
 

DAYS 7-9
The Serengeti

Full-day game drives through the Serengeti plains.

We continue our exploration of the Serengeti on our final three full days, now making our home in a deluxe seasonal tented camp. Using our camp as our base, we spend these unforgettable full days game viewing. As the bush is always changing, we make our plans on the night before based on information gained as to where the best wildlife viewing will be. Depending on the day’s plans, we may take a picnic breakfast, lunch or both. Game drives often begin early in the morning for the best lighting for photographs and for game viewing when the animals are most active.

The location of our private camp will depend on where the best game-viewing opportunities lie. Boundless Journeys has exclusive use of our camp, far from the lodges, and we have chosen the best sites based on migratory patterns of the herds at each specific time of year, so we can always be close to the action. Even during moments when we are not in the midst of the migrating wildebeest and zebra, we will be getting to know the Serengeti’s other resident wildlife, including giraffe, buffalo, topi, hartebeest, waterbuck, impala, hippopotamus, elephant, crocodile, warthog, hyena, lion, cheetah, and leopard (to name a few).

After a cocktail by the campfire while the sun sets, we enjoy a delicious meal prepared by our personal bush chef. Each evening we drift off to sleep in the comfort of our safari tents, in full-size beds with hotel quality linens, soaking in the Serengeti – distant roars of lions and a sky full of stars.
Private luxury Seasonal Camp (three nights), Serengeti, Tanzania


DAY 10 
Serengeti fly-over and Arusha

After breakfast we drive to a nearby airstrip, where we say good bye to our naturalist guide and board our flight to Arusha. Seeing the Serengeti from above  is an experience few others will ever have, and it is unforgettable. Upon arrival to Arusha’s domestic airport, you will meet your flight to Zanzibar (if you have reserved Boundless Journeys’ Zanzibar: The Spice Island trip extension). If you have not reserved the trip extension, you will be met by a Boundless Journeys driver who will transfer you to Arumeru River Lodge, where you will have a day-use room to rest and prepare for your evening international flight. On the way to the hotel, we will stop at an indoor market, where artisans from throughout Tanzania sell their work. This is a great place to purchase batik fabric, fine wood carvings, and even tanzanite. A final transfer to the airport in time for your flight will also be provided.
Arumeru River Lodge, Usa River (day-use), Tanzania

TYPICAL ITINERARY FOR JULY DEPARTURES:

DAY 1 
Arrival to Arusha

Upon arrival of your flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport, you are met by a Boundless Journeys representative who will transfer you to our lodge, set quietly amid coffee plantations on the outskirts of Arusha with views of Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Upon arrival to the lodge, you are greeted by a friendly staff offering refreshments before turning in to rest after your travels.
Arumeru River Lodge, Arusha, Tanzania


DAY 2 
Flight into the Serengeti

Half-day Serengeti game drive.

This morning we depart our lodge early for the Arusha domestic airport, where we have our pre-safari briefing and board our flight into the Serengeti. Seeing the Serengeti from above is an experience few others will ever have, and it is unforgettable. We pass over the Great Rift Valley, and the land flattens out beneath us. Known as Siringitu to the Maasai, a word meaning “where the land goes on forever,” the Serengeti covers 5,700 square miles of open grassland, acacia dotted rolling hills, and rocky outcrops known as kopjes. It is home to millions of earth’s most impressive land animals and one of the last great migratory ecosystems on the planet. Throughout the year, huge herds of wildebeest and zebra make their way from the southern plains, through the grassy woodlands, and into Kenya’s Masai Mara, before returning to the south to begin the cycle again.

Upon landing we board our safari vehicle, open the roof, and begin our first unforgettable game drive on our way to our camp. During July, our camp lies on a private game reserve bordering Serengeti National Park. Boundless Journeys guests have exclusive use of this camp, and we have the opportunity for tracking walks, night game drives, and interaction with the Maasai who live here.
Our days are filled with wildlife, and even during moments when we are not in the midst of the migrating wildebeest and zebra, we will be getting to know the Serengeti’s other resident wildlife, including giraffe, buffalo, topi, hartebeest, waterbuck, impala, hippopotamus, elephant, crocodile, warthog, hyena, lion, cheetah, and leopard (to name a few).

This evening, after a cocktail by the campfire while the sun sets, we enjoy a delicious meal prepared by our personal bush chef.
Buffalo Camp, Loliondo Reserve bordering Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

DAY 3 
The Serengeti and Maasai Village

Half-day game drive through the Serengeti plains; walking safari – easy, about 2 hours.

Using our camp as our base, we spend this morning on a game drive, waking early to find the animals at their most active, and to take advantage of the optimal morning light for photography. As the bush is always changing, we make our plans on the night before based on information gained as to where the best wildlife viewing will be. Depending on the day’s plans, we may take a picnic breakfast, lunch or both.

This afternoon we find ourselves at a local Maasai village near our camp, where we are greeted warmly and shown around the village to get a glimpse inside the traditions of these people living so close to the land. Next, we join on of the Maasai youths on a walking safari across the open savannah. The opportunity to walk in a region populated by impressive wildlife in the company of a knowledgeable tracker is very special, and if we are very lucky, we may come across the pack of rare African wild dogs that lives in the area.

This evening we drift off to sleep in the comfort of our safari tents, in full-size beds with hotel quality linens, soaking in the Serengeti – distant roars of lions and a sky full of stars.
Buffalo Camp, Loliondo Reserve bordering Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
 

DAY 4
Serengeti Lion Project

Half-day game drive through the Serengeti plains and visit to research station.

This morning we say goodbye to our Serengeti camp staff, and make our way through the plains to the home of the Serengeti Lion Project, which is the world’s longest running consecutive research project. Currently managed by the University of Minnesota, it began in the 1950s and was founded by George Schaller. Recording and studying the behavior and genetics of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro lion prides, it has bolstered current understanding of the social behavior of lions, and provides some of the most reliable documentation of the changing environment of the Serengeti. We meet with a researcher to learn about their current projects and how they conduct their day-to-day studies.

Later this afternoon we arrive at Serengeti Sopa Lodge, located in the Niariboro hills of the southwestern Serengeti.
Serengeti Sopa Lodge, Serengeti, Tanzania
 

DAY 5
Olduvai Gorge and Ngorongoro Crater

Walks – easy to moderate, 1-2 hours on dirt tracks; afternoon game drive through the Ngorongoro Crater.

This morning we make our way through the “short grass” plains in the southern Serengeti, game driving along the way. As we leave the park, we come to the famous Olduvai Gorge, known to the world as the cradle of humanity, where the Leakeys made their incredible discoveries of remains of the earliest humans. Known to the Maasai as Oltupai, for a flower that grows abundantly here, we enjoy a short walk exploring the area, literally in the footsteps of history.

Later this afternoon we reach the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a protected area nearly the size of the Serengeti itself, whose most distinctive feature is the Ngorongoro Crater. We arrive in time for afternoon tea at our lodge, where we watch the sun set over an incredible scene. From our vantage point at 7,500 feet, we can look down into the crater ― 100-square-mile caldera that is home to a huge concentration of wildlife ― including the "big five" ― elephant, buffalo, leopard, lion, and rhino.

One of seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites designated in Tanzania, Ngorongoro is the world’s largest unflooded caldera. While only 100 square miles in area, the crater is home to six distinct habitats: acacia forest, swamp, short grass plains, long grass plains, rivers, and woodland. Each habitat attracts a variety of animals. The rim of the crater reaches 7,800 feet in altitude and the crater floor rests at 5,000 feet. Home to almost 30,000 animals in an area naturally enclosed by the slopes of the volcano, this is the best location forviewing black rhino and huge, old bull elephants. There is not enough vegetation to support the large cow and calf herds, but the old males “retire” to the crater for the wonderful swamp grass and acacia forest. The only animals we will not see in the crater are the impala and giraffe. It is not known why impala do not inhabit the crater, but giraffe are unable to descend the steep grade without lowering their heads, which raises their blood pressure to dangerous levels.
Our lodge for the next two nights is set in a private location on the eastern rim of the crater.
Sopa Lodge, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania


DAY 6
Ngorongoro Crater

Full day game drive on the crater floor.

This morning we rise early to be the first on the crater floor. This is a magical time with the sun rising above the rim of the crater and the animals still active, and the sheer number of wild animals living in such close proximity is amazing. We enjoy an extended game drive, with plenty of time for photography and to simply  observe the interactions of the lions, cheetah, hyena, wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, buffalo and black rhino.

Making our way slowly across the caldera floor, which contains sweeping grasslands, lerai forest, a soda lake, and marshy wetlands, people often have the sense of being in another time. The landscape is so primitive, the ecosystems so intact, that it is like taking a trip to pre-history. Coming upon a lone elephant, a beautiful giant with gracefully curving tusks quietly munching on the soft grasses, just listening to him breathe, is something one won’t soon forget.

Tonight when we are back at the lodge, sitting comfortably by a crackling fire, our thoughts will be on the crater and the unseen drama unfolding in the darkness below, on the hunters and the hunted, completing life’s circle, as they have been for thousands of years.
Sopa Lodge, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania


DAY 7 
Lake Manyara

Game drive through Lake Manyara National Park, ½ day.

After breakfast we depart the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, entering the Great Rift Valley, where the Earth’s plates are separating, allowing for the formation of the volcanoes in the region ― one reason the Serengeti supports this unique ecosystem. On the far side of the valley we reach Lake Manyara National Park. Even though Lake Manyara is one of Tanzania's smaller national parks, its jungle-like forest and immense “soda lake” support a great variety of wildlife.As we slowly make our way along a dirt track through the park, we may encounter pools of water full of hippos, see countless pink flamingoes, dainty gazelles, and graceful giraffes meandering through tall grass. We enjoy lunch at a viewpoint overlooking the lake, spying on animals through binoculars and scanning the trees for elusive tree-climbing lions.

This afternoon we arrive at our comfortable accommodations for the evening in Karatu.
Bougainvillea Lodge, Karatu, Tanzania


DAY 8 
Tarangire National Park

This morning we drive to Tarangire National Park, and begin our game drive immediately upon arrival. Tarangire is best known for its large herds of elephants and the unique baobab trees that dot the landscape. We will also see a wide range of other animals, from the diminutive dik dik and rock hyrax to the majestic giraffe.
After spending much of the day observing the wildlife, we arrive at our home for the next two nights.
Swala Camp looks east over the Gursi Swamp, which acts as a giant sponge, soaking up water in the green season and then slowly releasing it during the dry season. The Gursi Swamp is one of the few sources of permanent water in the Tarangire ecosystem other than the Tarangire River, Silale Swamp and Lormakau Swamp. Massive concentrations of wildlife migrate to these few water sources during the dry season allowing for spectacular game viewing. It is a treat to shake off the dust after a day of game viewing, and sit on the terrace overlooking the park, enjoying a cool drink before an excellent dinner. Staff rangers escort us to our platform tents in the evening, in the event that some of the local animals may have come in close for a look.
Swala Camp, Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

DAY 9 
Tarangire National Park

Full day game drive.

Today we continue our exploration of the vast wilderness of Tarangire. By now we each have favorite animals – for some it is the unflappable giraffe, standing with noble grace at up to 18 feet tall. For others it will be the herds of elephants, always protective of their young. Of course, for many it is the lions, confidently gazing from their sun-warmed kopjes, quietly planning what will be on the menu tonight.

This evening we enjoy in a final celebratory dinner, toasting the wonders of Tanzania.
Swala Camp, Tarangire National Park, Tanzania


DAY 10 
Departure from Arusha

After breakfast we begin our return trip to Arusha, slowly returning to civilization. Upon arrival to Arusha’s domestic airport, you will meet your flight to Zanzibar (if you have reserved Boundless Journeys’ Zanzibar: The Spice Island trip extension). If you have not reserved the trip extension, you will be met by a Boundless Journeys driver who will transfer you to Arumeru River Lodge, where you will have a day-use room to rest and prepare for your evening international flight. On the way to the hotel, we will stop at an indoor market where artisans from throughout Tanzania sell their work. This is a great place to purchase batik fabric, fine wood carvings, and even tanzanite. A final transfer to the airport in time for your flight will also be provided.
Arumeru River Lodge, Usa River (day-use), Tanzania

• Expert leadership and services of safari camp staff
• All accommodations
• All meals
• Guaranteed window seating in safari vehicles
• Membership in Flying Doctor Society
• All activities as noted in the itinerary