Tanzania

Upon arrival at the Kilimanjaro Airport, you will be welcomed by a Rahhalah representative, and you will be transferred to the Amini Maasai Lodge. This will be your base for a few days, offering you not only an exotic ambience but also a perfect opportunity to learn about the Maasai people and their culture. In the afternoon, prepare for a spear-throwing competition against the Maasai. We should warn you: your opponents are tough with unmatching stamina and talents! At first glance, it may look easy to throw a spear towards an imaginary lion. In real life, though, it takes a great deal of skill to hit one. Still, don’t get discouraged: during the process, you will learn the tricks and techniques of spear throwing, and, above all, you will have lots of fun! After this exhilarating competition, a herbalist will accompany you on a serene stroll through the surrounding hills and will introduce you to the Maasai's medicinal plants. Tribal communities still rely on nature for their healing, so, this walk will offer you many insights towards a better understanding of this unique culture. By the time the night begins to fall, you will already feel at home. Africa will enchant you with yet one more of its magical sunsets, which you can enjoy on the veranda of the health spa or one of the surrounding hills. Prepare to stand in awe as the sun sets behind Kilimanjaro, reminding of the ambience that Hemingway described so eloquently in one of his stories. The day will end with an exclusive dinner in the lodge’s restaurant. Accommodation: Amini Maasai Lodge (traditional room, full-board basis) or similar. Recommended arrival time: latest by 4 pm. Note: Only one group transfer from the airport to the lodge is included in the price. Timings will be advised in due course. Additional transportation can be arranged at an extra cost.

Early in the morning, you can watch from your bed the sunrising over Mt. Kilimanjaro. Upon request, you will be served coffee or hot chocolate at your room, from where you can continue marveling at the magnificent views while relaxing with a warm beverage in your hands. After breakfast, you will take a nature walk with a Maasai guide in the area surrounding the lodge. You will see the famous rock-climbing trees and pass a Maasai cave that has its own tradition and history. There is a small lake close to the lodge where the wild animals often come to drink water in the early morning hours. (This nature walk will last for 2-4 hours depending on your fitness and preferences). After lunch at the lodge’s restaurant, you can enjoy a relaxing afternoon, resting by the poolside, detoxifying in the sauna, or going on a donkey ride. In the evening, you will be guided to another favorite spot from where you can marvel, once more, at an African sunset against the imposing presence of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Grab the opportunity to interact with your hosts who are keen to share their stories with you and, if you are lucky, you may share with them a sundowner dance. Accommodation: Amini Maasai Lodge (traditional room, full-board basis) or similar.

Early in the morning, you will check out and drive to Tarangire National Park for a full day of game viewing. Named after the river that flows through the park, Tarangire National Park is one of the lesser-known Tanzanian National Parks, offering, thus, a real flair of undiscovered Africa. This park is relatively small but, still, home to a significant wildlife population, the density of which matches that in Ngorongoro. Although the park is famous for its tree-climbing pythons and massive baobabs, its most spectacular feature is that it serves as a refuge for the largest elephant population in northern Tanzania. Also, birding is particularly good since the swamps, tinged green all year round, welcome more than 550 bird varieties. Prepare your cameras and stay alert: the park promises to offer you stunning photo opportunities that you will cherish forever. Overnight: Night at Tarangire Simba Lodge with full board (breakfast,lunch, and dinner) or similar.

After breakfast you will leave the camp/lodge for a game drive safari to one of the most scenic experiences you will ever have. Enroute, you will be driven to FAME Medical Health Center in Karatu where you will have your Covid-19 Test done. At the reception you will be asked to produce your Control Number and payment receipt (these you will be given by your ground handler in Tanzania). After registration at the reception you will proceed to the Lab where you swab specimen will be collected. Once this is done you will be free to leave and proceed with your safari.Results will be out within 72 hours and will be collected at the Arusha General Hospital. Today you will explore the most iconic park in Africa: the famous Serengeti. After breakfast, you will leave the camp, driving through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, surrounded by beautiful views of the highlands. On the way, you will stop at the Crater viewing point for a glance at the Ngorongoro Crater. However, you will not stay for long, as Serengeti is calling you to enchant you with its magic. Serengeti National Park offers the finest game viewing in Africa. Unrivaled concentrations of wildlife, stunningly beautiful landscapes, and vast pristine areas justify the reputation of this park which is a bucket-list destination for all nature lovers. Among other things, the Serengeti is famous for its healthy stock of the "Big Five"(that is: lions, leopards, elephants, black rhinoceros & buffalos). It also supports many other species, including cheetahs, Thomson's and Grant's gazelles, topis, elands, waterbucks, hyenas, baboons, impalas, African wild dogs and giraffes. Finally, the park boasts about 500 bird species, including ostriches, secretary birds, Kori bustards, crowned cranes, marabou storks, martial eagles, lovebirds, and many species of vultures. In the early afternoon, you will stop for a picnic lunch before proceeding with your game drive safari. Expect to reach the lodge in the evening, just in time for dinner. Overnight: Night at Ole Serai Luxury Camp with full board (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)

Prepare for a full day of marvel. You will rise early for a morning game drive. You will encounter animals grazing against the sunrise colors, while predators are still busy hunting, before retiring for the day. Sunrise on the Serengeti promises to offer ample opportunities for incredible photos, so make sure you keep your cameras at hand. After a picnic lunch at one of the various picnic sites in the Serengeti, you will continue with more game drives. At dusk, be on the lookout for lions. Cheetahs can also be spotted on the plains in the early morning and late afternoon hours when the temperatures are not exceedingly high. Hippo pods can be seen in the bigger pools and rivers, while crocodiles can be spotted basking next to the riverbanks. You will return to Camp in time to enjoy a sundowner before your evening meal and New Year Eve celebration. Overnight: Night at Ole Serai Luxury Camp with full board (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)

After an early breakfast, you will leave the Serengeti behind, heading to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Today, you will visit the Ngorongoro Crater: a large, unbroken, unfolded volcanic caldera. The crater was formed when a giant volcano exploded and collapsed on itself around2 to 3 million years ago. It is 610m (2,000 ft.) deep, and its floor covers 260 km² (100 sq. mi). Its floor is mostly open grassland with two small wooded areas dominated by Acacia xanthophloea. Accompanied by an expert driver-guide, you will descend into the crater, making your way through lush forests that are home to numerous elephants and buffaloes. When you reach the bottom, you will marvel at the beautiful landscape dominated by fever tree forest, Lake Magadi and marshes. Overnight: Night at Ngorongoro Lions Paw Camp (Karibu Camps) FB

Today, you will explore the beautiful and diverse Lake Manyara National Park. Stretching for 50km along the base of the 600-m high Rift Valley escarpment, Lake Manyara is a scenic gem: a place which Ernest Hemingway described as “the loveliest I had seen in Africa”. From the entrance gate, the road winds through an expanse of lush, jungle-like groundwater forest where hundreds of baboon troops lounge nonchalantly, blue monkeys scamper nimbly between the mahogany trees, dainty bushbuck tread warily through the shadows, and outsized forest hornbills honk cacophonously in the high canopy. Manyara provides the perfect introduction to Tanzania’s birdlife. More than 400 species have been recorded, and even a first-time visitor to Africa might reasonably expect to observe 100 of these in one day. Highlights include thousands of pink-hued flamingos on their migration, as well as other large water birds such as pelicans, cormorants, and storks. Early noon you will exit the park and will be driven to Kilimanjaro Airport where you will board your late afternoon flight out. Note: One group transfer is included in the itinerary. Additional transportation can be arranged at an extra cost. Recommended departure flight: after 5 pm.