5 Days/ 4 Night Secrets Safari

Whatever your arrival time at Kilimanjaro International Airport, Fit4Masafa Travel driver-guide will be waiting for you with a warm welcoming smile. Kick back and relax in your comfortable vehicle as he takes you to your hotel in Arusha, Tanzania’s self-styled ‘safari capital.’ On your journey to the hotel, you will get a brief impression of this large, bustling, commercial city. Depending on your arrival time, you may have your pre-safari briefing today; if not, it will take place early tomorrow morning.

Unless your arrival time yesterday allowed time for your safari briefing, then this will take place after breakfast. We will provide you with all the essential information, before we set off westwards to our first safari destination, Tarangire National Park. The park is best known for its elephant herds, savannah, baobab trees, seasonal swamps and the life-giving Tarangire River. Animals gather at the river and giraffes, bushbucks and hartebeests are often seen. With a bit of luck you might even spot the fringe-eared oryx or the weird-looking gerenuk. The park is also home to buffaloes, zebras and wildebeests which are always closely followed by a range of predators such as lions. Leopards are seen every once in a while but cheetahs are rarely spotted. From the open roof of the vehicle you will be able to absorb the landscape and watch the animals. In late afternoon, we will go to your accommodation for our evening meal and our overnight stay. Welcome to the Tarangire!

After breakfast and extensive game-drive along Tarangire River, we set off for our next destination, Mto wa mbu. Here you will spend by visiting a small, authentic Maasai boma where you can experience how the Maasai, a semi-nomadic tribe, live and prosper in an increasingly challenging environment. You will be welcomed by means of a ritual by the Maasai family, a symbol of your welcome to the region. During your visit, Mama Yamath, her children and grandchildren will show you a glimpse into their daily lives, traditions and habits so you can truly understand their way of living. Late in the evening, you will be heading to to your lodge where you will spend the night.

After breakfast you will have a stroll through the colorful market of Mto wa Mbu! Pass the small stands where a huge variety of products are being sold. From fresh fruits, vegetables and spices to handicrafts, meat and household products. You might find something you want to buy as well and try out your bargain skills and later on go to Manyara National park where you will have  extensive game-drive after having your lunch. The park with its shallow alkaline lake is known for its over 400 bird species, primate-filled forests (look out for the long-tailed Guenon monkeys) and grassy plains. A large area of the park is covered by the alkaline Lake Manyara which is home to colonies of flamingos and other water birds. Apart from elephants, you might also spot giraffes, hippos, wildebeests and impalas while the forests near the lake are teeming with noisy groups of monkeys and baboons. From the pop-up roof of the safari vehicle you will be able to absorb the sights and sounds of nature. In the late evening you will leave the Lake Manyara National Park and head to Pamoja Africa Lodges in Karatu where you will spend the night.

After breakfast, you will be heading to Ngorongoro Crater for game drives, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is the world’s largest caldera, a feature formed by the collapse of land after a volcanic eruption. It is approximately 18 km in diameter and home to about 25,000 mammals. In this relatively small area you can find almost all the mammals of East Africa ranging from Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles to mountain reedbucks in the forests on the slopes. You might also see spotted hyenas, rare wild dogs and some of the more than 500 bird species of the area. It is also possible to spot the Big Five – lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard – in the few hours spent in the crater. After lunch at a picnic spot, there will be more time to continue your game drive before you leave the crater way back to Arusha town in which it will be the end of your African safari adventure.