Ngorongoro 4 Day Lodge Safari Extension

This Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire and Lake Manyara 4 day lodge safari takes you to wonderful conservation areas and national parks, which are excellent for African game viewing.  To see some of the world famous species of African wildlife in their natural surroundings is a safari opportunity not to be missed when in this part of Africa. This four day lodge safari extension includes transfer to and cost of Arusha hotel on half board basis; all travel, food, accommodation, national park fees and guiding services as detailed below; return to Arusha, use of hotel/lodge dayroom, and transfer to Kilimanjaro airport.

At the end of your trek/walk, you are transferred by road to your hotel (generally the Impala Hotel) in Arusha for a very welcome hot shower, and to enjoy a relaxing overnight stay including dinner and breakfast.  You will be collected from your hotel the next morning and driven to Tarangire to arrive at our lodge (generally the Tarangire Sopa lodge) for lunchtime.  The Tarangire National Park is 2,600 sq km and consists mainly of grassland savannah and acacia woodland.  As with all parks, the numbers of game are greater in the dry season, with the greatest concentrations occurring in the June to October period.  The park has lions and leopards, a great variety of birdlife, and much plains game including zebra, wildebeest, oryx, eland, and a large number of elephants. We have game drives in Tarangire National Park on this first afternoon and again on the next morning, after which we have brunch at the lodge before leaving for the world famous Ngorongoro Crater.

The Ngorongoro crater is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is the world's largest unbroken volcanic caldera, and regarded by many as the 8th wonder of the world.  It is within the Ngorongoro Conversation Area of 8,300 sq kms, and the crater itself covers 265 sq kms.  We should get our first views of the crater around mid-afternoon, as we drive on to our lodge (generally the Sopa or Serena, subject to availability) around the crater's edge and enjoy looking across the 20 kms diameter crater.  The rest of the afternoon is to relax and savour the experience of these unique surroundings.  The crater is a microcosm of East Africa itself, has more than 25,000 protected animal residents (including the Big Five), and ranks as one of the best wildlife destinations in the world.  The crater walls act as a natural barrier to the movement of animals so they are quite concentrated, making good sightings of the bigger species (lion, elephant, buffalo etc) reasonably common.  It is also a place to see the less common black rhino, as well as hippo, large numbers of zebra, wildebeest, gazelles and antelopes; leopard and cheetah add to the list of predators; and there is a soda lake with abundant birdlife including flamingos.  The next morning, enjoy watching the sunrise over the crater with your early morning tea, and then set off on our extended game drive after breakfast by descending the 600m to reach the crater floor.  We have a packed lunch in the crater before we climb back up to the crater rim in the early afternoon, and drive the relatively short distance to Lake Manyara.

Lake Manyara National Park covers around 330 sq kms, and around two-thirds of which (in the wet season) is the lake itself.  Whilst a small park, it is very varied in habitat, wildlife and birds, and sits in a beautiful setting below the western escarpment of the Great Rift Valley.  It is probably best known for its tree-climbing lions, but more obviously noticeable are the vast numbers of baboons - believed to be the largest concentrations of baboons in the world.  Elephant, giraffe, wildebeest and buffalo are common, and the watery environment ensures plenty of hippo and birdlife, including flamingos, pelicans, storks and egrets.  Most lodges at Lake Manyara are outside the park and we arrive at our lodge (generally the Serena or Lake Manyara Hotel, subject to availability) around mid to late afternoon, in time to relax with a drink before dinner to reflect on our time in the crater earlier that day.

As an optional extra, we can offer a guided night game drive in an open game drive vehicle inside Lake Manyara National Park (in fact, you will probably be the only vehicle in the park!).  This is the only national park in Tanzania where you can enjoy game viewing at night, and see nighttime behaviour and the many different nocturnal animals that are not seen during the day (for example leopard, hippo, civet, porcupine, bush baby, genet).  Under the stars of an African night sky, the sights and sounds are a real treat for the senses.  This very special night game drive lasts around two to two and a half hours, but the national park does charge a relatively high additional park fee, which is included in the price below.  If you are interested in the night game drive experience, please Contact Us or show this clearly on your booking form.

As another optional extra, we can arrange a scenic canoeing safari inside Lake Manyara National Park.  The two to two and a half hours guided canoeing safari on the lake is in stable, two-person canoes, enabling you to experience a much closer and personal look at nature.  The wildlife to be seen generally includes fantastic water-birdlife (from close-up on the water at bird height!), hippos and buffalos.  This unusual type of safari is a highly recommended trip and gives a totally different game viewing experience.  However, it is only available when the water level in the lake is high enough (generally around the April to July period).  If you are interested in the canoeing safari, please Contact Us or show this clearly on your booking form so we can check its availability.

On our fourth day, after an early breakfast we have an extended game drive during the morning in the park (although this is much shortened if choosing the optional canoeing safari), followed by lunch at the lodge.  After lunch, we head back to Arusha for dayrooms generally in the Impala Hotel to clean up and prepare for the evening flight home.  Staying in quality lodges and having game drives with a knowledgeable guide in safari prepared 4wd vehicles ensures our Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire and Lake Manyara 4 day lodge safari extension is as enjoyable and rewarding as possible.

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