Tanzania Budget Camping Safari

After picking you up in the morning, and a short briefing later on the safari, you will head southwest to the sixth largest park in Tanzania, the Tarangire National Park. The semi-arid yet diverse landscape of the park is marked by acacia woodlands, giant baobab trees, and rolling plains and includes in its fold, large herds of elephants and other animals that gather around the perennial source, the Tarangire river, and other seasonal swamps. The park is renowned for its dense wildlife and you can watch predators like lions, leopards, hyenas, the occasional cheetah and the rare and endangered wild dogs besides swarms of yellow-breasted lovebirds to kudus, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, and impalas sitting atop your safari vehicle. After a captivating view of the wildlife, you will move out of the park and travel to a nearby campsite, to spend the night in tents..

After breakfast, you will move out of the Tarangire National Park and drive to the multicultural village of Mto Wa Mbu. After spending some time in the thriving microcosm of Tanzanian ethnic diversity you will take a bumpy ride on the spectacular trails along the Rift Valley Escarpment while soaking in the sights of Ol Doinyo Lengai “the holy mountain” of the Masai at a distance. Your destination for the day is the typical Masai village of Ngare Sero nestled in the hot and dusty Rift Valley. At a distance, you might see the stunning pink glow of flamingos breeding and busy feeding on the algae rich alkaline waters of Lake Natron (seasonal and depending on water level). After a guided walk to the near nearby waterfall, you will return to the campsite for your overnight dinner and dinner.

After an early start, you will travel along the unpaved dirt trails basking in the stunning views of the landscapes as you head of the Rift Valley to the undulating plains of Serengeti by midday. Deriving its name from the Masaai word “siringet”, meaning “endless plains” the vast ocean of never-ending grassy plains is home to huge populations of mammals and is famed for the natural spectacle of million wildebeest on migration pounding the earth in search of greener pastures. Dinner and overnight at a campsite in the northern or central part of the park.

Today is about full day game drives or early morning and afternoon game drives in the Seronera area of the Serengeti National Park. Seronera area with its dense vegetation is teeming with game and is primed for wildlife-viewing the year round besides being the best place to spot the shy and nocturnal leopard. The period of December to May is the most rewarding as the huge herds of wildebeests and zebras are concentrated there and the calving season is truly on in southern Serengeti between January and March. Overnight stay will be at a campsite in the Seronera area.

This is another morning dedicated to game drives in the Serengeti with high chances of spotting some wildlife that you may have missed in the heat of the day. Most animals come into their own at dawn, unlike lazy humans before the temperatures soar around midday. Post lunch you will head out of Serengeti to the lush highlands of Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a biosphere reserve. Here you will camp at the edge of Ngorongoro Crater overlooking the world’s largest intact caldera. The panoramic high altitudinal view from crater rims throw open breathtaking natural vistas with the most perfect sundowner at sunset.

You will be up at daybreak and descend into the steep 600 m deep crater making your way through the forested slopes which soon give way to savannah interspersed with the occasional acacia. The crater offers fascinating vistas in the diversity of habitat and inhabitants with nearly 30,000 animals call the crater home. Pan out your vision to catch the Big 5 and the wildebeest, zebras, buffaloes, warthogs and Grant’s gazelles which sustain the resident predators. Also nestled in the region are more than 500 species of birds, ranging from the dainty flamingos to the famous white-backed vultures and eagles. After a thrilling day on game drivers followed by a picnic lunch in the crater, you will travel to Mto Wa Mbu for an overnight on a campsite.

A leisurely breakfast later, you will be driven back to Arusha / Moshi and dropped off at a hotel of your choice or at the airport.