Tanzania – The Wild Side 
7 Day Camping Safari
Highlights
Day 1-7 | Tanzania
- Tarangire National Park – Game drives
- Lake Natron – Ol Doniyo Lengai (holy mountain of the Masai)
- Ngare Sero – Masai Village, waterfall hike
- Serengeti – Game drives
- Ngorongoro Crater – Game drives
- African Rift Valley – Viewpoint
Facts
Scheduled safari: Tanzania – The Wild Side
Tourcode: ET08BESCAM
From: Arusha
To: Arusha
Min. number to guarantee tour: 2
Max number of participants: 7 per vehicle (window seat guaranteed)
Departure day: every Friday
Price: 2,000 USD
Single Supplement: 150 USD
Day 1 Arusha – Tarangire National Park
After a short briefing in the morning, you will head off in direction of the Tarangire National Park. The park with its savannah, baobab trees, seasonal swamps and lagoons is home to huge elephant herds. Animals gather at the life-giving Tarangire River and you should see a selection of mammals ranging from giraffes, bushbucks and hartebeests to the weird-looking gerenuk and fringe-eared oryx. 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 now and then but cheetahs are rarely spotted. From the open roof of the safari vehicle you will be able to absorb the landscape and watch the animals. In the late afternoon you will arrive at a campsite inside the park, where you will spend the night in a tent.Lunch; Dinner
Day 2 Tarangire National Park – Lake Natron
After breakfast you will leave the Tarangire National Park and head to the multicultural village of Mto wa Mbu. From here you will travel on a spectacular and very bumpy gravel road along the Rift Valley Escarpment with Ol Doinyo Lengai “the holy mountain” of the Maasai in the distance. Today’s destination is the beautiful Masai village of Ngare Sero, an oasis in the hot and dusty Rift Valley. In the distance you will notice a pink glow from thousands of flamingos breeding and feeding on the algae of the alkaline Lake Natron. In the afternoon you will join a Maasai guide on a walk to a nearby waterfall before you return to the campsite for your overnight. Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 3 Lake Natron – Serengeti National Park
After an early start, you will travel along adventurous dirt tracks with breath-taking views as your vehicle climbs out of the Rift Valley to reach the grassy plains of the Serengeti by midday. Serengeti means “endless plains” in the language of the Maasai and you will see the grassland savannah stretching to the horizon. The Serengeti is the most famous park in Tanzania and it is home to the largest animal migration on the planet – hundreds of thousands of animals trek to find fresh grass and water. You will overnight at a campsite in the northern or central part of the park. Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 4 Serengeti National Park
The entire day is dedicated to game viewing in the Serengeti National Park. You will either go on a full day game drive or join early morning and afternoon drives in the Seronera area, depending on last night’s stop. Between December and May huge herds of wildebeests and zebras will be seen, with calves and foals being born between January and March. The Seronera area is also the best place to spot the shy and nocturnal leopard. You will spend the night at a campsite in the Seronera area. Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 5 Serengeti National Park – Ngorongoro Conservation Area
The morning is set aside for another game drive in the Serengeti and you might spot some creatures that you haven’t seen yet. Animals tend to be more active in the morning before the temperatures soar around midday. After lunch, you will leave the plains of the Serengeti and travel to the highlands of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. You will camp at a campsite directly on the Ngorongoro Crater’s edge with a view over the collapsed volcano. It is a perfect spot to enjoy a sundowner at sunset. Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 6 Ngorongoro Crater – Mto wa Mbu
Rise and shine! It is up at daybreak to take on the steep path leading down into the 600 m deep crater. The slopes are forested but soon the landscape changes to savannah with the occasional acacia tree here and there. The wildlife in the crater is just breath-taking and with a little luck you might see the Big Five – lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard. You should also see warthogs, wildebeests, zebras, hippos and some of the more than 500 bird species of the area. After an entire morning of game viewing and a picnic lunch in the crater, you will travel to Mto wa Mbu where you will overnight on a campsite. Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 7 Mto wa Mbu – Arusha
After a leisurely breakfast, you will start your return trip to Arusha, where you will arrive around midday. You will be dropped off in the city centre or at the airport. Breakfast; Lunch
Items included:
- Camping safari according to the itinerary
- Transportation in a 4×4 safari vehicle
- Professional, English-speaking guide
- Professional, English-speaking safari cook
- Overnight stays in safari tents
- Camping equipment (tents, sleeping mats, chairs, tables etc.)
- Meals according to the itinerary
- Mineral water
- All mentioned activities
- All national park fees
- Flying Doctors insurance (AMREF) during the safari
Items excluded:
- Sleeping bag
- Flights
- Optional activities
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Visa fees
- Tips
- Personal spending money for souvenirs etc.
- Travel insurance
- Group sizes range anywhere between 2 and 7 people per vehicle and travellers come from all over the world.
- There is no set age limit, however, we discourage parents with children under the age of 8 to join such a safari due to the lengthy drives and the fact that nights are spent on unfenced campsites. If parents are nevertheless convinced that their child / children are unfazed by the long driving distances and the travel time that goes with it, children are welcome to join the safari. But please keep in mind that the responsibility for each child lies with you as a parent at all times.
- Nights are spent on basic campsites inside the national parks or on the outskirts thereof. Clients are provided with spacious two-man dome tents (2.1 x 2.1 m) that are equipped with mosquito nets and comfortable 5 cm thick sleeping mats.
- Yes, communal ablution facilities can be found on all campsites. Most of them are very basic and hot water is few and far between.
- We make use of reconstructed 4×4 safari vehicles (i.e. Toyota Landcruisers), that have been designed to conquer the ever demanding road conditions in East Africa. All vehicles have pop-up roofs that can be opened during game drives and a window seat is guaranteed for each guest.
- The tour is run on a full-board basis and meals are included as indicated in the itinerary. Mineral water is also provided, whereas all other beverages (soft drinks & alcohol) are excluded and on your own account.
- Breakfast can include eggs, sausages or bacon and toast and jam. Coffee, tea and hot chocolate are also provided.
- Lunch-boxes are provided for lunch and are enjoyed en-route at a picnic spot. These usually contain sandwiches, boiled eggs and fruits or grilled chicken thighs.
- Dinner is freshly cooked and meals consist of meat or fish and some sort of starch (pasta, rice, mashed potatoes etc.) and vegetables.
- Please let us know if you have any special dietary requirements or food allergies and we will do our outmost to cater for them (only possible with advanced notification).
- We will provide you with a detailed packing list at the time of booking but in addition to what is mentioned on the packing list, we strongly recommend that you bring shoes that allow you walk in water. During your stay at Lake Natron you will walk to a waterfall and as most of the walk takes place alongside the river and in the riverbed itself, it is vital to have proper shoes for this activity. Flip flops are not suitable as they can break and be swept away when you cross the river.
- (Please feel free to contact us should you have any questions or wish to hire a sleeping bag).
- Luggage is restricted to one large bag / rucksack weighing no more than 15 kg. Furthermore, every traveller is allowed one piece of hand luggage.
- Due to the limited space in the vehicle, we kindly ask guests to refrain from travelling with suitcases as storing them in the vehicle could prove a problem. Please also do not forget to check the baggage allowances of your respective airlines.
- Yes, we suggest that you bring some spending money for drinks, snacks, souvenirs and tips.
- Please only bring USD bills that have been printed after 2004 as earlier dated bills will not be accepted.
- Tips are not included in the price and we recommend 15-20 USD per group per day for the guide and 10-15 USD per group per day for the cook.
- Most nationalities can apply for a visa upon arrival in Tanzania but all travellers need to contact their respective embassies to check the latest visa regulations. Furthermore, it is the sole responsibility of each traveller to be in possession of the required documents.
- We do recommend that you get a yellow fever vaccination as Tanzania finds itself in a yellow fever region.
- Tetanus, Diphtheria, Polio, Hepatitis A & B vaccinations are not required, but nevertheless recommend by us.
- Malaria is also present and we hence suggest some precautions for this as well. Please contact a travel clinic or your health care practitioner for further information on prophylaxis and the effects and side effects that come with it.
