River & Crater

An approximate two-hour drive will take you from Arusha to the 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. Late in the afternoon, you will leave the park and continue to the village of Karatu in the lush Ngorongoro highlands. You will spend the night at the Country Lodge Karatu.

Rise and shine! Today’s destination is the world famous Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once you have reached the crater rim, you will drive down a steep track into the 600 metre deep caldera to see a range of animals, grasslands, birds and a lake. The massive collapsed volcano is home to over 25,000 mammals ranging from the Big Five to spotted hyenas, rare wild dogs and some of the more than 500 bird species of the area. After an extensive game drive and a picnic lunch in the crater, you will return to Arusha, where you will arrive in the early evening.