8 Days Private Safari to the Big Five, Unique Landscapes and Cultural People

About this tour

Your safari adventure begins with a jungle hike to Materuni Waterfall. Afterward, you will prepare freshly roasted coffee and fortify yourself with an original Chagga lunch for lunch. The volcanic landscape around Ol Doinyo Lengai makes Lake Natron a worthwhile, unusual destination. Our guests explore the lake, the area at the foot of the volcano, and the nearby hot springs on guided tours and take a refreshing shower at the Engaresero waterfall. Photographers will be amazed by the unique landscape and vibrant colors of the lake. The highlight of this safari is undoubtedly the visit to the Serengeti. They are there when thousands of wildebeest have to cross the Mara River every day in the North Serengeti in summer, risking their lives. Or up to half a million wildebeest calves will be born in the South Serengeti in the spring year. During a game drive in the Ngrorongorokrater, you will look for the “Big Five“. Before you visit the Hadzabe Bushmen at Lake Eyasi at the end of your safari  .

This offer describes a safari in the southern Serengeti. We would be happy to put together a variant for the northern Serengeti for you

Customization

This tour can be customized

Duration

8 Days

Minimum Age

5 years

Countries

Tanzania

Comfort Level

Budget

Maximum Group Size

Any group size

Physical Level

Easy

What to expect

Jungle hike to Materuni Waterfall

Lake Natron 

Serengeti – site of the Great Wildebeest Migration with highlights in summer and spring

Visit to the Maasai – between mud huts and iPhone

Ngorongoro Crater 

Lake Eyasi–Hadzabe, the last bushmen in Tanzania

Best time

  • January
  • February
  • March
  • December

Best for

  • All Traveller Types

You will visit

  • Arusha
  • Karatu
  • Kilimanjaro International Airport
  • Lake Eyasi
  • Lake Natron
  • Materuni Waterfalls
  • Mount Oldonyo Lengai
  • Ndutu
  • Ngorongoro Crater
  • South Serengeti

Getting There

  • This Tour starts in Arusha, Ends in Arusha
  • Your flight should arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)

Transport details

  • Game drive transport is by 4×4 Closed pop-up roof vehicle
  • Transfer between destinations is by 4×4 Closed pop-up roof vehicle
  • Airport transfer is by 4×4 Closed pop-up roof vehicle

Day 1

Arusha

Moyoni Airport Lodge

Day 1:

Arusha

Today, we welcome you to Arusha-Kilimanjaro International Airport. We will discuss travel planning and answer your questions over a cup of Tanzanian coffee or a cool refreshment. Then, we head towards Kilimanjaro. After a short drive, we reach your accommodation for today.

 

Arrive first and let yourself be pampered at the accommodation. The first overnight destination on your safari adventure is Moyoni Airport Lodge

 

The lodge is only 15 minutes away from Kilimanjaro International Airport and offers stunning views of Mount Kilimanjaro, clouds permitting. The spacious rooms are surrounded by beautiful native vegetation, and each has Wi-Fi.

Main Activities

  • Relaxation

Transport

  • 4x4 Closed pop-up roof vehicle

Meals

  • Full Board

Drinks

  • Coffee, Mineral Water

Accommodation

Day 2: Materuni Waterfalls

Take a day tour of Materuni village and hike to the waterfall. After a leisurely hike through the forest, you will reach the waterfall after about an hour. Here you can refresh yourself before returning the same way. In the village of Materuni, you will have the opportunity to prepare and enjoy freshly roasted coffee yourself. For lunch, you can fortify yourself on-site with a local chagga lunch. The Chagga are one of over 120 Tanzanian ethnic groups that call Kilimanjaro home. In the afternoon we leave the Kilimanjaro area and drive to Arusha.

Main Activities

  • Hiking

Meals

  • Full Board

Drinks

  • Coffee, Mineral Water

Accommodation

Day 3: Lake Natron

The salt and soda lake is located at the foot of the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano and covers an area of around 60 square kilometers. It is known for its toxic composition of calcium carbonate and salt that comes from the ash of the nearby volcano, making it inhospitable to most life forms. Swimming in the lake is not possible.

The volcanic landscape and the proximity to the Rift Fault make the lake a worthwhile, unusual destination. Our guests explore the lake, the area at the foot of the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano, and the nearby hot springs on guided tours. Photographers are enthusiastic about the unique landscape and the vivid colors of the lake.

Main Activities

  • Hiking

Transport

  • 4x4 Closed pop-up roof vehicle

Meals

  • Full Board

Drinks

  • Coffee, Mineral Water

Accommodation

Day 4: Lake Natron

Lake Natron is home to a unique ecosystem that includes a variety of microorganisms, algae, and salt-tolerant plants, as well as several species of fish and birds such as lesser flamingos and colonies of pelicans. The lake is known for its bright red color, which is caused by the high concentration of algae and other microorganisms in the water. The color of the lake can vary from pale pink to deep red, depending on the season and weather conditions. It is believed that the high salt and mineral content of the lake contributes to the pink color of the flamingos’ feathers.

Accompanied by a Maasai guide, you will be led along the lakeshore to the Engaresero Waterfall, where you can have the dust washed away.

 

 

Transport

  • 4x4 Closed pop-up roof vehicle

Meals

  • Full Board

Drinks

  • Coffee, Mineral Water

Accommodation

Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater

Nowhere in Africa is the probability of encountering these animals greater than here. The so-called “largest zoo in the world” is also a habitat for cheetahs, hyenas, servals, zebras, gazelles, wildebeests, hippos, monkeys, and the rare black rhinoceros, as well as bird species such as crowned cranes, eagles, pelicans, ostriches, and flamingos.

After an early breakfast and a short drive, you will then stand at the gateway to the Ngorongoro Nature Reserve. Your guide will do a few formalities and then you will go through still cloudy, mystical forests up to the crater rim and deep into the crater. With a bit of luck, you will have the opportunity to take photos of the rare black rhinos today. However, you will look in vain for giraffes. They do not succeed in climbing up into the highlands and into the crater.

After a warm lunch at Lake Magadi, we make our way to the Ndutu Plain in the South Serengeti in the afternoon. On our way there, we will stop and visit a typical Maasai village. A visit to a Maasai boma is a cultural highlight of your safari and is as much a part of Tanzania as lions and elephants.

Main Activities

  • Game Drive

Transport

  • 4x4 Closed pop-up roof vehicle

Meals

  • Full Board

Drinks

  • Coffee, Mineral Water

Accommodation

Day 6: Ndutu

The name “Serengeti” comes from the Maasai language and means “Endless Plains”. It is located between the shores of Lake Victoria to the west, Lake Eyasi to the south, and the Great Rift Valley to the east. This vast ecosystem is synonymous with the annual wildebeest and zebra migration of more than two million animals, which takes place in both the Serengeti and the neighboring Maasai Mara area in Kenya.

You will encounter countless wild animals. From a closeness you wouldn’t expect. These include lions, elephants, leopards, cheetahs, hippos, crocodiles, herds of buffalo, wildebeest, and zebra, and a variety of different antelope and gazelle species of all sizes. From the small dik-dik to the imposing eland.

In short, the Serengeti National Park is a true natural wonder and a must-see for any nature lover. With its vast wilderness and incredible concentration of wildlife, it offers an unforgettable African safari experience.

Main Activities

  • Game Drive

Transport

  • 4x4 Closed pop-up roof vehicle

Meals

  • Full Board

Drinks

  • Coffee, Mineral Water

Accommodation

Day 7: South Serengeti

The months of December to March are the time when the huge herds of wildebeest arrive at the Ndutu area, the southernmost point of their migration to give birth to their calves. It is breathtaking to watch the herds on the wide, open plains of the southern Serengeti and the Ndutu plain. The air is now filled with dust and new life.

In the early morning of the second day in the Serengeti, you have to get up early. We make our way to Lake Eyasi. The home of your next safari destination – the Hadzabe Bushmen. Getting up early will be rewarded with seeing lions and other predators end their long night of hunting, before spending the rest of the day lazily in the shade.

After this long day, you are sure to get a good night’s sleep today at Lake Eyasi Safari Lodge.

Main Activities

  • Game Drive

Transport

  • 4x4 Closed pop-up roof vehicle

Meals

  • Full Board

Drinks

  • Coffee, Mineral Water

Accommodation

Day 8: Lake Eyasi

A visit to a Hadzabe village begins before sunrise. They watch the hunters as they demonstrate their hunting techniques and practices with which they attract and kill their prey.

The Hadzabe are an indigenous ethnic group of about 2,000 people in Tanzania. They are one of the last remaining groups of hunter-gatherers in Africa and have lived in the region for thousands of years. They have their own language, which is similar to that of the Kalahari Bushmen with its click sounds but is not related to it. The Hadzabe people are known for their traditional hunting and gathering practices. Tools such as bows, arrows, and digging sticks are still used today. They collect honey, berries, and other wild fruits and nuts.

Unfortunately, your safari adventure in Tanzania comes to an end with a visit to the Hadzabe on Lake Eyasi. After a last warm lunch in the bush, we make our way back to Arusha.

Main Activities

  • Cultural Tour

Transport

  • 4x4 Closed pop-up roof vehicle

Meals

  • Half Board, Breakfast, Lunch

Drinks

  • Coffee, Mineral Water
End of this tour

2024 Rates and Prices

PAX

Price per person sharing

1 Peson (Solo)

US 4440

2 People

US $2,850

3 People

US $2,440

4 People

US $2,230

5 People

US $2,080

6 People

US $1,960

2025 Rates and Prices

PAX

Price per person sharing

1 Peson (Solo)

US 4440

2 People

US $2,850

3 People

US $2,440

4 People

US $2,230

5 People

US $2,080

6 People

US $1,960

Please note:

  • Prices are per person sharing (Ask a tour organizer for more price information)
  • Accommodations listed on this tours are subjected to availability, it may change depending on the time of booking
  • The price for this tour may also depends on government imposed charges. Please be in touch with the organizer of this tour at the moment of enquiring this tour.

Price Excludes

  • Additional Accommodation after Safari
  • Additional excursions
  • Alcoholic Drinks
  • Domestic Flights
  • International Flight
  • Personal Item expense
  • Pre-arrival accommodation

Payment Terms

  1. With the binding booking confirmation, the customer will be informed of the bank details of TANGER SAFARIS, including the payment details. Due to local requirements in the destination country, TANGER SAFARIS maintains a bank account on a US-$ basis. Accordingly, the invoice amount shown in the customer invoice is also in US Dollars.
  2. After conclusion of the contract, an immediate down payment of 50% of the invoice amount is due. Decisive for this is the receipt of payment within 5 working days on the account of TANGER SAFARIS.
  3. The final payment is due 30 days before the start of the trip, provided that the trip can no longer be cancelled for the reason stated in § 9. If there are less than 30 days between booking and the start of the trip, the total price is due for payment immediately. Also in this case, the payment must be received within 5 working days on the account of TANGER SAFARIS.
  4. If the customer does not pay the deposit and/or the final payment in accordance with the agreed payment due dates, TANGER SAFARIS is entitled to withdraw from the travel contract without prior warning and to charge the customer with cancellation costs in accordance with § 6.

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