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6 DAYS NAIROBI – ARUSHA / LAKE MANYARA / SERENGETI / NGORONGORO

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  • OVERVIEW
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OVERVIEW

6 DAYS NAIROBI – ARUSHA / LAKE MANYARA / SERENGETI / NGORONGORO

Okay, let’s take a look at an overview of a popular safari circuit starting in Nairobi and taking you through Arusha, Lake Manyara, the Serengeti, and the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. This itinerary offers a fantastic blend of diverse landscapes, abundant wildlife, and cultural experiences.

Nairobi (Kenya – Starting Point)

  • Hub City: The bustling capital of Kenya, serving as a major transportation hub for East Africa.
  • Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA): The primary international gateway for this safari.
  • Pre/Post Safari Activities: Nairobi offers various attractions like the Nairobi National Park (unique for its wildlife within city limits), the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (orphanage for elephants and rhinos), the Giraffe Centre, the Karen Blixen Museum, and vibrant markets.
  • Departure Point: Usually where your safari adventure begins with a transfer to Arusha.

Arusha (Tanzania – Gateway to Northern Safari Circuit)

  • Location: Northern Tanzania, at the foot of Mount Meru.
  • “Safari Capital”: Often considered the starting point for safaris into northern Tanzania’s famous parks.
  • Transfer Point: Typically an overnight stop after arriving from Nairobi, allowing for acclimatization and preparation for the journey ahead.
  • Activities: Depending on your itinerary, you might have time for a city tour, visit local markets, coffee plantations, or the Arusha National Park (known for its black and white colobus monkeys, flamingos, and views of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru).

Lake Manyara National Park (Tanzania – Scenic Soda Lake)

  • Key Features:
    • Soda Lake: A shallow, alkaline lake that attracts vast flocks of flamingos, often creating a pink shoreline.
    • Tree-Climbing Lions: Famously known (though not always guaranteed sightings) for lions that often lounge in the branches of acacia trees.
    • Diverse Habitats: Ranging from groundwater forests, acacia woodlands, grassy plains, and swamps.
    • Abundant Birdlife: A paradise for birdwatchers with over 400 species recorded.
    • Large Elephant Herds: Often seen along the lake shores and in the forests.
    • Other Wildlife: Buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, hippos, various antelope species, and primates like baboons and blue monkeys.
    • Great Rift Valley Escarpment: The park is nestled at the base of this dramatic geological feature, providing stunning scenery.
    • Canoeing: Sometimes offered on the lake for a unique perspective.

Serengeti National Park (Tanzania – Iconic Endless Plains)

  • Key Features:
    • Vast Savannah: Endless rolling plains, the name “Serengeti” comes from the Maasai word “Siringit,” meaning “endless plains.”
    • The Great Wildebeest Migration: One of the most spectacular wildlife events on Earth, with millions of wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles migrating in search of grazing. The timing varies throughout the year.
    • High Predator Density: Home to significant populations of lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, and wild dogs.
    • The “Big Five”: Excellent chances of spotting lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos (both black and white), and buffaloes.
    • Diverse Ecosystems: Includes grasslands, woodlands, riverine forests, and rocky outcrops (kopjes).
    • Hot Air Balloon Safaris: A popular way to experience the vastness of the Serengeti from above.
    • Cultural Encounters: Opportunities to visit Maasai villages bordering the park.
    • Research Centers: Home to important wildlife research initiatives.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Tanzania – UNESCO World Heritage Site)

  • Unique Feature: The centerpiece is the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest unbroken, unflooded volcanic caldera.
  • “Eighth Wonder of the World”: Often referred to as such due to its breathtaking beauty and incredible concentration of wildlife.
  • Self-Contained Ecosystem: The crater floor supports a remarkably high density of animals year-round, including a significant population of black rhinos.
  • Wildlife Viewing: Excellent opportunities to see the “Big Five” and a wide array of other species in a relatively small area.
  • Other Attractions within the Conservation Area:
    • Olduvai Gorge: An important archaeological site where early human fossils were discovered.
    • Empakaai Crater: A beautiful crater with a deep soda lake, often visited for hiking.
    • Highlands: Offering stunning views and different vegetation zones.
  • Maasai Communities: The Maasai people traditionally coexist with wildlife within the conservation area.

In summary, this Nairobi to Ngorongoro circuit offers a diverse and unforgettable safari experience:

  • You begin in the vibrant city of Nairobi.
  • Transition to Arusha, the gateway to Tanzania’s northern safari circuit.
  • Experience the scenic beauty and unique wildlife of Lake Manyara.
  • Witness the iconic vastness and incredible wildlife of the Serengeti, potentially including the Great Migration.
  • Descend into the breathtaking Ngorongoro Crater, a natural wonder teeming with wildlife.

This itinerary provides a fantastic introduction to the highlights of East African safaris, showcasing different landscapes, a wide variety of animals, and opportunities for cultural interaction.

ITINERARY

DAY 1: NAIROBI – ARUSHA

Pick up from the hotel after breakfast depart to Arusha arriving in via Namanger boarder for immigration formalities, proceed to Arusha. Dinner and overnight t a budget hotel.

DAY 2: ARUSHA – LAKE MANYARA

Our first day starts early in the morning. After breakfast we pick you up at your hotel in Arusha. We’re on the way to Lake Manyara. The national park is a lovely location; a thin green band of forest, flanked on one side by the cliffs of the Rift Valley Wall, on the other by the shores of the ancient soda lake. Wildlife here is very diverse. We’ll see many baboons and if we’re lucky – the famous tree-climbing lion. Lake Manyara is also one of the finest parks for bird lovers. In the afternoon we’ll drive to Karatu for dinner and overnight the lodge.

DAY 2: ARUSHA – LAKE MANYARA

Our first day starts early in the morning. After breakfast we pick you up at your hotel in Arusha. We’re on the way to Lake Manyara. The national park is a lovely location; a thin green band of forest, flanked on one side by the cliffs of the Rift Valley Wall, on the other by the shores of the ancient soda lake. Wildlife here is very diverse. We’ll see many baboons and if we’re lucky – the famous tree-climbing lion. Lake Manyara is also one of the finest parks for bird lovers. In the afternoon we’ll drive to Karatu for dinner and overnight the lodge.

DAY 3: LAKE MANYARA – SERENGETI

After breakfast we start with a drive to the Serengeti national park . There’s a lot to observe: More than 1.5 million wildbeest and 700 000 zebras are on their way here if we pass by at the time of the famous annual migration. After a Sunset Game Drive we will have Dinner and Overnight in the lodge.

DAY 4: SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK FULL DAY

Our day starts with a morning game drive in Serengeti. For animals, that’s an active time of the day – not hot yet, so there is a lot to see out there. Full day game viewing Dinner and Overnight in the lodge. Serengeti offers arguably the most scintillating game-viewing in Africa: great herds of buffalo, smaller groups of elephant and giraffe, and thousands upon thousands of eland, topi, kongoni, impala and Grant’s gazelle.
The spectacle of predator versus prey dominates Tanzania’s greatest park. Golden-maned lion prides feast on the abundance of plain grazers. Solitary leopards haunt the acacia trees lining the Seronera River, while a high density of cheetahs prowls the southeastern plains. Almost uniquely, all three African jackal species occur here, alongside the spotted hyena and a host of more elusive small predators, ranging from the insectivorous aardwolf to the beautiful serval cat.

DAY 5: SERENGETI – NGORONGORO C. AREA

Pre-breakfast game drive ,full breakfast andlater drive to Ngorongoro conservation area. On our way back we will stop for picnic lunch at Oldupai Gorge. It’s a fascinating archeological site we will definetly visit if you are interested in history. The most famous skull found here belongs to Zinjathropus, known as ‘Nutcracker Man’. He lived about 1.75 million years ago. There is also a museum displaying 3.6 million year old footprints in volcanic rock, discovered nearby. Having spent some time in this beautiful location we drive you towards Ngorongoro . The way is interesting and there’s game viewing en route. Towards the evening we’ll arrive at the rim of Ngorongoro Crater Dinner and Overnight in the lodge

DAY 6: NGORONGORO – ARUSHA

Our last day starts very early in the morning. Equipped with a picnic lunch we descend 2000 ft. down the crater by our 4whell drive vehicle. Let’s explore this Garden of Eden. Ngorongoro is a huge and deep volcanic crater. There’s rich pasture, swamps, forest and permanent water on the crater floor. That’s why wildlife here is so diverse and numerous. There are up to 25.000 larger animals living here. It’d the best opportunity to see Black Rhino and many other rare species like the black-manned lion. We will have a fantastic day and then drive back to Arusha. for dinner and overnight at the budget hotel on own.

Cost of Safari

The cost of this safari will vary depending on date of travel, type of accommodation, transport mode and number of people on the safari.

Please contact us on email sales@goeastafricasafaris.com or phone
+254 768 761 321
and we shall get back to you within the shortest time possible.

INCLUDES & EXCLUDES

Included in the Safari Cost

  • Transport on a customized comfortable safari van suitable for game viewing.
  • Entrance fees to the game parks as per the itinerary
  • Shared budget twin tent with hot water shower.
  • Service of an English-speaking driver-guide
  • Game drives as per the Itinerary
  • Meals as per the itinerary
  • 1 liter of bottled drinking water each day.
  • Government taxes

Excluded in the Safari Cost

  • Extras – tips, drinks, etc.
  • Items of personal use i.e. Towels, ointments, repellants, etc.
  • Personal travel insurance.
  • Extra activities such as the balloon safari and the boat ride

Ready to go? We got you!

1 Day Trips
  • Carnivore Restaurant Nairobi
  • Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Day Trip
  • Giraffe Center Day Tour
  • Karen Blixen Museum
  • Nairobi National Park Day Tour
  • Nairobi National Museum Day Tour
  • The Bomas of Kenya
  • 1 Day Lake Naivasha With Boat Ride
  • 1 Day Tour Hell’s Gate National Park
Kenya Safaris
  • 03 DAYS AMBOSELI SAFARI
  • 04 DAYS MAASAI MARA/ NAKURU HOLIDAY
  • 4 DAYS KENYA MASAI MARA SAFARI
  • 5 DAYS ABERDARE / LAKE NAKURU / MASAI MARA
  • 06 DAYS MARA/NAKURU/ AMBOSELI SAFARI
  • 8 DAYS MAASAI MARA / LAKE NAIVASHA / LAKE NAKURU / ABERDARE & MT.KENYA {MAU MAU CAVES}
Tanzania Safaris
  • 03 DAYS TANZANIA SAFARI SERENGETI – NGORONGORO SAFARI
  • 04 DAYS LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK – NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA
  • 3 DAYS TANZANIA SAFARI NGORONGORO CRATER & LAKE MANYARA
  • 5 DAYS TANZANIA SAFARIS: LAKE MANYARA / NGORONGORO / TARANGIRE SAFARI
  • 5 DAYS TANZANIA SAFARI L.MANYARA / NGORONGORO CRATER / SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
Need Help Planning?
Do not hesitate to give us a call. We are an expert team and we are happy to talk to you.

St Ellis House, 7th Floor,
Wabera Street, Opp City Hall
Nairobi ,Kenya

+254 768 761 321

info@goeastafricasafaris.com

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