Here is a copy of my Itinerary:
Saturday, July 2
Depart San Francisco - Amsterdam ( 10 hour flight) then Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro International Airport in Moshi, Tanzania ( 11 hour Flight)-
SHIT ! THOSE ARE LONG ASS FLIGHTS!!!
Dont worry, I have Xanex!!
Sunday, July 3
Welcome to Africa! Your safari begins today!
Arrive Kilimanjaro International Airport in Moshi, Tanzania sometime today, where you will be transferred to your hotel by the friendly staff of Africa Joy Tours and Safaris. Rest and relax if you can.
Lunch and dinner is included if you arrive early enough. Overnight at the Mountain Serena Hotel in Arusha. www.serenahotels.com/serenaarusha/default-en.html The grounds are great for walking and birding. (we’ll return to this hotel two more times so you can store luggage or souvenirs here if you wish)
Monday, July 4 Happy Independence Day!
After breakfast we’ll depart Arusha and head to Mkomazi National Park – box lunch today. Mkomazi is near the base of Usambara Mountains with distant views of Mount Kilimanjaro, and is an extension of the Tsavo National Park ecosystem (famous for large herds of reddish-colored elephants) in Kenya to the north. Mkomazi recently was upgraded to National Park status and you’ll be some of the first tourists to visit this “off-the-beaten-track” wildlife-filled park. Overnight at Muller’s Lodge. Sorry no fireworks allowed in the national parks!
Full day to explore Mkomazi’s hilly, semi-arid savannahs and bush. We’ll bring a boxed lunch along so we can be free to roam where the wildlife and scenery takes us. Three dry-country specialists occur here: Gerenuk, Fringe-eared Orxy, and Lesser Kudu. With some luck you could spot an endangered African Wild Dog or Black Rhino – both species were reintroduced here in the 1990’s. Mkomazi is where Kurt worked during the summer of 1993 with the Royal Geographic Society’s team of naturalists and geographers to map the area and document the wildlife and plants. Tony Fitzjohn also took up residence here after he was ousted by the Kenyan government from George Adamson’s (“Born Free”) camp in Kenya….. Dinner and overnight at Muller’s Lodge.
Wednesday, July 6
After breakfast at the lodge we’ll take a boxed lunch with us and do some exploring on the way back to Arusha. Chance to see Arusha’s markets today and visit a local school (if you brought items for the school today is the day to get them out!). Reorganize your luggage and leave some stuff behind. Overnight at the Mountain Serena Hotel. www.serenahotels.com/serenaarusha/default-en.html
Thursday, July 7
After breakfast we’ll drive to Arusha National Park for a full day of game viewing in the shadowy mountain forests at the base of Mount Meru (4,566 meters high). Like Mkomazi and even Tarangire, many tourists overlook this Park in their rush to get to the Serengeti. We won’t make that mistake! This is the best place to get a close-up look at the spectacular Black-and-White Colobus Monkey, as well as Blue Monkeys. The tropical forests are filled with turacos and trogons and dozens of other colorful bird species. We’ll visit Ngurdoto Crater where we’ll eat our boxed lunch, and the Momela Lakes region where African Cape Buffalo and warthogs are common. Waterfalls occur throughout the Park. After we leave Arusha NP we’ll proceed directly to Tarangire National Park where we’ll have dinner at our lodge which overlooks the Tarangire River. The game viewing never ends and on the drive from the park entrance to our lodge there will be the chance to see some large carnivores including Leopard. Overnight at Tarangire Safari Lodge. http://www.tarangiresafarilodge.com
Friday, July 8
We finally get into the classic “safari mode” today (morning and afternoon game drives punctuated with a lunch break at the lodge). After an early breakfast we’ll take a game drive to some wildlife-filled sections of the park. If you haven’t seen an elephant by now, be prepared to see large herds this morning! Anything can happen when you’re out on these game drives. Lunch and afternoon siesta (or continued viewing of wildlife coming to the water!) at the lodge. Later in the afternoon we’ll take a second game drive to a different part of the park. Tarangire might be my favorite Park in Tanzania and today you’ll see why. Dinner and overnight at Tarangire Safari Lodge.
Saturday, July 9
After breakfast we’ll depart Tarangire (chance for more wildlife on the way out) and proceed to Lake Manyara National Park in the Rift Valley. We’ll enjoy a game drive in the Park and then have lunch at our hotel: the Lake Manyara Serena Lodge. http://www.serenahotels.com/serenalakemanyara/default-en.html The lodge sits on a bluff overlooking both the Park and the Rift Valley below - and the swimming pool has one of the best views anywhere – plus Rock Hyraxes in the lounge chairs! In the afternoon we’ll take another game drive through the Park. Lake Manyara was famous in the 1970’s and 80’s for its tree-climbing lions – the lions are still around but they don’t climb trees like they used to. The hippos will be sure to entertain us and we’ll add lots of swamp-loving bird species to our list. Dinner and overnight at the Lake Manyara Serena Lodge.
This morning after breakfast we’ll proceed directly to the Serengeti National Park – game-viewing, picnic lunch, and more game-viewing en route to the Serengeti Serena Lodge. http://www.serenahotels.com/serenaserengeti/default-en.html The lodge has a short network of trails and viewpoints over the vast Serengeti Plain. The birdwatching is great right on the grounds near your rooms. If you’d like to take a hot air balloon ride (I’ve done it twice and it is an incredible experience – and yes, it is worth it!) the cost is about $425 per person and that chance may be as soon as tomorrow morning, July 11 (check with Kurt). Dinner and overnight at the Serengeti Serena Lodge.
Monday, July 11
After an early breakfast we’ll take our boxed lunch with us as we search for the wildebeest migration in the Ndutu area. At this time of year millions of wildebeest are passing through the Serengeti and following the green grass north to the the Masai Mara in adjacent Kenya. The exact timing of the migration varies depending on the rain and other factors. This promises to be an exciting day of wildlife viewing! Dinner and overnight at the Serengeti Serena Lodge.
Tuesday, July 12
This morning after breakfast we’ll head to the central Serengeti where our tented camp is located. (The tent-camp experience is something you’ll always remember and shouldn’t miss! You’ll be impressed). Game-viewing and picnic lunch en route. Finding a cheetah would be a highlight! Dinner and overnight at Ikoma Bush Luxury Camp.http://www.africanlegendsdmc.com/ikoma_bush_camp_description.html
Wednesday, July 13
Today we have a full day to explore and hopefully see more wildebeest on migration. When the wildebeest are active, so are the predators! We’ll take a picnic lunch to the kirawira circuit area and return to our camp in the mid-afternoon. After dinner a special two hour night game drive has been arranged just outside the Park – a unique opportunity! Overnight at Ikoma Bush Luxury Camp.
Thursday, July 14
We’ll leave the Serengeti after breakfast and head straight to cradle of mankind known as Oldupai Gorge (renamed from “Olduvai” in 2005 to correct a mistake – “Oldupai” is the Maasai word for “sisal” which grows in the area) where a behind-the-scenes (down in the gorge) tour has been arranged for us. Oldupai was discovered accidentally in 1910 by a near-sighted German entomologist Whlhelm Kattwinkel – the story goes he was chasing a butterfly, slipped off a cliff, and fell right into a treasure trove of fossils! – Since the 1930’s Oldupai has been the site of many significant archaeological discoveries beginning with Drs. Mary and Louis Leakey. The almost 2-million year old Zinjanthropus skull (a.k.a. “Nutcracker Man”) found by Dr. Mary Leakey in 1959 (Paranthropus boisei) catapulted the Leakeys to fame and helped fund future research at this site and many others. We’ll actually get to see the “ZINJ SITE”. After some time at the little museum and a picnic lunch we’ll proceed to our next stop – the Ngorongoro Crater. The crater, about 11 miles wide, is actually a caldera (collapsed crater) and is part of the larger Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA). The lodge is situated right on the rim of the caldera – if it’s not too cloudy the view is tremendous. Expect cold temperatures and a foggy mist for the next day or two. Dinner and overnight at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge. http://www.serenahotels.com/serenangorongoro/default-en.html
Friday, July 15
Today after breakfast we descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for an action-packed 6 hour game drive and picnic lunch on the floor of the crater. Watch out for Black Kites that swoop out of the sky and snatch your sandwich right out of your hand! You’ll get up close to so many species: lion, hyena, wildebeest, zebra, flamingo, maybe even a bat-eared fox or golden jackal! In the afternoon we’ve arranged a guided walking safari on the rim of the crater – another unique opportunity. Dinner and overnight at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge.
Saturday, July 16
After breakfast we pack up and head for Arusha, stopping to eat our picnic lunch and to shop at the cultural heritage center. A day room at the Mountain Serena Lodge awaits for you to freshen up, relax, and repack for your journey home.
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