Safaris

By the Maasai - For the Maasai

It is slightly overwhelming to peruse the endless accounts of game drives through the stunning national parks of Tanzania - the Big Five plus a plethora of other animals and birds, let alone the magnificent scenery. Nature’s greatest spectacle the Great Migration, Africa’s highest mountain Kilimanjaro - all against the backdrop of the extraordinary native ethnic group - the Maasai.

Each park has an individuality and a speciality but, throughout, the magic of each new vista, each encounter with a lion cub, a giraffe or a majestic herd of elephants will inspire you to go deeper into the heart of this extraordinary country and its people.

The national park is situated not far from Arusha, to the south east of Lake Manyara and the great parks of Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti.

It is the home of the “Tree of Life” - the Baobab tree, with its gigantic trunk which can hold hundreds of litres of water. Their seeds are edible and supply food for many different species of animal. There is a legend that these trees could wander all over Africa, which annoyed God, so he turned them all upside down to keep them in one place……

These trees give Tarangire a very distinctive horizon as they stand proud in the vast grasslands.

Tarangire has the highest number of elephants in Tanzania , and large herds of them are seen digging in the sand banks of the Tarangire river looking for underground streams. But also one can see many other species - zebras, giraffes, baboons, lions , cheetahs and many more.

Tarangire

Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoron crater is in the Ngorongoron Conservation Area just south of the Serengeti. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site, because of the density of large animals (biodiversity), also, it has an incredibly high concentration of wildlife , and one can see lions, leopards, buffalo, elephants and maybe even the black rhino. It's ecosystem is unique and it has a very strong Maasai culture which illustrates the symbiotic relationship between people and nature. It is home to one of the world’s most important prehistoric sites - the Olduvai gorge - the “Cradle of Mankind”

The name Ngorongoro is thought to be the onomatopoeic word used by the Maasai people to describe the sound of the bell of the leading cow in a herd - it makes the sound ‘ngor ngor”.

Perhaps the best known of the national parks, it is exceptional for its endless golden plains which host the largest concentration of predators in the world . It is a unique , functioning ecosystem which is one of the oldest in existence . The Serengeti is home to the most exceptional natural theatre in the world - the Great Migration, where literally millions of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles and elands move together to find water and fresh grass. The smell of distant rainstorms and the scent of fresh grass carried by the wind, helps them find these new grazing areas. Each year more than 1.5 wildebeest and 20,000 zebras plus hundreds of thousands of gazelles complete one of the greatest wildlife journeys on Earth.

Aside from this wondrous spectacle, one can witness the lions on their natural observation towers - the iconic kopjes - granite rock outcrops which lions, cheetahs, leopards climb to scan for prey , or watch the silent elephants ambling across the plains , disappearing into the woods to feast on leaves and branches, or one can search the trees for a leopard resting on a branch,out of site of its predators. Or the bad tempered buffalo, who always moves in a crowd. It is bird life paradise , but the one thing of which there are few are stinging and biting insects -! However plenty of others who are crucial for maintaining the ecosystem …..

The Serengeti

8 day Off-The-Beaten-Path Tanzania Safari & Community Impact Journey: Osligi Lai, Enduimet WMA, Ngorongoro, Ndutu, Serengeti

These are just a few ideas to show how much is possible and agreable within your holiday period - distances involved, variety , and a very small sample of the accommodation offered - varying from luxury to budget. These are suitable as a base for any number of clients in a party - and will be adapted according to your precise group size when we create your trip together. One of our aims is to be as sustainable as possible which is why we created the "Off The Beaten Path " range of safaris - just as much wild life, but not so many jeeps! But the choice is yours, maybe you prefer the iconic wonders of the larger parks or a mixture, we are here to create your journey. Regarding price, it is so dependent on variable factors that we prefer to work from your budget -(we give each client an itemised breakdown of costs before you make any decision so that you can see there are. No hidden extras!)

Itinerary