WS Safaris Ltd - Arusha, Tanzania

Day 1 - Tarangire Park

We depart today for Tarangire Park passing through open plains south of Arusha town...During the dry season from May to October Tarangire has the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem and its wetlands in the southeast portion of the park support over 300 varieties of birds...With fewer tourists than other parks, Tarangire’s rolling savannah dotted with thousands of baobab and acacia trees offers a great chance to enjoy Africa's wilderness and solitude. Full day dame drive, dinner and overnight Fanaka Lodge / Twiga Camp Site.


Day 2 - Ngorongoro Crater

After breakfast we depart for Ngorongoro Crater passing through the forested slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater Highlands before arriving at the rim of the crater...We’ll descend into the crater which is one of the most densely crowded game areas in the world, home to nearly 40,000 animals...Here we’ll have a good chance of seeing the big five: lion, leopard, rare Black Rhino, buffalo and elephants...Along with the big five; we will also see herds of wildebeest, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle...After a picnic lunch we’ll continue our game drive then depart the crater and arrive at our accommodations at Rhino Lodge / Simba Camp Site (crater rim) just before dusk for dinner and overnight.

Day 3 - Lake Manyara Park

Today’s drive takes us back through the Crater Highlands to the base of the Rift Valley Escarpment; a dramatic bluff nearly 2,000 ft high...Here lies a narrow belt of acacia woodland and a floodplain that is filled seasonally by Lake Manyara...Encompassing this area is Lake Manyara Park which is often overlooked, but game-rich and best known for its tree-climbing lions...We’ll have time for full day game drive then evening drive back to Arusha.

Day 1 - Ngorongoro Crater

After breakfast, we depart for Ngorongoro Crater passing through the forested slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater Highlands before arriving at the rim of the crater...We’ll descend into the crater which is one of the most densely crowded game areas in the world, home to nearly 40,000 animals...Here we’ll have a good chance of seeing the big five: lion, leopard, rare Black Rhino, buffalo and elephants...Along with the big five; we will also see herds of wildebeest, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle...After a picnic lunch, we’ll continue our game drive then depart the crater and arrive at our accommodations just before dusk for dinner and overnight Rhino Lodge / Simba Camp Site (Crater Rim).

Day 2 - Serengeti Park

Today we descend through the forested slopes of the Ngorongoro Highlands en route to the Serengeti...We’ll stop at Olduvai Gorge to visit the site where the fossils of a distant ancestor of man, believed to be about 1.8 Million years old, were discovered...We arrive at our accommodations in time for dinner and overnight Angani Tented Lodge / Seronera Camp Site after a game drive through the central Serengeti.

Day 3 - Serengeti Park

We will have a full day game drive today, with a picnic lunch in the Serengeti...Our game drive on this day might include a drive along the banks of the Seronera river in search of lions or tracking cheetah through the Gol Kopjes...Dinner and overnight Angani Tented Lodge / Seronera Camp Site.

Day 4 – Serengeti - Arusha

Today’s drive takes us though the central Serengeti from west to east after morning game drive in Serengeti and back through the Ngorongoro Crater Highlands to the base of the Rift Valley Escarpment; a dramatic bluff nearly 2,000 ft high...Here lies a narrow belt of acacia woodland and a floodplain that is filled seasonally by Lake Manyara, then drive back to Arusha.

The Machame Route is known as the "Whiskey Route" in comparison to Marangu's "Coca Cola Route". This is because Machame is a more difficult route, and does not have sleeping huts for accommodation. Machame is the second most popular route on the mountain.

Machame is ideal for those who want a more difficult climb, and are confident in their ability to hike over extended periods of time on sometimes steep terrain. Climbers using Machame place a premium of varied scenery, but also accept heavy traffic.
Day 1 – Machame Gate to Machame Camp

•Machame Gate to Machame Camp
•Elevation (ft): 5,400ft to 9,400ft
•Distance: 11 km
•Hiking Time: 5-7 hours
•Habitat: Rain Forest

Day 2 – Machame Camp to Shira Camp

•Machame Camp to Shira Camp
•Elevation (ft): 9,400ft to 12,500ft
•Distance: 5 km
•Hiking Time: 4-6 hours
•Habitat: Moorland

Day 3 - Shira Camp to Barranco Camp

•Shira Camp to Lava Tower to Barranco Camp
•Elevation (ft): 12,500ft to 13,000ft
•Distance: 10 km
•Hiking Time: 6-8 hours
•Habitat: Semi Desert

Day 4 - Barranco Camp to Barafu Camp

Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp
•Elevation (ft): 13,000ft to 15,000ft
•Distance: 9km
•Hiking Time: 8-10 hours
•Habitat: Alpine Desert
Day 5 - Barafu Camp to Summit to Mweka Camp

•Barafu Camp to Summit to Mweka Hut
•Elevation (ft): 15,300ft to 19,345ft (and down to 10,000ft)
•Distance: 5 km ascent / 12 km descent
•Hiking Time: 7-8 hours ascent / 4-6 hours descent
•Habitat: Arctic

Day 6 – Mweka Camp to Arusha

•Mweka Camp to Arusha
•Elevation (ft): 10,000ft to 5,400ft
•Distance: 10 km
•Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
•Habitat: Rain Forest