The Great Tanzania Migration Safari - Natural Habitat Adventures

The Great Tanzania Migration Safari

8 days with Natural Habitat Adventures Rating:

Itinerary

Day 1: Arusha, Tanzania

Arrive at Tanzania's Kilimanjaro Airport and transfer to a peaceful country lodge in the rolling foothills at the base of Mount Meru. Relax amid the ambience of a 1905 colonial farmhouse and lush gardens, surrounded by mature native forest where colobus and Sykes' monkeys play in the trees. If time permits, enjoy a swim in the pool, ride horseback through the forest, or enjoy a restorative massage in the open-air tent, serenaded by birdsong. As the afternoon wanes, sip a sundowner on the terrace in view of Mount Kilimanjaro before gathering for a welcome dinner this evening.

Days 2–4: East Central Serengeti Plains

Early this morning we depart the lodge for Arusha's domestic airport and our flight to the Serengeti. This legendary savanna derives its name from a Maasai word meaning “endless plains.” We fly to Serengeti National Park, where a vista of golden grasslands stretching to the horizon under a blue bowl of sky provides an iconic image of East Africa. Meeting our safari vehicles and drivers, we set out on our first wildlife drive. Our destination is a remote sector of the Serengeti previously off-limits to visitors for two decades during a period of habitat rehabilitation to increase the cheetah population. Surveying open range and kopjes—large granite outcrops that dot the plains—the camp offers fabulous wildlife viewing in diverse habitats, particularly of the abundant feline predators that live and hunt in this area.

Ehlane Plains Camp provides exceptional seclusion to experience this natural setting away from tourist crowds. Ehlane is a Zulu word meaning "wilderness," which is exactly what we experience in this isolated location. Evoking the classic atmosphere of an earlier safari era, the camp's eight canvas tents, shaded by giant acacia trees, offer surprising comforts in this remote setting. Enjoy 360-degree views of wildlife traversing the savanna, plus the river with its perennial vegetation and dense reed beds that attract birds and smaller animals. Thrilling encounters are in store on wildlife drives, while walking safaris offer a more intimate view of the landscape in the company of a resident specialist guide.

Days 5–7: Southern Serengeti—Nat Hab's Private Mobile Camp

Depart this morning for the southern Serengeti with a game drive en route. The days of heavy canvas hunting camps set for the likes of Roosevelt and Hemingway were nearly over until photo safaris gained popularity beginning in the 1970s. Nat Hab's private mobile camp is redolent of vintage character, with fine dinners presented on white linen by candlelight. While home to a profusion of wildlife year-round, there is nothing like the Serengeti during the phenomenon of the Great Migration. We spend three days among the sea of mammals, following them in 4-wheel-drive vehicles with pop-top roofs that offer superb photography access.

During the short rains each year, some 2 million wildebeest trek from Kenya’s Maasai Mara to the southern Serengeti, then back again, in search of new grass. The wildebeest migrate with hundreds of thousands of zebra, whose superior vision and hearing serve as an early-warning system for predators. Gazelle and other antelope accompany the great herds as well. We are in the region during the time when zebra and wildebeest are giving birth, and the herds are mostly stationary. The majority of baby wildebeest are born during a single three-week window, after most zebra young have emerged. We'll hope to see infants (though timing on the calf drop is weather-dependent), as well as prey interactions. Predators seek out the most vulnerable members of the herds, and we may see a lion seize a sick wildebeest or a cheetah overtaking a newborn that has become separated from its mother. Leopard, hyena and jackal also prey on the migrating herds while vultures hang in the air, waiting to feast on carrion. While the spectacle is at times grim, its primal drama is a wonder to behold.

Day 8: Arusha or Ngorongoro Extension / Depart

Our safari concludes today, leaving us with a slate of memories to savor forever. After breakfast at camp, we transfer to the nearest airstrip for our flight back to Arusha, where we have lunch on arrival. A day room awaits, offering a chance to relax before a transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport for international departures this evening. Guests continuing on our Ngorongoro Crater extension will say farewell to their fellow travelers in the Serengeti, then continue driving on to the crater in pursuit of further exciting wildlife encounters.

Map

All This Included

On Africa's Great Plains, our private mobile camp is a tiny island in a vast, grassy sea. But we are not alone on this endless savanna: our camp sits in proximity to thousands of wildebeest and the zebra and gazelle that accompany them. Each year, the great herds traverse the Serengeti Plains in search of nutritious new grass, birthing their young while on the move. Lion and cheetah lie in wait, finely tuned hunting machines ready to stalk and take down the weakest members of the herds. In the center of the world’s greatest ancient migration route, we are subsumed in a primal spectacle as the drama of predator and prey unfolds before us. Witness it in rare seclusion from our intimate camps, outposts of bush luxury in remote locales where you're immersed in the wonder of one of the world's truly epic wildlife events.

Accommodations
Services of Nat Hab's professional Expedition Leader(s), local guides and camp staff
All meals from dinner on Day 1 through lunch on final day
Some alcoholic beverages
Most gratuities
Airport transfers on Day 1 and final day
All activities and entrance fees
All taxes, permits and service fees

Highlights

A small-group safari to witness the astounding phenomenon of hundreds of thousands of animals massed on the Serengeti Plains during prime calving season.
Our naturalist Expedition Leader interprets predator-prey interactions as feline hunters and hyena track the young and vulnerable members of the herds.
Enjoy unparalleled seclusion, comfort and vintage safari atmosphere at our private Nat Hab Migration Base Camp, located in a remote sector of the Serengeti.

Accommodations

Arusha: Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge
East Central Serengeti Plains: Ehlane Plains Camp
Southern Serengeti: Natural Habitat's Private Mobile Camp – Serengeti

Pre and Post Add-ons

Extra Day in Arusha

1 Day / From $465

Arusha is the jumping-off point for safaris to Tanzania’s famous national parks—a lively city with a temperate climate at the foot of Mount Meru.

Ngorongoro Crater Extension

3 Days / During Migration Season, From $2495

Nothing compares to a wildlife drive across the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater, home to Africa's densest concentration of wildlife. From rhinos to lions to pink flamingos, the crater's creatures will delight you.

Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Extension

5 Days / Year-Round, From $3295 (+permits)

A 5-day safari extension to track endangered mountain gorillas. Hike through the rain forest and spend rare moments with a habituated family troop.

Uganda Mountain Gorilla Extension

5 Days / Year-Round, From $2695 (+air/permits)

Take a 5-day safari extension to track endangered mountain gorillas in the rain forests of Uganda. A once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Custom Kenya Safari Camp Extension

Year-Round, From $2395

A fly-in extension to some of Kenya's most remote safari camps in the Maasai Mara, Samburu, Amboseli and more.

Custom Tanzania Safari Camp Extension

Year-Round, From $3225

Extend your safari with a visit to Tanzania's secluded safari camps in the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Selous, Ruaha and more.

Notes

Group Size Limit: Approximately 12 Travelers.
Not Included: Travel to and from start and end point of trip, premium alcoholic beverages, some gratuities, passport and visa fees, optional activities, items of a personal nature (phone calls, souvenirs, etc.), airport and departure taxes, optional travel insurance, and required medical evacuation insurance.
Mandatory Insurance: Since the areas we travel to on this trip are remote and wild (that's why we go there!), we require medical evacuation insurance for our guests' safety. If you decline the medical evacuation insurance coverage offered by Natural Habitat, we request that you send us documentation of the independent coverage you have selected. We will add the cost of a medical evacuation policy to your tour invoice until you provide our office with proof of coverage including your insurance company's name, contact number and your individual policy number. Thank you for understanding that our policy exists exclusively in the interest of our guests' safety.
Physical Requirements: Easy to Moderate. To participate in this trip, you must be able to walk unassisted at a steady pace for at least one mile over uneven terrain, climb steps to get into and out of our raised safari vehicles, and be able to tolerate daily outdoor excursions that may last 4-5 hours or even a full day at a time, sometimes in hot, windy and/or dusty conditions. Wildlife drives pose a particular type of physical demand on the body, as they require long hours of sitting and take place over terrain that is often very rough and bumpy, including dirt roads with many ruts and potholes. Travelers with back or neck problems, or other health issues that could be exacerbated by such conditions, should take this into consideration. While any walking safaris are considered optional, travelers must be able to walk unassisted to and from the vehicle to our camp accommodations, sometimes walking over uneven ground or on boardwalks. Days spent on safari are often long, as mornings typically start before daybreak and evening meals are served after sundown. Safari accommodations and vehicles are not climate-controlled and, depending on the season, temperatures can range from quite cold to extremely hot, so it is critical that travelers come prepared.
Please plan to arrive in Arusha, Tanzania by 5 pm on Day 1 in order to attend a 7 pm Welcome Dinner. You are free to depart from Arusha after 5 pm on the final day.
Please ask your Vacations To Go travel counselor for more information.

Terms and Conditions

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* The prices shown are U.S. dollars per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability. Prices quoted for land/cruise arrangements are subject to increase without notice. Once we have received your deposit, land/cruise prices are guaranteed. Air prices quoted via phone or email are subject to increase and are guaranteed only from the time that full payment is received. Also, air prices or air promotions mentioned on this site or on the phone do not include baggage fees imposed by airlines.

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