8 Days Mara River Crossing Migration

Overview

The high drama of a river crossing at the Mara River is arguably the highlight of the Wildebeest Migration, a stunning life-and-death display as hundreds of thousands of wildebeest brave the treacherous currents and lurking crocodiles in a last ditch attempt to reach the safety of the Maasai Mara in Kenya.
Our Seven-day Mara River Crossing safari takes you into the northern Serengeti and offers the best chance of seeing death-defying leaps and heart-wrenching near misses as you spend multiple nights and days in the world-famous Serengeti National Park.

Trip Summary

• Start: Arusha, Tanzania
• End: Arusha, Tanzania
• Destinations: Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongor
• Theme: Wildlife Safari
• Max group size: Any size

Day 1 – Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO):

Arrive at Arusha Airport or to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), you will be Met and assist at the airport and after going through Immigration, Baggage Claim and Customs, Transfer to Tulia Boutique Hotel & Spa to overnight on Bed and Breakfast basis.

Day 2 – Arusha – Lake Manyara National Park:

After breakfast you will depart from Arusha to Lake Manyara National Park. The drive takes approximately two hours, but we will pass through the market town of Mto Wa Mbu along the way. This agricultural and fresh produce market is a melting pot of local cultures and a souvenir hunter’s paradise. After a brief stop at the village market, you’ll enter Lake Manyara National Park. The park is truly a photographer’s playground and offers some of the best game viewing in the world. You can expect to see many of Africa’s most well-known animals, with the tree-climbing lions a particular treat. These proud predators lounge in acacia trees practically begging to be photographed. Bird-watchers will find Lake Manyara is an absolute delight, with a huge variety of birds on display in the park. Even the novice can expect to be amazed by large flamingo flocks, circling birds of prey, and the brightly colored lilac breasted roller. You will stay overnight at Eileen’s Trees Inn on Full Board basis.

Day 3 – Central Serengeti National Park:

We’ll take an early breakfast, as we’ve got a big day of exploration and adventure ahead of us! We’ll begin the day with the scenic drive towards the Serengeti. Along the way, we’ll pass through the mist-shrouded rainforests of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area where you might be lucky enough to glimpse cape buffalo, baboons, or even elephants and leopards in the dense undergrowth. It’s a nearly four-hour drive to the Serengeti park gates, but you can choose to break up the drive with one or both of the below optional activities for an extra cost:

Olduvai Gorge Museum: Sometimes known as the Cradle of Mankind, the Olduvai Gorge Museum commemorates some of the oldest evidence of human habitation ever found. Here you can see some of the oldest fossil evidence in the world of human habitation, visit the Olduvai Gorge Museum to learn more about the human journey, and take in the stunning views of this stark gorge country. Stay overnight at Embalakai Luxury Tented Camp on Full Board basis.

Day 4 – Central Serengeti – Serengeti North (Kogatende Region):

After breakfast, we will drive across the plains of Togoro and through the Mbuzi Mawe kopjes (small hills) as we make our way into the park’s northern reaches. Along the way, you’ll have the opportunity to see the Serengeti’s diverse scenery as you pass through wooded hills, tumbledown kopjes, and the wide open savannah. Your drive will show you everything from the diminutive dik-dik to towering elephants and giraffes. Upon arriving in the Kogatende region, you’ll go out in search of both the Wildebeest Migration and the famous Big Five. Stay overnight at Mara Heritage Tented Camp on Full Board basis.

Day 5 – Full Day at Serengeti North (Kogatende Region):

After breakfast, we’ll start our game drive around the Kogatende area, searching around the kopjes looking for carnivores and the large migration groups that will be preparing to cross the Mara River into Kenya. Home to large numbers of hippos and Nile crocodiles, the Mara River is the last major obstacle standing between the Wildebeest Migration and the relative safety of the Masai Mara.

If you are patient and a little lucky, you may even get to witness the death-defying crossing itself where wildebeest and zebras brave the river’s currents and crocodiles in an attempt to reach safety on the opposite bank. Dinner and overnight in the heart of the Serengeti National Park according to the standard and the type of accommodation requested from our options. Stay overnight at Mara Heritage Tented Camp on Full Board basis.

Day 6 – Kogatende Region – Ngorongoro Conservation Area:

After breakfast, we get right on the road back towards the Ngorongoro Crater National Park. Our drive takes us back through the Serengeti via a different route, offering plenty of opportunities to spot the animals that eluded you on day two. As far as the eye can see, you’ll spot thousands upon thousands of animals in herds; wildebeests and zebras migrating together, tall and graceful giraffes, jumping antelopes and gazelles, the powerful African elephant and the most respected group of animals: the predators. You will have the chance to spot lean cheetahs and shy leopards, foraging hyenas, and last but not least, the king himself; the lion. Stay overnight at Ngorongoro Rhino Lodge on Full Board basis.

Day 7 – Ngorongoro Crater Tour – Drive Back to Arusha:

An early breakfast, and then depart for Ngorongoro Crater at 7 Am; considered by some to be the Eighth Wonder of the World. When you get your first glimpse of this vast, verdant caldera from the panoramic viewpoint, you will soon understand why it has earned such a lofty reputation. Home to over 120 species of mammal including the fabled Big Five, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is one of the most sought after safari destinations in the world. It’s a particularly good place to see the endangered black rhinoceros enjoying a lonely meal out on the grass plains, as well as a place to see large numbers of hippopotamus enjoying the cool water.

From the comfort of your open-top vehicle, you will be able to observe and photograph some of Africa’s most recognizable faces. The crater is home to a large number of predators including lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, and hyenas, as well as a large population of wildebeest, zebras, antelope, Cape buffalo, and more. It is truly one of Africa’s premier safari destinations. After the thrills and excitement of the day, you will have a picnic lunch by the park’s famous hippo pool before returning to Arusha to overnight at Tulia Boutique Hotel & Spa on Bed and Breakfast basis.

Day 8 – Airport Departure Transfer:

On this day, you will be provided a private departure transfer to Arusha Airport or to Kilimanjaro International Airport where you will fly to Zanzibar Island or catch your flight back home!

Accommodation

Inclusions

• Lodge safari according to the itinerary
• Transportation in a 4×4 safari vehicle
• Professional, English-speaking guide,
• Overnight accommodation according to the itinerary
• Meals according to the itinerary, 1.5 litters of drinking water
• All mentioned activities, All national park fees.

 Exclusions

• Flights tickets
• Optional activities
• Alcoholic and soft drinks
• A night before and after safari
• Visa fees
• Tips
• Personal spending money for souvenirs
• Travel insurance etc.