Welcome to Tanzania! Adventure abounds in the land of safaris – zebras roam the rolling golden hinterlands, hippopotamuses bathe moodily in the rivers and lakes and the mighty Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, stands tall above all.
After landing at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), you’ll be transferred to the first of your luxe Lemala lodgings, situated halfway between the airport and the sprawling city of Arusha, gateway to the country’s extraordinary national parks.
Drop your bags and savour every minute spent amid the region’s breathtaking scenery.
Arrival & Transfers:
Please book your flights to arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) at any time today. Airport transfers are included on the first day of your tour. Your transfer will meet you on arrival and take you to your hotel. Check-in on Day 1 is at 2pm.
Travel time: Driving – approx. one hour
After a hearty breakfast, it’s time to take your transfer to Arusha Airport (ARK) for your flight to the spectacular Serengeti.
Upon landing at Seronera Airstrip (SEU), you’ll be welcomed with refreshments and the chance to jump straight into a game drive. Whether the drive takes you to check-in and lunch at your stunning tented camp or keeps on rolling for a picturesque picnic lunch, either way you’re bound for a full day of wildlife viewing.
Deep in the heart of Tanzania, the Central Serengeti – in Maasai, ‘Endless Plains’ – contains endless stretches of savannah-covered plains, acacia woodlands and a labyrinthine network of rivers, creeks and streams. The famed Seronera Valley is renowned for being one of the best places on the continent to view Africa’s vibrant native wildlife, including great herds of wild zebra, giraffe, impala, waterbuck and jackal.
Later, toast with a sundowner at your accommodation, then rest up ahead of another day of wild adventure.
Travel time: Driving – approx. one hour / Flight – approx. 90 minutes
With bountiful wildlife and a top-tier location, you’re all set for the perfect safari. Embrace every moment of your customized game drive with the help of your eager, knowledgeable, eagle-eyed and fully-qualified guide. The mysteries of the endless plains will slowly be revealed over time – all you need is quiet and patience.
Set out on full-day game drives, watching for cheetahs, hyenas and an abundance of birdlife. Perhaps seek out the ‘Big Five’ safari animals, from lounging lions and ambling elephants to the hardy Cape buffalo, robust rhinoceros and elusive leopard.
Setting the scene on this vast savannah are the distinctive kopjes of the Serengeti – worn-down granite outcrops that rise like rocky islands from the plains. On an unforgettable journey across this sprawling landscape, the natural world opens up in all its thriving glory – all you need is your guide to lead the way.
After breakfast, drive east to Ngorongoro Crater in the country’s highlands.
This UNESCO World Heritage-listed crater is said to be the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera, and it’s the perfect place to continue your quest to sight Tazania’s ‘Big Five’, alongside a breathtaking numbers of wildebeest and zebra.
Continue around the rim to your idyllic tented camp near to the crater’s edge. Surrounded by the gentle sighing of the ancient acacias, you’ll sit down to a delectable lunch before an afternoon spent at leisure.
Later, join your guide for a visit to a traditional Maasai boma homestead, learning about the proud traditions that set the Maasai apart and how they speak to a side of Africa which few outsiders experience. Guests will be able to participate in a variety of unique cultural activities, as well as a question-and-answer session with the community.
This evening, return to your camp for dinner and a restful evening.
Travel time: Driving – approx. three hours
Gather your energy over breakfast, then set out for an early morning adventure as you descend into the Ngorongoro Crater. Through lush highland forests and the grassy interior, you’ll travel past herds of gentle herbivores and flocks of pink flamingos surrounding the shallow waters of Lake Magadi.
Contemplate the sublime scenery of this gargantuan crater, where yellow fever trees sway gently in the wind and hippopotamuses laze sleepily in the waters of Gorigor Swamp and Ngoitokitok Springs. Head east and north into the dryer grassland region, where black rhinos, hyenas and buffalos roam, and watch the skies for more than 500 species of fascinating birds.
Head out this morning on the road to Tarangire National park. Named for the Tarangire River – the park’s far-reaching central lifeline – Tarangire contains a complex ecosystem of flora and fauna, with a plethora of exhilarating animals to behold and the ancient baobab ‘tree of life’ found throughout the plains.
Descending through the highlands and entering the open savannah, your journey to Tarangire is a moving picture of Tanzania’s geological diversity. Jagged granite ridges, sweeping river valleys and an abundance of proud, thick-trunked baobab groves make this region quite unlike anywhere else. Once in the park, the last stretch of your transfer becomes a game drive in itself as you watch for elephants, antelopes and other exciting fauna.
Upon arrival at the showstopping Lemala Mpingo Ridge Lodge, you’ll check in and get settled for a peaceful evening with sundowners on the panoramic lodge terrace. Uninterrupted views over the plains below are the backdrop to a truly superlative luxury experience, culminating tonight in a stylish dinner under Africa’s glittering night sky – the perfect welcome to this jaw-dropping park.
Travel time: Driving – approx. five hours
Awaken among the baobabs to the howling calls of Tarangire National Park’s native wildlife and the warmth of the dawn sun. After breakfast, discuss with your guide how best to appreciate everything the park has to offer and tailor an experience you’ll never forget, whether that’s morning and afternoon drives in search of elephants, the striking silhouette of the oryx or a plethora of birds such as eye-catching hornbills and hoopoes. Opt for a picnic lunch in the wilds and craft your perfect day of safari adventure – the choice is yours.
Perhaps you’ll step out to explore the park in the evening as well, where a shroud of dazzling stars shines above the lively grasslands. As the park’s nocturnal inhabitants awaken, look for the gleam of watchful eyes and listen as your guide takes you through a shadow world teeming with wildlife.
After one last breakfast, you’ll transfer to Kilimanjaro by way of Arusha. If your departure flight time allows, you’ll stop for lunch at Arusha Coffee Lodge, set amid a sprawling coffee estate, with the chance to explore Arusha town before your onward journey to Kilimanjaro Airport.
Once you reach the airport, it’s time to bid farewell to captivating Tanzania and the your fellow safari adventurers. Rather that ‘goodbye’, you can say ‘kwaheri ya kuonana’ – a Swahili saying meaning ‘goodbye until we meet again’.
Departure & Transfers:
Checkout on your final day is at 10am. Please book your flights to depart from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) after 5pm. Airport transfers are included on the last day of your tour. Your transfer will meet you at your hotel and take you to the airport.
Travel time: Driving – approx. 4.5 hours