(The Ultimate Birds & Beasts Safari) Private Safari with Afro-Vertex Tours & Safaris

Accommodations: Clients selection Public campsite/ tented campsite/ Lodges Meals: Water is included in all meals After a good nights’ sleep you enjoy a healthy, tasty breakfast and then set off for the Tarangire National Park, which is a haven for birdwatchers. Tarangire boasts over 550 species of bird and its marshes have the highest number of breeding species in one place in the whote world. If you’re a bird lover, you won’t want to leave. You’ll easily spot the flocks of dazzling yellow-collared lovebirds, the native rufous-tailed weaver and the northern pied babbler; the red-and-yellow-barbet (you’ll know him as soon as you see him!), the superior ostrich, as well as hundreds of migratory birds. Amongst the birds you can sit back and watch the parade of animals for which Tarangire is famous: these include the stately elephant, powerful lion, giraffe, graceful impala, cheetah, mongoose, buffalo and baboons. After feasting your eyes on this glorious park’s diversity, you’ll head off to Mto wa Mbu and reach in the late afternoon. You’ll probably want to stretch your legs and check out the photos you’ve taken so far while our cook prepares you a delicious dinner which you can enjoy watching the apricot and bronze of an African sunset.

Accommodations: Clients selection Public campsite/ tented campsite/ Lodges Meals: Water is included in all meals After a yummy breakfast you’ll set off for Lake Natron, a salt and Soda Lake cradled in part of the great East African Rift Valley. The lake is a patchwork of pink, russet and white because of the microorganisms that thrive on its salinity and the salt-crust rafts that pepper the lake. You’ll arrive at the campsite in time for a delicious lunch and then you’ll take an afternoon stroll to the lake, where you could be delighted by a pink cloud of flamingoes; the lake is the only regular breeding ground in East Africa of around 2.5 million lesser flamingoes, who depend utterly on the lake and are therefore categorized as near threatened, despite their numbers. You’ll wander past salt marshes and freshwater wetlands and on to a sparkling waterfall. You’ll also get a chance to marvel at Oldoinyo Lengai (Mountain of God in Maasai in the language of Maasai People), an active volcano* and if you’d like to climb it, we can add an extra day to your adventure to get you to the top! (Tell us when you book if you’d like to be a volcano-conqueror!). Dinner and overnight at Lake Natron.

Accommodations: Clients selection Public campsite/ tented campsite/ Lodges Meals: Water is included in all meals After breakfast you‘ll leave the harsh and compelling landscape of Lake Natron to travel to the lush bounty of the Serengeti National Park. You’ll journey via Loliondo and Wasso, towns, where the Maasai , Chagga, Sonjo and Arusha peoples live and work together in harmony, and through to the Klein’s Gate, the northeast entrance to the Serengeti . On your drive don’t forget to look out for a wide variety of animals including antelope, wildebeest and zebra. You’ll rest up in the centre of the Serengeti , and enjoy a lovely dinner while you anticipate what tomorrow will bring.

Accommodations: Clients selection Public campsite/ tented campsite/ Lodges Meals: Water is included in all meals You’ll wake up to pink with Afro-Vertex Tours & Safaris, in the centre of the Serengeti , a paradise for wildlife and bird lovers, with a thrill wherever you turn your head. Make sure you fill up on breakfast, as there’s lots to see today, especially if you visit during migration season. The Serengeti is home to the Great Migration of wildebeest and zebra, an incredible and world-famous phenomenon. But even outside migration season, you’ll be up close and personal with a variety of animals, including over 70 species of large mammals. You’ll see lions, leopards, elephant, cheetah and water buffalo all within a few feet of your jeep. But these aren’t all. The Serengeti is home to many other animals that are equally fascinating and beautiful. This is a dizzyingly active ecosystem and you’ll also marvel at eland, antelope and Grant’s gazelle; hyenas and crocodiles; monkeys and baboons as well as hippos and rhinos. Birders will spot hundreds of bird species, both endemic and migrating from the Eurasia. After a heady day enjoying the wildlife, relax with a drink, while you watch the sunset and wait for your delicious dinner to be served. Eat up – you’ve another amazing day tomorrow so you’ll need your strength!

Accommodations: Clients selection Public campsite/ tented campsite/ Lodges Meals: Water is included in all meals You’ll spend this morning revisiting the diverse landscapes of the Serengeti - riverine forest, swamps, kopjes and grasslands before your next part of the adventure. After a tasty lunch you’ll journey off to the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage site whose fertile volcanic plains and stunning highlands hold some of the richest density of animals in the whole of Africa. You’ll spend the night here, which is at the rim of the crater and while you watch the golden pink sunset melt over the savannah within the caldera, our friendly cook will be preparing a delectable dinner for you.

Accommodations: Clients selection Public campsite/ tented campsite/ Lodges Meals: Water is included in all meals You’ll be up with the Afro-Vertex Tours & Safaris because early morning is the best time to experience the Crater waking up. It’s a totally different feel and a filling breakfast, mug of hot coffee and crisp air will enliven you to enjoy it to the full. There’s plenty of time for photography and what a day for it! You’re likely to spot the Big Five - lion, elephant, leopard, rhino and water buffalo – in a landscape lush with greens, olives and gold topped with the intense blue of the Tanzanian sky. You’ll stop for a cheeky picnic lunch near a pond of hippos: older ones patiently sunning or muddying themselves while the youngsters play and splash. The Ngorongoro Crater has a unique geology and this is why so many species live here and, apart from the Big Five, you’ll spot zebra, wildebeest and hyena and – for you bird lovers - the salmon pink mist of graceful flamingos at Soda Lake and vultures and hawks eagerly circling the sky in search of a discarded carcass. Storks, ibis, and cranes are also common to the Ngorongoro Crater . You’ll begin your drive to the tranquility to Mto wa Mbu after lunch and you’ll have worked up the appetite for a hot, fresh and tasty dinner under a sky packed full of stars.

On our last day of the tour (we know, we wish it was longer too!) we will experience the beauty of Lake Manyara National Park. Nestled at the base of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, the Park is a picturesque tapestry of habitats: the golden savannah, lush forest, arid, baked scrubland and tumbling rivers. You’ll wake up to an early breakfast to start the day early enough to spot the wildlife of the park and to breathe in the beauty of the place. You’ll picnic in the heart of the park and then explore the shores of Soda Lake, with its pink shimmer of flamingo, one of over four hundred species of dazzling birds including the forest hornbill, pelican and cormorant. Lake Manyara is home to the legendary tree-climbing lion as well as powerful water buffalo, African elephant, giraffe, impala and hippo. In the late afternoon, you’ll say goodbye to Manyara and drive to Moshi, through Maasai bomas, baobab forest and rolling savannah. When you arrive back at Moshi/Arusha, tired but rejuvenated, your adventure will end. We can take you to the airport, if you are too awestruck with your safari experience to move