Flora and Fauna Experience

Day 2: After breakfast, drive to Lake Manyara National Park for a full-day game drive, with picnic lunch provided. Have dinner and spend the night at Nsya tented camp or Kilimamoja luxury lodge.

Lake Manyara National Park is a Tanzanian national park located in both Arusha Region and Manyara Region, Tanzania. The park consists of 330 km2 (130 sq mi) of arid land, forest, and a soda-lake which covers as much as 200 km2 (77 sq mi) of land during the wet season – but is nearly nonexistent during the dry season. Lake Manyara National Park is known for the flamingos that inhabit the lake. During the wet season, they inhabit the edges of the lake in flocks of thousands, but they are not so present during the dry season. More than 400 species of birds inhabit the park, and many remain throughout the year. Because of this, Lake Manyara National Park is a good spot for bird watching. Visitors to the park can expect to see upwards of 100 different species of bird on any day.

Leopards, Masai lions, cheetahs, elephants, blue monkeys, dik-dik, gazelles, hippopotami, Masai giraffe, impala, zebras and many more wild animals also inhabit this park, and many can be seen throughout the year. There is even a hippo pond at one end of the park where visitors can get out of their cars and observe from a safe distance. Leopards and lions are both known to lounge in the trees while not hunting for prey.

Day 3: Experience a full-day game dive in Tarangire National Park, with picnic lunch provided. Have dinner and spend the night at Maramboi tented camp or Tarangire Sopa Lodge.

Tarangire National Park, located in the Manyara region, is the sixth largest national park in Tanzania. It is named for the Tarangire River that crosses the park; this river is the primary source of fresh water for wild animals in the Tarangire Ecosystem during the annual dry season. The Tarangire Ecosystem is defined by the long-distance migration of wildebeest and zebras. During the dry season, thousands of animals concentrate in Tarangire National Park from the surrounding wet-season dispersal and calving areas. The park is famous for its high density of elephants and baobab trees. Visitors to the park in June to November dry season can expect to see large herds of thousands of zebra, wildebeest and cape buffalo. Other common resident animals include waterbuck, giraffe, dik dik, impala, eland, Grant’s gazelle, vervet monkey, banded mongoose, and olive baboon. Predators in Tarangire include the African lion, leopards, cheetahs, caracals, honey badgers, and the African wild dog. Home to more than 550 bird species, the park is a haven for bird enthusiasts. The park is also famous for the termite mounds that dot the landscape; abandoned termite mounds are often home to the dwarf mongoose. In 2015, a white giraffe (due to leucism) was spotted in the park.

Day 4: After early morning breakfast, drive to Arusha National Park for a full-day game drive, with picnic lunch provided. Have dinner and spend the night at camp or lodge.

Arusha National Park, in the Arusha region of northeastern Tanzania, covers Mount Meru, a prominent volcano with an elevation of 4566 m. The park is small but varied with, spectacular landscapes; it has a rich variety of wildlife, but visitors shouldn’t expect the same game-viewing experience they find in other national parks of Tanzania’s northern circuit. Despite its size, common animals include giraffes, Cape buffalos, zebras, warthogs, the black-and-white colobus monkey, the blue monkey, flamingos, elephants, lion and many others. Leopard populations are present, but rarely seen. Birdlife in the forest is prolific, with many forest species more easily seen here than elsewhere on the tourist route – narina trogon and bar-tailed trogon are both possible highlights for visiting birders, as well as the less flashy starling species.

Day 5: Drive back to Arusha. Final drop off at your accommodation or Kilimanjaro Airport to catch your flight back home or to your next destination.