Description
This 14 day safari to Tanzania is always popular, often booking up well over a year beforehand. We visit when the Wildebeest are migrating in their greatest numbers, the predators are ever present and other animals and birds can be seen in abundance. Couple this with unspoilt wilderness, stunning landscapes and amazing sunsets and you will be treated to an experience that is truly a Photographer’s Paradise.
The safari starts with an overnight flight from Heathrow, arriving in Nairobi the following morning and then taking a connecting flight to Arusha in Tanzania where we will have the day to relax at a secluded lodge or to visit Arusha National Park. The following day we will drive to Lake Manyara National Park made famous for the tree-climbing lions and the Douglas-Hamiltons’ research on elephants. We then spend six nights in the Serengeti National Park where we will follow the vast herds of Wildebeest and Zebra as they begin their northward migration to Kenya, having just given birth to their young. In addition we will expect to see Lion, Cheetah and Leopard and a large range of other species that inhabit the plains, as well as visiting more remote woodland, lake and river habitats.
We then move on to the climax of our safari with three nights at the Ngorongoro Crater which is often termed the eighth wonder of the world and with good reason. Superb photographic opportunities abound for many species of animals and birds, including huge bull elephants and it is one of the best places to see Black Rhinoceros, during our two days on the crater floor.
We stay in a variety of comfortable accommodation with full facilities during the safari with the emphasis on staying close to the best locations to view and photograph the wildlife, but also to provide a true wilderness feel wherever possible. Power for recharging batteries is available at each location.
The size of the group is no more than 8 and each client will be guaranteed a window seat in the 7 seat 4WD vehicles, and enough additional space for camera equipment and to move around with only 4 or 5 people per vehicle. The professional driver/guides who will remain with us throughout the tour know the area extremely well, are experts on the animals and birds, and understand the needs of photographers. Game viewing will often occupy most of the day - with picnic breakfasts or lunches being taken - but there may also be opportunities to visit a Masai village and Olduvai Gorge where the earliest remains of human ancestors were discovered by the Leakeys.
Peter Smart from Wild Arena will accompany you. Peter is a wildlife photographer, escorting tours to a variety of countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Botswana, India, Sri Lanka, Spitsbergen and the Galapagos Islands. Peter treats it as a genuine privilege to introduce people to the wildlife, landscapes and people of the countries he visits and his knowledge, organisational skills and sense of fun ensures that not only will you have excellent photographic and game-viewing opportunities but also a highly enjoyable holiday!
The safari is arranged by African specialists, Safari Consultants Ltd, a fully bonded UK tour operator; your financial protection when travelling with us. Safari Consultants can also arrange a customised extension to your safari such as to the exotic island of Zanzibar.
In addition to providing great photographic opportunities, Wild Arena’s safaris are designed to offer a wide appreciation of the natural beauty of Africa’s wildlife, people and the environment. The itinerary provides you with the maximum time in the field so we can offer you the best photographic opportunities, including giving help when it is needed. We aim to give you a highly enjoyable holiday and for you to feel that our knowledgeable guides have provided you with unique opportunities to view and capture images of the natural world. Wild Arena also offer a wide selection of photographic workshops in the UK which many of our delegates have found to be an ideal way to develop their photographic skills, try new equipment and ask questions before embarking on their safari.
This exciting safari offers wonderful and varied game viewing and the chance to witness one of the World’s greatest wildlife spectacles as huge herds of Wildebeest traverse the Serengeti Plains. Northern Tanzania also has a large concentration of Lion, Leopard and Cheetah. View our exciting itinerary and see reports of past tours on our website including many more amazing images.
Please contact us regarding any questions you may still have or to discuss the possible extensions to this tour. You are advised to make your reservation immediately once you have decided to join us, as places are limited on this popular tour to Tanzania: A Photographer’s Paradise.
Flights:
Estimated price given is without international flights.
download p_be1eIx.pdfItinerary
Day 1
Evening departure from London’s Heathrow airport for the overnight flight to Nairobi, Kenya.
Day 2
Morning arrival in Nairobi and transfer for the short flight to Arusha (Kilimanjaro International Airport), Tanzania. We will be transferred to our comfortable lodge hidden in the depths of a coffee plantation for a one night stay. In the afternoon we will have our first game drive in the picturesque Arusha National Park where we are likely to see Giraffe, Zebra, Buffalo and Black & White Colobus Monkeys amongst other animals as well as huge variety of birds (LD)
Day 3
The following morning we will drive towards the Rift Valley and spend a day, with picnic lunch, in Lake Manyara National Park, famous for its elephants and tree-climbing lions. We will then drive to a charming privately owned lodge for dinner and to overnight.(BLD)
Day 4
After breakfast we travel through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the Serengeti National Park and enjoy game-viewing on the way. During our journey we are likely to start passing through the huge herds of migrating Wildebeest and Zebra. En route there will be an opportunity to visit a Masai village. We will arrive at our lodge in the Serengeti, where we stay for six nights, in time for lunch and an evening game drive (BLD)
Days 5 to 9
Our lodge is ideally placed to fully explore the Serengeti - visiting areas such as Seronera river, Gol and Moru Kopjes - but also the local lakes, woodland and plains where we can expect to encounter Cheetah, perhaps even Caracal Lynx or Serval, as well as Wildebeest, Zebra, Giraffe and other game. Each evening may be spent around the camp fire where, over a sundowner, we can recount the day’s highlights and may even have roaring lions walking past! (BLD)
Day 10
After breakfast we begin our journey to the Ngorongoro Crater. We drive around the rim of the crater, catching stunning glimpses into the crater, before arriving at our lodge for a 3 night stay. (BLD)
Days 11 & 12
Two days, with picnic breakfasts, will be spent on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater - the ‘eighth wonder of the World’ - where, against the magnificent backdrop of the 2000m high crater walls. we will expect to see huge bull Elephants, prides of Lions featuring the famous black-maned males, the rare Black Rhinoceros and a wide variety of other animals and birds, most of which are unworried by vehicles. (BLD)
Day 13
After breakfast we drive to Arusha, arriving in time for lunch at a charming lodge with its own wildlife sanctuary where we will have day rooms. In the late afternoon we will drive to the airport and catch our flight to Nairobi and then onwards to London (BL)
Day 14
Early morning arrival into London Heathrow
Please note:
- The itinerary is provisional and subject to change depending on local conditions
- Not all wildlife mentioned can be seen well at all times of the year & some activities mentioned may not always be available
- Meals included are as shown - B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
Venue
Tanzania
We will visit Arusha National Park on the day we arrive and then move on the following day to Lake Manyara National Park, famous for its tree-climbing lions. We then have an extended stay at a small, privately owned lodge in the Serengeti surrounded by woodland, lakes and the plains, and then we move on to the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater.
Summary
Single supplement
Subject to availability. If you are a single person booking this holiday you do not have to pay single supplements, if you are happy to share. If you are travelling by yourself you will be paired with another single client of the same gender. However your booking is accepted only on the understanding that if no roommate is available then you accept a single supplement will be levied. Single supplements are payable if you specifically request to have a room to yourself. If you have requested single accommodation we will do our best to secure this although this may not always be possible.
Deposit
£600 required to confirm booking
Travel insurance
You must be covered by insurance, which must include adequate cover for baggage, medical expenses and the cost of repatriation should you become too ill to continue, including air ambulance.
Fitness Level:
Easy wildlife touring in four-wheel drive vehicles. This tour is suitable for guests of most levels of fitness.
Photography Level:
This tour is suitable for all levels of photographic experience. The Wild Arena guide will be available throughout the tour to support and advise clients.
Group Size:
4 to 10 plus Wild Arena guide and local driver/guide(s)
Cost includes
Hotel/lodge accommodation on a twin share basis (unless single has been requested) on a full board basis, transfers for group departures using our chosen airline, all internal flights and transport as per the itinerary, sightseeing tours where specified, entry fees to the national parks, all wildlife activities escorted by English speaking driver/guides, services of Wild Arena photographic guide throughout the tour
Cost excludes
International flights from the UK, airport taxes, transfers for Land Only packages and group tours when choosing your own flight arrangements, visa fees, medical examination (if required) & vaccination costs, personal expenditure, all drinks, mineral water, laundry, telephone calls, etc, porters, guides & other tips, lunch on day of arrival and dinner on final evening, meals not specified, personal clothing & equipment, travel insurance, optional trips, increases in park fees and taxes levied by the Government on the tourism sector, fuel surcharges, charges incurred as a result of delays beyond Safari Consultants control, anything not specified in the Cost Includes.
Wild Arena African photographic tours are organised through Safari Consultants Limited, a fully bonded UK tour operator holding ATOL licence 3783. Also bonded through AITO Trust (No. 1091) and holding an IATA licence. Your financial protection when travelling with us.
All clients will be required to complete a Safari Consultants Limited Booking Form which supersedes any information presented on Wild Arena’s web site or other Wild Arena promotional literature. Bookings will be subject to acceptance of Safari Consultants’ Terms and Conditions and the following will also apply for this tour:
1. Safari Consultants reserve the right to cancel the tour if the minimum numbers specified is not reached at least 45 days prior to the departure. In this event, you will be offered the chance to travel individually or to receive your deposit back in full
2. In the unlikely event that Peter Smart is unable to join the tour, Safari Consultants reserve the right to send a suitable replacement if available. In such circumstances, the tour will not be cancelled and no compensation will be paid
3. The tour is based on shared accommodation but a single supplement may be paid for single accommodation, subject to availability
If you would like to request a copy of Safari Consultants Ltd booklet providing General Information, Terms and Conditions and Booking Form or you have any questions regarding any of our tours or workshops then please don’t hesitate to get in touch
