NDUTU WILDEBEEST CALVING SEASON

You begin your magical holiday as you board your flight to Tanzania, the Heart of an African Safari. On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport you will clear with the customs as Gilmag Safaris’ representative will be waiting to meet and brief you then transfer you to Planet Lodge (approximately 60 kilometres from Kilimanjaro International Airport).Arusha has a comfortable temperature and climate. The city is close to many of Tanzania’s greatest attractions and is a major international diplomatic hub. While at the lodge, you will be given briefing about your upcoming safari.

After early breakfast, we will depart the lodge with picnic lunch and drive to Manyara National Park, some 120 kilometres from Arusha. Lake Manyara is a small park at the base of Rift Valley escarpment. Its groundwater forest offers an excellent change of scenery from more savannah-dominated parts. Although the park is known for tree-climbing lions, big cats aren’t the easily seen. Elephants are very prolific and are also part of main attraction. After a full day game viewing, we will depart the park and drive to Karatu for dinner and overnight at Marera Valley Lodge.

We will depart the lodge and drive towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. We will descend over 600 metres into the crater and have a full day crater tour. Supported by a year round water supply and fodder, the Ngorongoro National Park hosts a vast variety of animals e.g. herds of wildebeests, zebras, buffalos, eland, warthogs, hippos and giant African elephants. We shall visit LakeMagadi, a large but shallow alkaline lake in the South West corner, which is one of the main features of the crater. In the evening we shall ascend the crater and drive to Rhino Lodge, located on the rim of the crater for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, we will head to Ndutu area, situated in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, part of the Serengeti Ecosystem. Lake Ndutu is alkaline, like most of the Rift lakes. We arrive in time for lunch at Tanzania Bush Camp and after a sumptuous lunch, we will have a game drive in Ndutu area. The majority of the wildebeests can be found here around December and March. The area is also heavily populated with elephants, birds and resident game. Dinner and overnight will be at Tanzania Bush Camp

After breakfast, enjoy a full day game viewing in the Ndutu Area. Explore the range of different habitats that include swamps, woodlands, soda lakes and the world famous Serengeti short grass plains. See the great herds of wildebeests and zebras. During a short time frame, around February normally lasting for about three weeks, the majority of the wildebeests calve. Wildebeest’s calves can run minutes after they are born and within 3 days they are strong enough to keep up with the herd.
Dinner and accommodation will be at Tanzania Bush Camp.

After breakfast, we will depart the camp with picnic lunch and drive towards Serengeti National Park with game en route. Serengeti National Park is Tanzania’s most famous park and it is also the largest at 14,763 square kilometer of protected area that borders Kenya’s Maasai Mara Game Park. Its far-reaching plains of endless grass, tinged with the twisted shadows of acacia trees, have made it quite essential image of a wild and untamed Africa. Its large stone kopjes are home to rich ecosystems, and the sheer magnitude and scale of life the plain supports is staggering.
Accommodation will be at Tanzania Bush Camp in Central Serengeti.

After breakfast, we will depart the camp with packed lunch. Enjoy game en route as you head back to Arusha via Ngorongoro Conservation Area, arriving in the evening for drop off to Kilimanjaro International Airport to catch your flight to next destination.