7 Days Great Wildebeest Migration Safari
Every year there is a great Wildebeest migration in search of greener pastures and water. These giant antelopes wander as they follow the rains and abundant grasses through the corridor of the Mara lands. This migration is a spectacle to watch in the Serengeti region. For you to enjoy this great wildebeest migration, a minimum of 4 nights in the parks is recommended, and usually two days are spent in the Central area. The 7 days safari takes you through 3 parks including Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and Serengeti National parks. There are a number of big cats waiting for the migrating herds. The other two days are spent either in the North, South or West.
Detailed Itinerary:
Day 1: TRANSFER TO LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK
After your breakfast our guide will pick you from your hotel and start the journey across the Great Rift Valley to Lake Manyara National Park. Enjoy a game drive as you will be able to see this beautiful scenery, at first glance you will come across the umbrella acacia doted almost everywhere, figs trees are also common in this park as well as the mahogany hard wood trees.
Along the way you will come across troops of baboons and monkeys which will excite you as you anticipate bigger game ahead. As you move deeper in the park bigger herds of, elephants, Giraffe, Buffalo and hundreds of antelopes suddenly start to appear in big numbers. Lake Manyara is home to thousands of hippos not forgetting the many flamingos along the lake shores.
Since this park has got many fig trees which have got big branches thus offering good shed to many animals, they attract tree climbing lions because of the good shed they provide to these lions, the lions do climb these trees and it is an amazing site to see these big cats up in the trees.
As you do the game drives one can only appreciate the beauty of this park- with Lake Manyara shores basking with flamingos, giraffes, antelopes, buffalo feeding , the site of animals cooling off in the sheds, all this makes it worthwhile visiting this wonderful park. After the days’ activities you head back to your accommodation for dinner and over night.
Accommodation Options:
Escarpment Luxury Lodge
Manyara Wildlife Safari Camp
Gibb’s Farm
Manyara Tree Lodge
DAY 2: TRANSFER TO NGORONGORO CRATER
After an early morning breakfast, you will transfer from Lake Manyara National Park to Ngorongoro in time for an early morning game drive.
Measuring a whopping 260km2 Ngorongoro Crater is one of the most visited places on planet earth. Indeed, when you reach this place, you will appreciate mother natures’ beauty at its best. With its constant water and grasslands which stretch for kilometers and scattered trees here and there. This is so conducive a zone for the wildebeest during their Migration.. There is plenty of life basking around this crater.
The population density of wildlife in Ngorongoro is indeed the greatest on the African the continent. There are several swamps, a river and a soda lake. This water eco system is very important in supporting the large wildlife population in this area. For example the presence of the Soda Lake is important for the survival of the flamingos which feed on the algae. The lake is also important as there are many animals like elephants, wildebeests which use this water for curing their wounds.
Ngorongoro is one of the very few places where you can see the Black Rhino. There are also large herds of herbivores which include the Zebras, Buffalo, plenty of different types of Antelopes. Among the aquatic wildlife, there are large schools of Hippos and crocodiles not forgetting the many birds. There are quite a number of primates like the Baboons and monkeys.
After a wonderful game drive, you will have a bush lunch on plains of this beautiful park as you watch the Hippos tangle in the Lake. Thereafter, you will engage in another afternoon game drive and then transfer to your lodge for dinner.
Accommodation Options:
Rhino Lodge
Sopa Ngorongoro
Sanctuary Ngorongoro Camp
DAY 3: TRANSFER TO THE SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
Have an early breakfast, and start your journey towards the Serengeti. The journey will take you through the most spectacular landscapes of Tanzania. You ought not miss a stop to view the Ngorongoro Crater from above. The Serengeti plains can be seen far and wide hence the name “endless plains”.
The park measures (18,000 km2). It is home to over 2 million wildebeests, many zebras, and different species of antelopes including Thomson’s gazelles and Impalas. The predators are in big numbers here because of the abundant food; lions, hyenas, cheetahs and leopards roam these plains in search of the many grazers in this park. There are also other smaller predators including; the foxes, jackals, baboons, monkeys, hyrax and African civets. The park has over 500 bird species
Accommodation Options:
Mbugani Camps
Serengeti Sopa Lodge
Chaka Camps
Four Seasons Serengeti
DAY 4: Serengeti National Park wildlife
Have an early morning breakfast and head off to see one of the most wonderful places on earth, the Serengeti National Park. You will embark on your morning game drive with plenty of wild life and the beautiful endless plains in sight. On this day, you may choose to transfer back to your accommodation for lunch or have a picnic lunch. After the days’ activities you will transfer back to accommodation for dinner and over night.
Accommodation Options:
Chaka Camps
Acacia Migration Camp
Pumzika Serengeti Camps
Four Seasons Serengeti
DAY 5 – 6: Serengeti National Park (South, North or west) following the migration.
These two days are considered to be the most exciting as you will be following the actual wildebeest migration. You will see them as they cross rivers and the endless plains of the Serengeti towards the greener pastures. Your guides will look out for where the largest herds are heading so that you don’t miss out on the action. You may also choose to follow the migration by air. Depending on the time you visit you will concentrate more either in the North, South or West of the Serengeti.
Accommodation Options
Chaka Camps
Acacia Migration Camp
Pumzika Serengeti Camps
Four Seasons Serengeti
DAY: 7 Game drive and departure
On this last day you will wake early enough, have breakfast and proceed to do an early morning game drive. After the game drive, you have lunch and you driver guide will transfer you to the airstrip for your flight back to Arusha or Zanzibar.
End of safari
