Tanzania Bundu Safaris -Photographic Safaris- Option 1

Day 1

After an early morning breakfast, You will then proceed to the Ngorongoro highlands via the Great Rift Valley escarpment and the rich farmland of Karatu. You will overnight and dinner at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge, which is situated on the rim of the crater.

Ngorongoro Crater Conservancy

This is quite possibly the most famous of all Africa’s conservation areas, and is worth visiting at least once in your lifetime. It is the largest intact volcanic caldera in the world, and some scientists maintain that before it erupted, it stood higher than Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa.

Covering a mere 260km², the 600 meter deep crater is home to a permanent population of more than 30 000 animals, and is one of the only places in Africa where you stand a very good chance of seeing the “big five” (lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino and elephant) in the course of a morning or evening’s game drive. Nights on the crater rim (2,400 meters) where you find the lodges, can get icy cold, and it is one life’s great pleasures to sit around a roaring fire, drink in hand, re-living the day’s game viewing.

Unique to the crater is that the local Maasai graze their cattle on the floor, and it is not unusual to see Maasai cattle and buffalo grazing together, with a lion kill just a few hundred meters away. There are around 100 lions in the crater, and about 20 black rhino. While game viewing is excellent year round, large parts of the crater floor become impassable after heavy rains in December-April, although this can add to the attraction, as there are fewer tourists, the light is better for photography, and the game gets concentrated on the higher ground. On a clear day one can see Ol Donyo Lengai, the periodically active volcano that the Maasai believe is the home of their god.

Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge

As if in a land before time, the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge is built into the rim of a dormant volcano. The plant and ivy-covered native stone blend masterfully with its surroundings. Close by lies the Olduvai Gorge, the "birthplace of humanity". Today the volcano and surrounding landscape are part of a vast conservation area inhabited by the Maasai tribe, as well as an extraordinary variety of big game and birdlife.

Most guest rooms have private terraces with views of the crater floor where countless animals make their home. At Ngorongoro Serena Lodge visitors co-exist in perfect harmony with the natural environment and the wildlife that inhabits it. There are 75 rooms and picnic luncheons are served on tours of the crater floor. Excursions to the Olduvai Gorge and cultural events offered include Maasai dancing and celebratory presentations. In the evenings a choir or a guitarist perform for the guests.
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Day 2-

NGORONGORO CRATER

After breakfast you descent the 2,000 ft. crater walls to spend the day in the Ngorongoro Crater.
Overnight : Ngorongoro Serena Lodge

Day 3-

Return to Arusha

“Asante na Kwaheri”, in Swahili this translates to “Thank you and goodbye!”

2005 Prices

Number of travelers in your party. Cost per person:

1
$1,950

2
$1,350

3
$1,250

4
$1,200

Single room supplement: $ 80
Price Includes all accommodation at lodges, meals, park fees, guide and vehicle, charter
Price Excludes: International flights, drinks, first night in Arusha, laundry and tips

Professional Safari Guides drive each vehicle and accompany you throughout this safari. Prices shown are based on this itinerary and may vary depending on season, number of vehicles and actual final itinerary chosen.