Walking in the Footsteps of Early Man - 10 Days

After breakfast you depart in your safari prepared vehicle. The tarmac road follows a line of ancient volcanoes to the rift valley and here nestled at the base of the rift wall lies Lake Manyara National Park, a veritable bio diversity hotspot.

Despite being a small reserve it is home to at least 6 different habitats ranging from lake to thick ground water forest each with it’s own flora and fauna. Made famous by pioneering elephant research and for numerous film scenes, this part is a fine start to any safari.

In the late afternoon you head up to your lodge for the evening. Overnight Ngorongoro Farm House (full board)

An early start is advised to make time for game driving later in the day. You depart in your safari vehicle and make your way to the next accommodation in time for lunch.

In the afternoon you descend into the 2000 feet deep caldera, home to over 20,000 large mammals including the rare black rhino.

An afternoon is spent game driving before heading back to your accommodation. Overnight Ngorongoro Farm House (full board)

This morning we set out to the start of our hiking adventure! An armed ranger joins us and your guide provides you insights into the scenery and Maasai way of life.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a mixed land use reserve where Maasai people live side by side with wildlife. Serendipitous meetings with the Maasai on foot over the next few days provide glimpses into a way of life that has prevailed for millennia and yet, as now, is a way of life that is ever changing.

The goal of today’s hike is to summit the volcano Makarot – hopefully for some stunning views of Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti plains before heading to your lightweight bush camp set in the heart of Makarot. Overnight Makarot Camp (full board)

In the early morning as the cattle head out from the Maasai bomas (corrals), we set off walking cattle and wildlife tracks through and down Mt Makarot.

The tracks lead us out to the Serengeti short grass plains, annually home to the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth – The Migration. We head to camp in the afternoon and have time to relax and take in the environment as our bush chefs work hard to keep us fueled up for the day ahead.

Here, at the base of Makarot man literally evolved side by side with other species as the relationship between environment and survival strategies lead to the rise of our species and the fall of so many others. Overnight Little Olduvai (full board)

Today there is a challenging hike to the next camp and some may like to only complete a half day. The route takes us across the short grass plains to the West towards a prominent rocky outcrop, quite different from the rock and environment we have come from.

Here we approach another habitat of the short grass plains and in the evening we can ascend the nearby kopje to watch the sun set over the Serengeti plains. 

Overnight Kopje Camp (full board)

From the previously relatively open plains hiking, we now head into acacia woodland for the final hiking section of our adventure.

Once again options exist for those that want to hike part of the way and in the late afternoon, we head into our camp for a well-deserved shower and sun-downers.

This mobile camp moves seasonally to follow the migration and is our base for the next 3 nights. Overnight Serengeti Camp (full board)

The final 2 nights are spent under canvas as we explore the Serengeti to find the migration of wildebeest, Zebra and other plains game.

A period of plenty for the resident carnivores, early starts are rewarded with more activity from the predators and the variety of habitats offers great wildlife and birding sightings. 

Overnight Serengeti Camp (full board)

A final day is spent in the Serengeti and on one of the days a visit to Olduvai Gorge is a must where over 3 million years of evolutionary history are laid bare.

The Olduvai Museum and lecturers are able to give added insights into the area and history of man and other mega-fauna. 

Overnight Serengeti Camp (full board)

In the morning we depart for central Serengeti to catch a scheduled flight to Arusha. Flying out saves us long drive times and maximizes our game viewing time and the flight back offers us a unique perspective on the land below.

Once landed a vehicle is on hand to transfer you to town for lunch and then for optional shopping.

A day room is held for you to shower and change preflight. Note that from Arusha Airport you can connect to Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam or even to other programs to southern Tanzania, Kenya or further afield.