7 Days – The Great Migration Through The Serengeti

Arusha, Tanzanie

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7 Days – The Great Migration Through The Serengeti

Arusha, Tanzanie

Overview

Set off on an unforgettable safari through three major national parks in northern Tanzania! After a first safari in Lake Manyara National Park, where you'll try to spot the famous lions perched in the trees, you'll continue on to the Ngorongoro Crater, a veritable Noah's Ark where buffalo and wild animals cohabit in a spectacular setting. Finally, you'll experience the thrill of the great migration in the Serengeti, where thousands of wildebeest and zebra cross plains and rivers, braving crocodiles and predators in search of prey.

Tour Plan

Day 1: Lake Manyara National Park

In the morning, you drive to Lake Manyara National Park where you embark on your first game drive that lasts well into the afternoon. On your itinerary through the scenic park on the edge of the Great Rift Valley you will explore unique ecosystems such as the groundwater forest, open forests, grassland and the soda lake and observe animals including elephants, giraffes, impalas, hippos, flamingos and with some luck even he famous tree climbing lions of Lake Manyara National Park.

After the game drive, you proceed to Karatu where you stay overnight at the Bougainvillea Lodge, on full board basis.

Day 2: Ngorongoro Crater

Early in the morning, you will drive to the bottom of the Ngorongoro Crater. You will enjoy the abundance and diversity of wildlife in the crater – among them all Big Five. Expect to see zebras and wildebeests, meet some lions and with some luck glance at the rare rhinos.

Overnight you stay at the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, on full board basis.

Day 3: Serengeti National Park

Heading from Ngorongoro Crater to the Serengeti, you will get a first impression of the vastness of the Great Plains. You will spend your full day on game drives in the savannah of the Serengeti plains. You will experience the endless plains and take your time to observe zebras, wildebeests, antelopes and maybe some lions enjoying the view from a kopije.

Overnight you stay at the Serengeti Sopa Lodge at the heart of Serengeti National Park, on full board basis.

Day 4 : Serengeti National Park

You will spend the full day on an extended game drive to observe the great migration. Millions of zebras and wildebeests follow the rains in order to find fresh food. The stunning sights of this unique natural event will leave a lasting impression.

Overnight in a tourist class hotel in the Serengeti, on full board basis. The exact hotel will be determined shortly before your safari in order to insure proximity to the Great Migration.

Day 5: Serengeti National Park

The Serengeti plains are vast and you want to explore yet another part of it. You once more use the opportunity to observe the wildebeest migration but also find the time to explore nature on the side of the herds. You will be looking out for the predators attempting a catch in one of the herds.

Overnight in a tourist class hotel in the Serengeti, on full board basis. The exact hotel will be determined shortly before your safari in order to insure proximity to the Great Migration.

Day 6: Olduvai Gorge

Early in the morning you go for a last, extensive game drive in the Serengeti. You will then head back to Karatu with a stop at the Olduvai Gorge, the cradle of mankind.

Overnight at Bougainvillea Safari Lodge in Karatu, on full board basis.

Day 7: Karatu and return to Arusha

You will have the morning at your disposal to relax at the Bougainvillea Lodge or to go for a stroll through Karatu. After lunch you will go back to Arusha from where you can proceed to further adventures or return back home.

Interesting Facts and Best Time to Travel

Each year around the same time, the circular great wildebeest migration begins in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area of the southern Serengeti in Tanzania. This migration is a natural phenomenon determined by the availability of grazing. This phase lasts from approximately January to March, when the calving season begins – a time when there is plenty of rain-ripened grass available for the 260,000 zebra that precede 1.7 million wildebeest and the following hundreds of thousands of other plains game, including around 470,000 gazelles.

During February, the wildebeest spend their time on the short grass plains of the southeastern part of the ecosystem, grazing and giving birth to approximately 500,000 calves within a 2 to 3-week period. Few calves are born ahead of time and of these, hardly any survive. The main reason is that very young calves are more noticeable to predators when mixed with older calves from the previous year. As the rains end in May, the animals start moving northwest into the areas around the Grumeti River, where they typically remain until late June. The crossings of the Grumeti and Mara rivers beginning in July are a popular safari attraction because crocodiles are lying in wait. The herds arrive in Kenya in late July / August, where they stay for the remainder of the dry season, except that the Thomson's and Grant's Gazelles move only east/west. In early November, with the start of the short rains the migration starts moving south again, to the short grass plains of the southeast, usually arriving in December in plenty of time for calving in February.

About 250,000 wildebeest die during the journey from Tanzania to the Maasai Mara National Reserve in southwestern Kenya, a total of 800 kilometres (500 mi).

[Source: Wikipedia]

7 Days – The Great Migration Through The Serengeti