Tanzania Highlights Small Group Safari

This Tanzania highlights small group safari takes you to the heart of the action trying to catch sight of the migration, witness wildlife in the Ngorongoro Crater and enjoy an option hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti.

Imagine finding yourself under the vast African sky in the middle of a huge expanse of wilderness listening to the haunting and mysterious sounds of the nightly drama of predator and prey playing out beyond the canvas walls of your tent. Wake to fresh pastries, hot beverages and smiling camp staff as the sun starts to spill over the plains in front of camp. What will today bring? Set out in spacious customised 4x4 land cruisers to seek out the denizens of this iconic wildlife refuge; seeing the staggering scale of the iconic Ngorongoro Crater which was once higher than Kilimanjaro; photographing the distinctive baobabs dotted through Tarangire; viewing palatial termite mounds and leaning more about the Maasai and other tribal groups of Tanzania all combine to offer you a memorable experience of this exceptional safari destination.

Tarangire National Park

Tarangire is well known for its baobab trees, year-round population of elephants and prolific birdlife. The park comes into its own during the dry season (June-October) when the number of elephants increase along with herds of zebra, wildebeest, antelope and other game which are attracted to the river.

Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area

Enroute to Ngorongoro you’ll stop to view Lake Manyara and the Great Rift Valley’s dramatic escarpment below. The silvery soda ash waters attract thousands of pink flamingo. Make your way up the outside of the Crater before making your way down the 600m wall into this 250km² wildlife sanctuary. Proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, this is the biggest intact caldera in the world. Previously a mountain higher than Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro imploded over 2 million years ago, leaving this unique natural wonder of swamps and lakes and plains, teeming with wildlife. The lion population has fluctuated over the years, partly due to the migration in and out of the crater and disease. The spotted hyena, golden and black-backed jackal can also be seen here and it is one of the few places in Tanzania where you may be lucky enough to see rhino in the world.

Serengeti National Park

The park is part of the much larger Serengeti eco-system, including the surrounding Grumeti Reserves, the Ngorongoro Conservation area and the Masai Mara in neighbouring Kenya. Huge open grassland plains are dotted with isolated granite hillocks known as Kopjes and acacia woodland. There is limited permanent water apart from a few rivers, hence the wildebeest always migrating in search of fresh grazing as a result of rainfall patterns. The wildebeest migration draws people to different areas of this vast park throughout the year. Whether you are in the southern Serengeti (Dec – March) for calving season, the western reaches (April to June) as the herds seek out fresh pastures, or the North (July-August) when the herds bunch up gathering the nerve to cross the rivers, your guide will take you to the best areas for encountering wildlife. You also have the option to take an early morning balloon safari (at an additional cost) over the Serengeti before enjoying a bush breakfast.