Tanzania | Calving Season

Depart United States on a flight to Tanzania.

Upon arrival to Kilimanjaro International Airport, a Holbrook representative will meet you outside of the airport and transfer you to the hotel. This is an arrival day and no meals are included.

After breakfast, depart for Arusha National Park. Receive an introduction to a variety of animals in a section of the park known as "Little Serengeti," and learn about Mount Meru and the history of Arusha National Park. Depart from the ranger post for a walk through the foothills of Mount Meru in the company of an armed ranger, passing through Buffalo Swamp to a lookout point with views of the park and Mount Kilimanjaro in the distance. Continue to a scenic waterfall, followed by open grasslands dotted with giraffes, warthogs, antelopes, and a variety of bird species, including flamingos. Hike through a wooded area in search of Colobus monkeys before returning to the ranger post. Enjoy a boxed lunch in the park during the exploration; later this afternoon return to the lodge for time at leisure. Dinner at the lodge.

After checking out of the hotel and loading the safari vehicles, begin the drive to Tarangire National Park, located less than two hours' drive southwest of Arusha and often overlooked due to its proximity to the more famous Serengeti National Park. But despite its "forgotten" status, Tarangire is second only to the Serengeti in terms of concentration of wildlife in Tanzania, offering a spectacular safari experience often with less visitor traffic. Wildlife travel long distances to arrive at Tarangire River, which snakes through the park, as it's the area's only permanent river. With protected lands covering 1,096 square miles, the park is home to a large variety of game such as wildebeests, elephants, zebras, gazelles, elands, gerenuks, lions and leopards. Extensive grasslands dotted with the occasional acacia or baobab tree provide the optimum conditions for viewing wild animals. Spend the day exploring the park, from Silalei Swamp to Little Serengeti and the Tarangire River bed, to view the resident and migratory wildlife. Safari drive and lunch in the park.

Continue exploring Tarangire National Park with a full day of wildlife-viewing drives. Tarangire is also home to a high density of iconic ancient baobab trees, and over 550 bird species.

Depart Tarangire to Ngorongoro via Mto wa Mbu for a special cooking presentation and lunch, then proceed to the hotel for some time to refresh and relax. Late afternoon enjoy a nature walk on the crater rim accompanied by a park ranger.

Today descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a wildlife-viewing drive among one of the most unique concentrations of wildlife on earth. Defined by its sunken caldera spanning 100 square miles, Ngorongoro is a World Heritage Site and often called the 8th Wonder of the World. Animals are found throughout the year due to the permanent availability of grass and water. Ngorongoro contains an impressive variety of wildlife including black mane lion, the highly endangered black rhino; herds of wildebeest, zebra, elephant, and hippo. Enjoy a picnic lunch within the crater. Late afternoon drive back to the lodge.

This morning, begin your transfer to Serengeti National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. March is situated towards the end of the green season and offers some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities out of the entire year. The Serengeti plains are a beautiful shade of green, dust levels are minimal and most wildlife species are easy to spot. The famous migration is concentrated in massive numbers on the Serengeti plains. March is the time of plenty and many animals time the birth of their families to coincide with the green season. On arrival at the Serengeti Camp, enjoy some free time to rest and relax.

Today we will have morning and afternoon wildlife-viewing drives while searching for migratory wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, buffalo, elephant, and giraffe, along with predators like lion, cheetah, and leopard.

Today we move to Central Serengeti, near Seronera River, which provides an important water source, and therefore attracts a lot of wildlife. This area is the best for Hippos, Crocs, Carnivores, Elephants, and Giraffes, to name a few!

Early this morning visit an amazing hippo pool where we will have an opportunity to see hippos coming back to their pool after a night of grazing. Return to camp for breakfast and relaxing before a second wildlife-viewing drive mid-afternoon.

This morning you will be transferred to the local airstrip for your flight to Arusha, arriving at 12:00 pm. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to Mt. Meru Hotel for time to relax, enjoy a meal, and prepare for your International flights home. Evening transfer to the Kilimanjaro International Airport.

Arrive Home.