Fall Savings: Tanzania

Arrive in Tanzania at Kilimanjaro International Airport. Greeted by Abercrombie & Kent, continue to your hotel located in the center of Arusha town.

After breakfast, depart overland to the Ngorongoro Crater. Stop en route for an organic lunch at Gibb’s Farm, a sprawling property with a local artist-in-residence program, and then continue to one of the most magnificent wildlife arenas in all of Africa — the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Considered one of the natural wonders of the world, the crater encircles a fascinating microcosm of East African wildlife, from buffalo to flamingoes, lions to leopards. Enjoy magnificent vistas across this spectacular natural amphitheater during your stay at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge. The next day, drive down into the crater and enjoy a picnic lunch near the hippo pool along the way. With camera at the ready, keep watch for a wide range of species; you might even glimpse the endangered and elusive black rhinoceros. Visit a Maasai village, meet with the village elder and gain insight into how the Maasai continue to coexist with wildlife, as they have for centuries.

Head west to Serengeti National Park, a 10,000-square-mile haven for one of the largest concentrations of wildlife in the world, including the “Big Five” — lions, leopards, buffalo, elephants and rhinos — as well as antelopes, hyenas, topis and cheetahs. Depending on the timing of your journey, you may also witness the awe-inspiring migration of millions of wildebeests and zebras. It is an ecosystem barely changed in the past million years.

Drive to Lake Manyara National Park, which contains five different wildlife habitats: grasslands, forests of towering mahogany trees and giant figs, marshlands with reed beds, scrubland and parkland with acacia trees. After lunch at the lodge, head out on an afternoon game drive. Take an up-close look at lions and elephant herds that are quite tolerant of vehicles. Watch for lions that have climbed trees to beat the heat — a rare sight in Africa. Explore nature trails near Lake Manyara Serena Lodge, with resident naturalists on hand to lend insight. View vast expanses of the Great Rift Valley from your room situated atop the Mto Wa Mbu escarpment.

After an early breakfast, journey to Tarangire National Park, viewing game en route. Second only to the Ngorongoro Crater in its density of Tanzanian wildlife, Tarangire is home to large herds of elands, oryx, wildebeests and zebras, as well as the predators that stalk them. Enjoy lunch at Tarangire Sopa Lodge upon arrival, and then embark upon an afternoon of game viewing. Look skyward, too, as Tarangire boasts more breeding bird species than any other habitat in the world. You may observe vibrantly colored Fischer’s lovebirds, ashy starlings, bateleurs and martial eagles.

Following breakfast this morning, make your farewells and drive back to Arusha, where the balance of your afternoon is at leisure. A dayroom is provided for your comfort and convenience until your transfer to the airport for your late evening departure.