Tanzania Hemingway Safari (2009)

This morning, visit a coffee farm run by an established colonial family to learn how the crop is grown, harvested and processed. After returning to your lodge for lunch, travel by road to Tarangire National Park, the third largest game park in Tanzania, and on to your exclusive campsite. Considered to be Africa at its best, your mobile camp continues a grand safari tradition, evoking the romance of a bygone era. Your campsites are set in the most spectacular areas for game viewing, where your group is the only people in a vast plain of wildlife. Your spacious tent includes an en suite bathroom, ceramic flush toilet and shower. Each tent also features a private verandah from which you can enjoy game viewing, reading, or simply absorbing the scenery around you. A&K hosts a special welcome dinner this evening. Exclusive A&K Mobile Tented Camp B L D

Begin the day with a steaming hot cup of coffee or tea served in your tent, followed by a bush breakfast. Later, morning and afternoon game drives take you through the varied landscapes of Tarangire. Baobab tree forests, swamps and acacia-dotted plains are the backdrop for some of Africa's more rare species, including the greater kudu and wild dog. Tarangire is home to herds of eland, oryx, wildebeest and zebra, along with a sizable elephant population. At day's end, return to your camp for a delicious dinner. Exclusive A&K Mobile Tented Camp B L D

This morning, depart for Lake Manyara National Park. Lake Manyara, one of a chain of lakes in Africa's Great Rift Valley, is nestled at the foot of a spectacular 2,000-foot escarpment decorated by magnificent forests of towering mahogany trees and giant figs. En route, visit a traditional blacksmith making Maasai swords and spears, followed by a tour of Mto Wa Mbu market. Lake Manyara National Park lies southwest of Arusha and is an ideal size for exploration on foot. There are a number of nature trails and resident naturalists are on hand to enhance the experience, or you may choose to relax at an observation post or by the pool. After lunch and a chance to settle in, enjoy a late afternoon game drive. As you discover, in many ways the park resembles a tropical rainforest, with its verdant foliage and variety of bird life. Following the formation of the Rift Valley, streams cascaded down the rocky walls and, because there was no outlet, Lake Manyara was formed. It was at its largest about a quarter of a million years ago. Lake Manyara Serena Lodge

After breakfast you travel overland to quaint Gibb's Farm, where you enjoy a farm-fresh lunch and a chance to visit the coffee farm. Or you might choose to take a walk in the forest, before continuing on to the Ngorongoro Crater. As you drive up the scenic flanks of the Ngorongoro highlands, visit a Maasai village before reaching your camp, your home for the next two nights. Inside the crater's walls lives a fascinating microcosm of East African wildlife, from buffalo to flamingo, lion, and leopard. Your camp staff is waiting to welcome you and, after settling in, you can spend the evening listening to the night sounds of the African bush all around you. Exclusive A&K Mobile Tented Camp B L D

Drive down into the Ngorongoro Crater, one of Africa's most fascinating wildlife areas. Enjoy an A&K-hosted gourmet hot barbecue in a private site, set in a yellow acacia woodland. In the crater you may see many species of wildlife, including lion, elephant, hyena, wildebeest and gazelle. Even the rare and elusive black rhinoceros, one of Africa's most endangered species, is a resident here. View flamingo and other birds sharing the shallow waters. You may also see Maasai herdsmen and their cattle; the crater is in their territory and the Maasai continue to coexist with wildlife as they have for centuries. This evening, enjoy a private traditional performance by the Maasai. Exclusive A&K Mobile Tented Camp B L D

Leaving the Ngorongoro Crater, head west to Serengeti National Park. En route, stop at Olduvai Gorge, where the Leakey family made many of the fossil discoveries, including the Zinj skull, that have identified man's distant East African ancestors. Descend into the gorge and enjoy a privately guided visit of this most famous archaeological site. From here, you continue your drive into the arid and spectacular country of Serengeti National Park, and on to your lodge. The Serengeti Serena Lodge is located high on a hill, offering magnificent views of the Serengeti Plains. Rustic and natural, the lodge is pure Africa. The lodge offers its own unique game trails devised in conjunction with park consultants to allow enjoyment of the Serengeti's unequaled variety of game. This afternoon (time permitting) a game drive introduces you to the Serengeti. Famed throughout Africa and around the world, the Park's 10,000 square miles support a myriad of wildlife, including lion, leopard, hyena, cheetah, giraffe and topi. Each year, the Serengeti is the scene of the Great Migration, when millions of wildebeest and zebra make their annual trek in search of fresh grasses. Serengeti Serena Lodge B L D

Today you transfer to your exclusive tented camp where you spend three memorable days on safari in the Serengeti, a vast region that has been a protected animal refuge since 1929. It is one of the largest wildlife sanctuaries in the world with a focus on commitment to its preservation. The private tented safari is the traditional, time-honored way to enjoy the African wilderness, reminiscent of the halcyon safari days of the Out of Africa era. Your camp is a private sanctuary where the panorama of the bush bursts into view every time you step out of your tent. The essential experience is exciting, romantic, exclusive and personally fulfilling as no other trip to Africa can be. The name Serengeti creates powerful images of one of the last remaining wildlife spectacles on earth. Those lucky enough to visit this wilderness area come away with memories of vast herds of antelope feeding on the plains. Rivers flow through the park, providing habitats for a variety of birds, mammals and reptiles. At the end of one day, enjoy sundowner cocktails on a kopje (rocky outcrop) overlooking the Serengeti plain before returning to camp. On your final evening, join your fellow travellers for a memorable "Farewell to Africa" dinner: a perfect opportunity to toast your journey and swap stories, during a fiery African sunset. Exclusive A&K Mobile Tented Camp B L D

Bid a fond farewell to your camp staff as you leave the vastness of the Serengeti today and fly to Arusha. There will be some time for shopping before lunch. Your afternoon is at leisure. A dayroom will be provided for your comfort and convenience until your transfer to the airport for your late evening departure. Mountain Village Lodge (dayroom) B L

Connect with your homebound flight.