KILIMANJARO, UNDISCOVERED NOTHERN TANZANIA & WALKING SAFARI IN THE SERENGETI
Trip Overview
Travel Route: Kilimanjaro - Kilimanjaro Climb - Arusha NP - Lake Natron - Loliondo - Serengeti Walking - Kilimanjaro
Duration 16 days 15 nights
Ideal For Energetic outdoor enthusiasts, combining a Kilimanjaro climb with exploring the remote Lake Natron in the Rift Valley and an amazing multi-day walking safari in the Serengeti, where - if you are lucky - you may walk right through the migration of hundreds of thousands wildebeest and zebra.
Summary An amazing journey for outdoor enthusiasts - climb to the highest peak of the continent on one of the most beautiful and lesser climbed routes, explore the breathtaking scenery of Lake Natron, one of the remotest and most striking areas in Tanzania and experience a memorable multi-day walking safari with mobile camps in the Serengeti. If you are lucky, you will walk right through the migration of hundreds of thousands wildebeest and zebra.
Services Included15 nights with Fullboard accommodation, Use of a top quality 4x4 safari vehicle and qualified English speaking driver guide, 7 day Mt Kilimanjaro Climb via Rongai Route, Game drives, bush walks, multi-day walking safari, village visits, All national park and conservation fees, All flights and transfers in Tanzania, Flying Doctor emergency evacuation cover, 24-hour point of contact in Africa.
Cost per Person:
From US$ 10,000
The price quoted above is an approximate.Price based on 2 people shairing a double or twin and traveling during high season (July to Oct).
After a first night at the base of the mountain, drive with your guide to the start of the 7 day journey to the roof of Africa via the beautiful and less frequently chosen Rongai Route.
Mount Kilimanjaro is the crown of Tanzania. With an altitude of 19,340 feet, it is the highest peak in Africa, the highest freestanding mountain in the world, and one of the largest volcanoes. On a clear day this impressive formation can be seen from more than 100 miles away, and although it is only three degrees below the Equator, its peak is permanently covered with snow and ice. The base of the immense mountain has a diameter of about 43 miles! Elephants, leopards, lions and Colobus monkeys are among the residents of the park.
The lush rain forests ensure the fertility of the countryside below, where the Chagga cultivate their coffee, maize and bananas. Mount Kilimanjaro can be climbed most of the year, although it is inadvisable during the rainy season, which is April and May, and during the short rains in November.
The summit of Kilimanjaro is definitely a challenge, and there are risks involved, but it can be reached by any reasonably fit person who enjoys hiking, and reaching the summit will be an experience of a lifetime! Climbing Kilimanjaro takes between five and ten days - we recommend a minimum of seven days as this will allow your body to acclimatize to the altitude and increase your chances of actually making it to the peak.
Accommodation: Mountain Camps
Arusha National Park
Day 8 - 9
After your days on Kilimanjaro, Hatari Lodge awaits you for some relaxation as well as game viewing. Located in Arusha National Park, the drive from the base of Kilimanjaro takes around 1.5 hours and offers beautiful views of both Kilimanjaro and Mt Meru.
Arusha National Park is one of the least frequently visited northern Tanzania national parks, making it a wonderful and rewarding off-the-beaten-track. The park is unique in its diverse wildlife, striking mountain scenery and its beautiful lakes which are home to large families of flamingos.
A walking or canoe safari and a morning or afternoon game drive around Ngurdoto crater and the beautiful Momela Lakes with the stunning backdrop of majestic Mt Meru and Mt Kilimanjaro in the distance are surely among the most memorable safari experiences.
Looming over Arusha National Park, the dramatic 4556 m peak of Mount Meru is a great alternative to Kilimanjaro for as it is less crowded, only requires 3-4 days and is less likely to engender altitude sickness.
Accommodation: Hatari Lodge
Enjoy a scenic drive into the Rift Valley and along its dramatic escarpment and the majestic active volcano Oldonyo Lengai to Lake Natron (4-5 hours).
Wild and remote Lake Natron lies in the northeast of Tanzania in between the Ngorongoro Highlands and Serengeti plains. Situated at the base of Africa's only active volcano Oldonyo Lengai (Mountain of God). Lake Natron is one of the most alkaline lakes in the world. Home to millions of tiny crustaceans, the lake is a haven for literally thousands of lesser flamingo's and it is one of the most important flamingo breeding grounds on earth.
Here it is the landscape rather than the animals that is the attraction - the area around the lake is dry, desolate and hauntingly beautiful.
Activities include evening or morning walks on the Lake Natron flats to see the thousands of flamingos and other birds, moonlit walks, Natron tubing where you lay on a tube and gently float down the stream toward Lake Natron, sundowner on Lake Natron, dinner under the stars on a grass mat and cushions on the lake.You can also go on a walk to the beautiful water falls of the Engare Sero Gorge or ascend Oldonyo Lengai - in this case, you would leave the camp at midnight, reach the peak for sunrise and return to the camp by noon.
Accommodation: Ngare Sero Lake Natron Camp
Today’s drive up the Rift Valley escarpment will stick in your memory as one of the most beautiful you have ever done (5-7 hours). On a clear day, the views from the top of the escarpment of Lake Natron, Ol Donyo Lengai and the other Crater Highland volcanos are breathtaking.
Continue the rarely taken route towards the Serengeti through Loliondo which borders the Serengeti to the east and is great for bush walks and authentic cultural encounters away from the beaten path.
From December-March:, you will drive through the southern part of Loliondo, past the striking Gol Mountains and the deep Sanjan Gorge - stunning landcapes, remote Maasai villages and excellent possibilities for walking. Between December and March, the migrating wildebeest and zebra move into this area and if you are lucky you can encounter the rare wild dogs.
During the rest of the year, your journey will bring you through the northern part of Loliondo, beautiful rolling hills, olive tree forests and small Maasai settlements. Enjoy the wonderful views from the top of one of the many hills during a sundowner or morning bush walk towards the Serengeti Plains.
Accommodation: Nduara Loliondo
A short 1-2 hour drive will take you to the Serengeti where you will experience the rare opportunity for a multi-day walking safari and private bush camps which will give you a totally exclusive safari experience, sleeping directly under the stars of the incredible African sky and hearing the sounds of the African Bush at night.
The Serengeti is the jewel in the crown of Tanzania's parks and undoubtedly the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world. With countless predators including lion, cheetah and leopard, more than two million wildebeest, half a million Thomson's gazelle, and a quarter of a million zebra, it has the greatest concentration of wildlife on our planet.
The wildebeest and zebra moreover form the star cast of a unique spectacular - the annual migration. Between late December and March, you will be able to witness the great migration of more than 1 million wildebeest and zebra during the spectacular calving season. Between May and July you might be lucky to witness the fascinating spectacle of thousands of Wildebeest and Zebras crossing the crocodile infested Grumeti River together with their new born. From August to October, they move to the remote Northern Serengeti crossing the Mara River which is equally populated with giant Nile crocodiles.
Accommodation: Private Bush Camps
Enjoy a memorable last morning game drive or walk in the Serengeti, before taking a scenic and convenient flight from Serengeti to Kilimanjaro over the spectacular Crater Highlands, the Rift Valley and Kilimanjaro which will give you a fantastic bird’s eye perspective of the places you have discovered during the last two weeks.
Booking & Itinerary Customization
We at Enchanting-Africa have one main goal: To help you achieve authentic, individual travels to Africa.
Please contact us if you want to book this trip or have it adapted to your individual needs.
Your first step to creating unique, customized travel experiences.
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