After breakfast at 8:30 am, we head to Tarangire National Park for a morning game drive. The park runs along the line of the Tarangire River and is mainly made up of low-lying hills on the Great Rift Valley floor. Its natural vegetation mainly consists of acacia woodland and giant African baobab trees, with huge swamp areas in the south. Both the river and the swamps act as a magnet for wild animals during Tanzania’s dry season.

Tarangire National Park is reputed to contain some of the largest elephant herds in Africa. This African national park is also home to three rare species of animals – the greater kudu, the fringe-eared oryx, as well as a few ashy starlings. We return to the picnic site for lunch, after which we will proceed to Fig Tree Lodge for dinner and our overnight stay.

After breakfast at 8:00 am, we head to the Ngorongoro Crater. We will descend 600 m into this magnificent crater for a full-day game drive. The Ngorongoro Crater is one of the most densely crowded African wildlife areas in the world. It is home to an estimated 30,000 animals, including some of Tanzania’s last remaining black rhino.

Supported by a year-round water supply and fodder, the Ngorongoro Crater supports a vast variety of animals, which include herds of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippo, and giant African elephants. Another big draw card to this picturesque national park is its dense population of predators, which include lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs and the ever-elusive leopard, which sometimes requires a trained eye to spot. We will enjoy a picnic lunch in the crater, after which we return to Fig Tree Lodge for dinner and overnight.

In the morning at 8:00 am, you will head to Lake Manyara where you will be able to see the tree-climbing lions, the park’s main attraction. It is still up for debate why these lions habitually climb trees, but viewing a pride relaxing in an acacia tree is an incredible site.

The park is also famous for its elephants and huge numbers of baboons. Due to its varied landscape, it has an impressive range of other game including wildebeest, buffalo, hippo, flamingo, zebra, warthog, waterbuck, dik-dik, lion and impala. This small park is also home to over 400 species of birds, including flamingos, pelicans, storks and cormorants.

After a full-day game drive in the park, you will leave the park and return to Arusha, where the safari will end.