3 Days Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara Safari.
A 3-day safari combining the spectacular Ngorongoro crater with the scenic beauty and varied wildlife of Lake Manyara National Park is an excellent choice for the travellers with limited time who still wish to experience two distinctly different and highly rewarding Tanzanian ecosystems. This itinerary offers on efficient travel and maximizing game viewing in the northern circuit, mixing the dramatic beauty of the crater with the unique habitats of Manyara’s rift valley floor.
Tour highlights.
Day 1: Arrival in Arusha and drive to Lake Manyara.
Day 2: Ngorongoro crater descent and wildlife spectacle.
Day 3: Karatu exploration and Departure.
Detailed itinerary.
Day 1: Arrival in Arusha and drive to Lake Manyara.
Your safari begins with an early morning pick p by your safari guide from African Vacation Safaris in Arsha. He will welcome you and then brief you about the safari. After the briefing you will have the scenic drive of approximately 2 to 3 hours southwest, heading toward Lake Manyara National Park. This park is situated dramatically at the base of the western wall of the Great Rift Valley, offering stunning views even before you enter the gate.
Upon arrival, you will immediately go on an extensive game drive within Lake Manyara National Park. Though the park is small, its incredibly diverse, encompassing groundwater forests, open grasslands and the alkaline soda lake itself. The park is renowned for its tree-climbing lions though spotting them requires luck. More reliably, Manyara is famous for its large troops of the baboons, huge herds of elephants browsing in the dense forests and the various bird species, especially the thousands of flamingos and other waterbirds that congregate at the lake’s edge. You will spend the full afternoon exploring this park’s unique environments before checking into your lodge preparing for tomorrow’s journey.
Day 2: Ngorongoro crater descent and wildlife spectacle.
On the second day of the safari, wake up early in the morning and enjoy breakfast. After an early breakfast you will meet your safari guide and drive to the scenic slopes of the highlands and then descend into the Ngorongoro crater. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is an unbroken volcanic caldera that acts as a vast, natural enclosure for an astonishing concentration of wildlife.
You will spend, a full, thrilling morning exploring the crater floor, which is renowned as one of the best places in Africa to reliably see the ‘’Big five’’ in a single day. Your focus will be on tracking predators and finding the critically endangered black rhino, along with huge numbers of lions, hyenas, hippos and large herds of zebras and wildebeests. Due to the high density of animals, the game viewing is almost continuous and spectacular. You will enjoy a packed lunch on the crater floor near the hippo pool before ascending the crater wall in the early afternoon. You will then drive back to your lodge in the Karatu area for rest, dinner, and overnight stay.
Day 3: Karatu exploration and Departure.
On the last day of the safari, wake up early in the morning and enjoy breakfast. After breakfast depending on your flight schedule, the morning offers the chance for a final experience outside the main parks. This could include a visit to a local coffee plantation in Karatu area to learn about the process from bean to cup, or an optional short, guided nature walk in the cooler highlands.
After checking out you will begin the comfortable return back to Arusha or directly to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). The return journey serves as a peaceful final chapter of the safari, giving you time to think on the beauty from the lush forests of Manyara to the dramatic bowl of Ngorongoro crater. You will bedropped off at the airport or your connecting hotel in the afternoon, that brings your safari to the end.
End of 3 Days Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara Safari