Tanzania Migration & Crater Safari

ARUSHA, TANZANIA Begin your East African adventure at Arusha Coffee Lodge, where you will stay in the Plantation Room, which is concealed amid the lush rows of coffee bushes studded with cherry red beans. Arusha Coffee Lodge is located on a functioning farm, so you can get the freshest cup of coffee you can imagine. You may also wander around the fields, smelling the perfume, or take the 'Bean to Cup' tour to learn more about the plant. Choose a massage or treatment at Peaberries Therapies to kick off your vacation in style. The lodge was built around the ancient farmhouse, which was erected in the 1900s, and it echoes with bygone pleasures. Arusha is a popular place to begin or conclude a safari in Tanzania. It is a gateway to some of the country's best reserves, dominated by Mount Meru. Visit Arusha National Park or some of the town's highlights, such as the bustling Maasai Market and the Tanzanite Museum, which is dedicated to the rare deep-blue valuable stone found nowhere else on the planet.

TARANGIRE, TANZANIA Following a restful night in your own accommodation, you board a small aircraft for the flight from Arusha to Kuro, where you will be welcomed and driven to Oliver's Camp in Tarangire National Park. A little camp near a large marsh that nearly ensures superb bird and elephant watching. The tents are modest but comfortable, and you may go 'fly-camping' or spend the night in quiet spots distant from the resort for a true flavour of Africa. You'll soon get into the fascinating rhythm of safari, with morning and dusk game drives interspersed with bush breakfasts or sundowners. You may add adventurous walking safaris and thrilling night drives to the list at Oliver's. Walking safaris provide an entirely new view of the terrain; once you leave the 4x4 behind and go out on foot with a trained, armed guide, you will notice insects, birds, flowers, trails, spoor, and other little features that are generally overlooked in favour of larger animals. With your ability to see reduced, your senses of hearing and smell go into overdrive, and you will hear the snap of breaking branches in the undergrowth or smell a cadaver far sooner than during the day. Night drives also provide the chance to view owls, hyenas, leopards, porcupines, and other nocturnal species.

NGORONGORO CRATER, TANZANIA The next destination on your epic journey is Lemala Ngorongoro, located on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater in the midst of an old acacia woodland. It's a lovely setting in a less-visited portion of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, along the secluded Lemala access path. The camp has 12 tents, each giving seclusion and intimacy - perfect for couples or honeymooners - and two tents for families with teenagers. Each room has an en suite bathroom with a flush toilet and a hot water bucket shower. There is a generator, but the 24-hour electricity is largely solar, minimising the environmental effect. For the colder evenings, the tents include gas heaters. Dining and socialising take place in the spacious mess tent, which includes a pleasant lounge and a bar. The crater is easily accessible from Lemala Ngorongoro, and game drives begin as early as 6.15 a.m. There will be no waiting at the entrance, and you will be on the breathtaking crater floor within 10 minutes. This early start also provides the optimum light for photographers. For a more close tour of the reserve, join an escorted walk with a Maasai guide and an armed ranger around the crater rim and through the bush. The crater offers some of the most accessible and rewarding wildlife watching in East Africa. This is Big 5 country, with everything enclosed within the world's biggest caldera. Game drives may continue all day, so relax and take in the stunning environment and plentiful animals, particularly the predators. In 1979, the region was designated as a World Heritage Site. Various hominid species have colonised the region for three million years, according to fossil evidence. In the 1800s, Maasai pastoralists lived in the crater and now share their expertise of the region with visitors.

SERENGETI, TANZANIA The last three nights of your safari are spent either at Lamala Ndutu in the crater or at Lemala Mara in the northern Serengeti, depending on the season. The 'ultimate amphitheatre' tickets to the Wildebeest Migration are available in Ndutu, where more than a million gnu roar over the plains in quest of new pasture. From November to April, the movable camp is put up near the marsh in the Ngorongoro Crater. During the calving season in February and March, millions of calves are born. Predators in Africa are drawn to the newborn calves, and hunts are not unusual. There are 12 tents, which keeps the camp intimate and allows you to immerse yourself in nature. Each has an en suite bathroom with a flush toilet and bucket shower. Although there is a generator, most of the electricity is generated by solar panels. For those downtimes when stories need to be shared, a convivial mess tent contains a lounge and bar. There is a campfire in the evening for pre-dinner cocktails, followed by meals in the mess tent or beneath the stars. For day-long safaris, picnic breakfasts and lunches can be packed. From July to October, the camp relocates to Lemara Mara in the northern Serengeti to take advantage of the northern migration. It's perched on a remote hill overlooking the plains, providing prime viewing for herds crossing the crocodile-infested Mara River. Large Euclea trees provide shade for your enjoyment, and you may stare at breathtaking surroundings while unplugged from the hustle and bustle of the twenty-first century. By the time you fly out of Kogatende to catch your connecting flight home, you will have witnessed some of Tanzania's most spectacular sights and sounds, making it one of the world's premier safari locations.