This 13 days Tanzania Great Migration and Rwanda Gorillas brings you closer to the world’s greatest wildlife movement where over one million Wildebeest and thousands of zebras cross from Kenya’s Mara into Tanzania’s Serengeti for pasture and water. Witness the stampede as the antelopes avoid open jaws of large crocodiles—only to land into an ambush by hungry predators that dot the vast plains of Serengeti, such as lions and leopards. After a thriller with the greatest wildlife movement on earth, cross into Rwanda and come face to face with the endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.
Arrive in Arusha through Kilimanjaro International airport and be transferred to a Legendary Lodge. It is set in lush tropical gardens on a coffee farm just outside Arusha. It features twelve beautiful garden cottages, designed with a unique blend of African arts and crafts, combined with old, colonial-style luxury. You will be checked into your room. You’ll be pleased to relax at your veranda or main house. Later, you will be treated to a welcome dinner where you will be briefed by our head guide about how your trip will unfold.
After breakfast, checkout of your room and drive to Tarangire National Park, a wild landscape painted with open grasslands, acacia trees and the Tarangire River. You will be checked in your room at Tarangire Treetops that serenely sits on the border of Tarangire National Park. East of the 20 rooms is elevated above the ground with private balcony offering views over the tops of surrounding marula and baobab tree. You will be treated to a welcome lunch before going on an afternoon game drive in search of giraffes, waterbucks, zebras and elephants, hartebeest, gazelles and birds including the giant martial eagle.
You will have a guided morning and afternoon game drive destined for abundant wildlife choices. The day will be crowned with a complementary wild sundowner before the dinner and night game drive. This latter experience is a first class ticket to spotting nocturnal animals including African wildcat and the elusive leopard. You are also likely to encounter lions and hyenas as they hunt for their dinner! Overnight at Tarangire Treetops.
Checkout of Olivers Camp after breakfast and cross the Great Rift Valley where the Ngorongoro Conservation Area sits. As you enter the Ngorongoro, you will be welcomed by Maasai “enkangs” (homesteads). Brace yourself for a thrilling cultural and wildlife experience in this natural ring of Ngorongoro Crater, a 2,000-foot- deep caldera. It offers a fascinating miniature of East African wildlife; including buffalo, flamingos, lions and leopards.
Later in the day, you will check in at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, an elegant getaway that is perched on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, giving unmatched views.
Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater and explore a natural wildlife haven. Many of these animals live their whole life at the bottom of this intact caldera. Watch Zebra, wildebeest, and gazelle mingle together, while herds of buffalo, elephants and rhino roam around. Catch up with the hippos as they lounge in the water holes where the lions position themselves to ambush preys. Get closer to the lake and watch the Flamingos as they feed and play. In the evening, visit a Maasai village and learn about the tribe’s charming cultural traditions; nomadic lifestyle and how they coexist with wildlife. Meals and overnight at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge
Checkout and drive to Serengeti, boundless vast plains, where lions, hyenas and leopards roam. You will be welcomed at Sayari Camp and be checked into your room, a cozy heaven with dramatic views over the northern plains. In the evening visit a Masai family for a cultural experience led by a local guide who will introduce to you to the Masai traditions and practices. Wrap the day by returning to camp for dinner and overnight. Sayari Camp is renowned for extraordinary wildlife sightings and supreme comfort. Set on the unspoiled plains of Northern Serengeti, close to the famous Lamai Wedge, Sayari gives you easy access to the Mara River and multiple river crossing points in the remote Park. While here, relax in your extra-comfortable hillside suite after a day on safari, or take a dip in the glorious rim-flow swimming pool.
Take morning and evening game drives exploring the Serengeti plains in your private safari vehicle—to catch up with live sights and sounds of the great migration. Witness over one million wildebeests and thousands of zebra cross river Mara into Serengeti in a stampede as they avoid open jaws of mean large crocodiles. Here, you can’t miss hungry predators including lions and leopards-as they go against odds to survive. After this thriller, you will be treated to a sundowner as you watch African skies go dim.
After breakfast, you will be transferred to western Serengeti where you will be welcomed by the Singita Faru Faru staff. Built on a gently sloping hill, Singita Faru Faru Lodge is positioned on the renowned migratory route, easily offering the unexpected encounters. Arrive in time for a lunch, featuring a wine tasting in the lodge’s temperature-controlled cellar. An experienced sommelier will guide you through a variety of wine styles, years and cultivars to find the wines most suited to your individual taste. Spend the afternoon relaxing in the spa or you may wish to head out on a game drive before dinner.
Morning and evening game drives in the vast plains the private Singita conservancy gives you exclusive wildlife encounters and witness great migration privately. With such close proximity to the river and plains— enjoy the unique opportunity to experience a very close connection with the wilderness. End the day with another sundowner before you return the lodge for dinner and overnight at Singita Faru Faru.
After a relaxed breakfast, you will be driven to the nearby airstrip for a flight to Kigali, Rwanda where you will be welcomed by our experienced driver guide who will transfer you to Kigali Serena Hotel, a relaxed yet elegant five-star hotel that is ideally located in one of Kigali’s most charming avenues. This serene hotel is built around a polished granite atrium that showcases the very best of Rwanda’s cultural art. You will receive a full briefing of your safari from our guide. After this brief starter, you will be left alone to relax in your room. You are free to enjoy the hotel’s inviting amenities, most of which are free of crowds; the swimming pool, health club and coffee experience.
After breakfast, visit the Kigali Genocide memorial museum, one of the museums that were established to commemorate the victims of the 1994 Rwanda genocide. This is the final resting place for more than 250,000 victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi tribe in Rwanda. It honors the memory of the more than one million Rwandans killed in 1994. This dark tour will make you appreciate how this relatively small country has quickly recovered from its painful history.
After this sobering moment, go for lunch at Hotel Des Mille Collines, that was featured in the Hollywood movie ’Hotel Rwanda’ in 2004. After lunch, drive on a smooth road that meanders through the rolling hills to Kinigi Town, gateway to the Virunga Mountains. You will be checked in at the most luxurious camp- Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge. It is set in serene gardens, with stunning views of the Virungas, a collection of active and dormant volcanoes. This cozy lodge is built out of stone and tile build, and consists of a main cottage and 8 sleeping rooms. The main lodge, with mustard colored walls, large Mediterranean style tiling and beautiful windows. Fixed to the walls, looking out over the slopes, are giant sized masks, which add a real sense of mystery to the experience. Inside, and characterized by beautifully maintained wooden floors, white walls, low slatted ceilings, a mix of slumber seating, open log fires and African prints, the shared areas include a bar, library, games room, verandah, dining room and seating areas.
The Parc National des Volcans is part of the Virungas which are shared between Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo; the only habitat to just over 1000 surviving mountain gorillas. Make a short drive to park headquarters this morning where you will meet your gorilla trekking guides. Ranger guides to be exact. They will give you a brief talk on the procedures and etiquette of gorilla tracking before you set off to the dense rain forest. In an effort to give you an 80% probability of seeing these majestic primates, a team of trackers will be in the forest ahead of your departure. Their task is identifying where the gorillas were seen the night before and pursuing them to a point/climax—where you will be able to connect. Although the hike can be physically demanding, the beauty of the forest and surrounding scenery makes the effort worthwhile in addition to the ultimate reward of getting a close-up with the gorillas; a profoundly moving wildlife encounter. Return to the lodge and relax as you watch the sun burry itself over the horizons; Virunga volcanoes
Have an early breakfast and return to the park headquarters where you will meet the park guide ahead of a guided trek to the forest—to observe rare golden monkeys. These old world monkeys are active throughout the day and mostly live in the bamboo zone of this mountainous park, not so far from its foot. A golden monkey trek operates similarly to the early morning gorilla treks. Groups are limited to eight travellers, and once you meet up with the golden monkeys, you will have one hour to spend with them and return to the lodge for lunch, refresh and transfer to the airport for departing flight. This is the climax of your amazing 13 days Tanzania Great Migration and Rwanda Gorillas safari