Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater Safari (11-17 July 2023)

We will meet you at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer you to the hotel in Arusha. You will have some time to freshen up and rest in your cozy room. We will all meet for dinner and brief on our upcoming safari and the plans for the next day. We will spend the night in Arusha. (overnight Planet Lodge)

Wake up! We’re leaving right after breakfast to head straight to the mighty Serengeti. The local baobab trees will illuminate our journey as we cross the semi-arid areas. We should arrive in time for lunch, and then kick off our game drives in the early afternoon. There will be loads of big game and wonderful birds to enjoy here as we transect the park. We’re on the lookout for Leopards, Cheetahs, Black Rhino, Cape Buffalo, assorted Gazelles, Maasai Giraffe, Wildebeest, Zebras, Savannah Elephant and African Lions. Karen and Ernest will help you with your camera settings, composition, and teach you a few fun tricks with your camera. We’ll try to get some portrait shots, landscape shots, action, and some zoom or intentional camera movement shots for a creative take on the wildlife we see.

We’re staying at Tortilis Camp in Africa’s finest wilderness, surrounded by its most incredible wildlife, with its most iconic views. Expect comfort, delicious food, and most of all, a warm welcome.

We have 3 days to enjoy the expansive savannah on both morning and afternoon game drives. We’ll explore every nook and cranny including some of the famous rock outcrops, referred to as Kopjes, where we might find a leopard sunning or a klipspringer high on the rock face. We’ll have plenty of time to track the species we want to see before we head back to the Lodge each evening. After dinner, we’ll try to get in some astrophotography as well. (B, L, D; accommodations at Tortilis Camp)

We will start the day with our game drive in Serengeti. Later, we move to the highlands overlooking the Ngorongoro Crater. The landscapes are incredible! Mammals here include African Lions, Leopards, Golden Jackals, Cape Buffalo, Savannah Elephant, and so much more—it’s an entire ecosystem of its own! Birds to expect here include Golden-winged Sunbird, White-naped Raven, White-headed Barbet and Schalow’s Turaco. Ernest is one of the top bird photographers in Africa, and his expertise shines as we spot lifers for the birders on the trip. Karen will help you frame your wildlife shots, and we’ll practice some tricks that will make your photos pop!

We’ll stay at the lovely Rhino Lodge, set back from the rim of the crater with views of the untouched high montane forest, with Mount Oldeani dominating the horizon, and Mount Makarot in the distance. Your comfortable en-suite room offers a cozy living space, friendly local staff, and generous African-inspired meals. It’s an amazing welcome to Africa’s most remarkable game park. (B, L, D; accommodations at Rhino Lodge)

We will leave our lodge early in the morning and proceed to the iconic Ngorongoro Crater for a day’s adventure. This is a large and scenic crater located at about 2000m above sea level. The crater is about 600m deep and has an amazing view both from the top and inside the crater. The crater is nestled in a pristine natural forest, full of beautiful indigenous trees. It is known as one of the wonders of Africa. Descending down the crater floor takes you through great scenery and you get to experience the local Euphorbia tree varieties. The Ngorongoro Crater offers great photographic opportunities. Herds of wild game are plentiful inside the crater as well as wonderful views of the crater walls. Look out for the local African Lions, Golden Jackals, Black Rhinos, Common Zebras, assorted Gazelles, Nile Hippos and White-bearded Wildebeests, and so much more. We will picnic inside the crater, ascending back to the rim in the late afternoon. If the skies are clear, we’ll see if we can get some great night-sky photos. (B, L, D; accommodations at Rhino Lodge)

After breakfast, we’ll stop at the viewing point on top of the crater to have one last look, and learn more about this geological landform at the resource center. Then, it’s time to wave goodbye and head back to Arusha. As a last treat, we’ll enjoy lunch at a local restaurant so we can sample some local delicacies. Later that afternoon, we’ll head to the airport, marking the end to our lovely safari. (B, L)