Tanzania Northern Highlights – 7 days

Lake Manyara National Park
Set below the Rift Valley Escarpment Lake Manyara National Park encompasses a number of different habitats. The name “Manyara” comes from the Maasai word emanyara, which is a euphorbia species of plant that is grown into a hedge around a family homestead.
The park is best known for its tree-climbing lions, blue monkeys, huge troops of baboons and elephant herds as well as its dramatic views of the Rift Valley. The shallow alkaline lake can attract thousands of greater and lesser flamingos and the National Park itself is a hotspot for birders as over 300 species of resident and migratory birds have been recorded here.

Full day unlimited game viewing in the park. All meals and overnight at Hippo Trails Camp.
Depending on the time of the year and the rains it will determine where you will travel to for full day game viewing drive, to follow the Wildebeests and Zebras on their migration route.
Dec to Mar: game drive in Southern Serengeti NP (Day 3) en route for overnight in Central Serengeti NP
Apr to May: full day game drive in Central Serengeti NP
Jun: full day game drive to Western Serengeti NP
Jul to Oct: full day game drive to Northern Serengeti NP
Nov: full day game drive in Central Serengeti NP

Serengeti National Park
Undoubtably Africa’s most famous national park, the name “Serengeti” is derived from the word used by the Maasai to describe the area, siringet, which means “the place where the land runs on forever. The park is massive and covers 14,750 square kilometres (5,700 sq mi) and with a variety of habitats including grassland plains, savanna, riverine forest, and woodlands. The park lies in north-western Tanzania, bordered to the north Kenya, where it is continues as the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Stunningly beautiful, the Serengeti offers amazing year-round game viewing boasting the highest density of large predators, including lions, leopards and cheetahs in the world. It is also home to the Great Migration where over 2 million wildebeest follow their instincts and the smell of rain on a never-ending circular route to seek out the best

Karatu
Karatu, is strategically located about halfway between the Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park and breaks up an otherwise long drive. It’s not uncommon to see Massai herding goats and cattle along the roadside and the shops sell an eclectic mix of wares.
Outside of town the countryside is dotted with farms, coffee plantations and thick forests. Lodges in this area have beautiful gardens. You may even spot a brilliantly coloured sunbird flitting from flower to flower feeding on nectar.

Tarangire National Park
Tarangire is a real gem. Known for some of the best elephant viewing in Tanzania, the park also hosts a ‘mini migration’ at the height of the dry season as large numbers of zebra and other animals make their way into the park to quench their thirst at Tarangire River.
The park is incredibly scenic and home to some enormous Baobab trees. In terms of wildlife, in addition to elephant other herbivores that are resident year-round include mongoose, giraffe, bushbuck, rock hyrax, hartebeest, dik-dik, impala, waterbuck, warthog and reedbuck. Lions are abundant in Tarangire and are regularly encountered and leopard are often spotted. For birders the park is especially good for spotting raptors with bateleur eagle, tawny eagle, long-crested eagle, martial eagle, fish eagle and spotted eagle owl all regularly sighted.