Countries: Tanzania
Destinations: Serengeti National Park , Ruaha National Park
Group Size: 2
Duration (days): 10
Number of Adults: 2
Number of Children: 0
Enhanced by the incredible beauty of the East African landscape, the camps featured in this itinerary exude character and meticulous attention to detail. Every desire is beautifully met; from large, designer rooms, to libraries, plumbed raindance showers and swimming pools with uninterrupted views. These camps also offer a spa service, a premium collection of wine and spirits, and food to tantalize the palate after a day out enjoying exceptional game viewing.
Most importantly they benefit from being situated in the most exclusive, sought-after destinations in Tanzania. On this journey you will travel from the exclusive predator paradise of the Serengeti’s eastern corridor where lion rule the plains and the cheetah pose on kopjes; through to the glorious northern Serengeti, onthe banks of the Mara river which offers year-round Big 5 viewing as well as providing the backdrop to the famous migration crossings from July – October; and lastly the jewel of the south, Ruaha National Park, offering superlative game viewing from our open-sided game vehicles or on a thrilling walking safari with our expert guides.
Itinerary Outline
Day 1 : Serengeti National Park
You will fly today on a light aircraft from Kilimanjaro International to Seronera Airstrip in the Serengeti. On arrival in the Serengeti you will meet your guide and enjoy a scenic drive through the rolling plains of the Serengeti. On arrival in camp, settle into life at Namiri Plains and watch the wildlife passing by from the stylish main area in camp. In the afternoon, begin your exploration of this exclusive corner of the famous National Park on an afternoon game drive, stopping for sundowners on top of the magical Soit Le Motonyi rock. With the nearest camp over 45 minutes away, you may be excused for thinking you are the only guests in the Serengeti!
Back in camp, enjoy a delicious three-course meal and listen to the sounds of the night as they unfold around you.
A land full of icons, with the names Serengeti, Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro and Zanzibar immediately evoking images of exotic locations and abundant wildlife. A Tanzanian safari is an experience for all of the senses, and caters for every kind of traveller.
Tanzania is a country which was seemingly designed with the word "safari" in mind. There are enough national parks and different safari activities to keep travellers coming back year on year, with the added benefit of easily combining beautiful tropical beaches with the wildlife rich plains.
A Tanzanian safari is a journey in the true sense of the word, with each itinerary feeling like an exploration out into the wilderness. Moving from park to park, either by road or air, the countryside offers something new at each stop.
The plains of the Serengeti have become synonomous with an African safari, and by visiting the right areas and camps, you will be able to see the legendary wildebeest migration as it moves across the grasslands in constant search of fresh grazing and water.
To the south of the country are the remote reserves of Selous and Ruaha, while in the west you can trek into the mountains to witness chimpanzees along the shores of the mystical Lake Tanganyika.
The word "Siringit" means "endless plains," and this is understandably from where the Serengeti National Park takes its name. The iconic, endless, golden plains of Africa are nowhere more evident than within this national park, as they stretch off into eternity, dotted throughout with thousands of animals.
Located in the north-west corner of Tanzania, alongside Lake Victoria, the Serengeti has earned its place as one of the world's most famous wildlife areas. While best known for the enormous herds of the wildebeest migration, there is far more to the Serengeti than this, and the national park can be enjoyed even when you are not in the vicinity of this spectacle.
The national park itself is roughly 14 500 square kilometres, but it forms part of the greater Serengeti eco-system, which comprises the neighbouring Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and the bordering Masai Mara, in Kenya, with the country boundary between Kenya and Tanzania seperating the two.
The Serengeti can be accessed on a road safari, usually in combination with the Ngorongoro Crater, or there are regular daily flights into the park from Arusha.
Before Namiri Plains was built, these grasslands were closed for 20 years to allow the cheetah population to restore. The nearest other camps are over an hour’s drive away so you can experience the vast plains all to yourself. When not out in the bush spotting lion and other big cats or watching huge wildebeest herds, while away an afternoon around the pool or schedule a massage in our spa. Feed your mind in the library and information centre, or simply chill out and soak up the views from your own private deck.
Day 2 - 3 : Serengeti National Park
Your next few days enjoy morning and afternoon game drives or walking safaris from Namiri Plains, accompanied by expert guides who know the grassy plains, kopjes and acacia woodland like the back of their hands. Search for some of the resident cats but don’t forget the other species too, from giraffe and hippo to wildebeest and buffalo, as well as plentiful birdlife. You will return to camp during the heat of the day to relax by the pool or have a massage to revive you for the afternoon’s activities.
Day 4 : Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, it’s kwaheri (Goodbye in Swahili) to Namiri Plains as you depart to Seronera airstrip for your flight to Kogatende airstrip in the Northern Serengeti. On arrival, you will be met by a guide from Sayari and begin a game drive en-route to camp. Once in camp lunch will be served and in the afternoon, you have the option of relaxing in camp or heading out for a game drive in an open safari vehicle. Arriving back in camp, there is a chance to freshen up before enjoying your first Sayari dinner experience followed by the opportunity to enjoy a drink around a traditional safari campfire.
The award-winning Sayari camp is based in the north of Serengeti National Park, with a prime location to witness thousands of wildebeest crash across the Mara River as part of their Great Migration.
Besides the herds, there’s a healthy population of predators, including lions and leopards. When the European migrant birds arrive, the number of bird species swells to 500, many of which can be spotted on game drives or walking safaris.
Overlooking the golden plains, our 15 bright and spacious suites have walk-in showers, al fresco tubs and verandas on which you can laze away the afternoon with a book. Sayari’s rim-flow pool is set between natural rock formations for guests to cool off in while watching elephants or zebras ambling past camp. After a dip, treat yourself to a calming massage or a beer at the Serengeti’s first solar-powered microbrewery before an afternoon game drive and sundowners around the campfire.
Regularly voted as one of the top safari escapes, Sayari offers a superior guiding experience in this beautiful wildlife region. The camp’s latest upgrade includes a plush library and information centre which incorporates a rich cultural focus on the colourful Kuria tribe who call the northern Serengeti home. Further additions include the striking Asilia Spa offering an array of treatment options, and an innovative solar-powered micro-brewery, the first of its kind in the bush. The brewery will produce four unique beers for you to enjoy as well as producing a selection of soft drinks, purifying water, and producing sparkling water for you to enjoy as well.
Day 5 - 6 : Serengeti National Park
Depending on your preference, there are a couple of options with regards to how your day is structured. One option is to break camp early and head out with a picnic breakfast on a morning game drive, returning to camp in time for lunch. In the afternoon you can do another game drive or opt to relax by the pool with a good book. Alternatively, you can eat breakfast in camp and head out on your game drive with a picnic lunch, returning in the mid-afternoon. Game drives are enjoyed on a shared basis with other guests from camp, however, rest assured that the camp will do everything it can to ensure that your ideal structure is met. Private vehicle hire is an optional extra which further increases the flexibility afforded to you but needs to be booked in advance.
Day 7 : Ruaha National Park
Today you will fly south to the extraordinary, contrasting beauty of Ruaha National Park. On arrival at Msembe airstrip you will be met by a guide before having your first experience of this great park by driving to Jabali Ridge. Once at camp you will have the opportunity to settle into your suite and drink in your new view overlooking a baobab valley. After lunch your afternoon is your own and you can decide to relax by the pool and arrange a massage or perhaps head out on an afternoon game drive.
Also on the southern circuit, but even further removed than the Selous, Ruaha National Park provides a wild and game rich safari experience, with an incredible dry season concentration of animals.
With its variety of landscapes, and excellent sightings, as well as the remote location far from any major human habitation, Ruaha has made a name for itself as one of Africa's great game reserves.
A unique mix of species is found in Ruaha, with the park being located in the transitional zone between the acacia savannah of East Africa and the miombo woodland belt of Southern Africa.
Flowing along the eastern border of the park, the great Ruaha River is the lifeblood of the area, being the only source of water during the dry season, and therefore attracting an enormous concentration of wildlife.
Jabali Ridge is a stylish camp in the wildlife-rich Ruaha National Park, set on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Mwagusi River and Ikuka escarpment. A landscape of sun-bleached plains, mighty baobabs and hardy shrubs, Ruaha is home to large numbers of lion, elephant, buffalo and even endangered African wild dogs. During the rainy season, visitors can hear the incredible thundering of the Ikuka waterfalls and even witness the Mwagusi beginning to flow after being dry for seven months. The dry season is equally exciting, with opportunities to spot buffalo herds in the riverbed and elephants digging in the sand for water.
Day 8 - 9 : Ruaha National Park
Over the next few days, you have varying choices on how to spend your day, which the managers and guides will talk you through each evening. Walking safaris are a great way to start the day, getting out early and exploring the environment on equal footing as the wildlife. There are morning game drives with picnic breakfasts, or delicious breakfasts to be enjoyed in camp. Full-day game drives with picnic lunches, or a relaxed lunch in camp with an afternoon game drive. Or spend the day in camp, enjoying the pleasures of the spa and unwinding in the swimming pool before venturing out on a night game drive.