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Women with Wings Travel Club
www.womenwithwings.caThe dates for the Women with Wings travel club's Northern Tanzanian safari have been decided—Feb 27th through March 11th, 2008. If you are interested in this very special safari please email me, leslie@mamatembotours.com, or Liz Irving of Travel Concepts, liz@trvlconcepts.com.
The itinerary:
Fourteen day Northern Tanzanian safari, a perfect balance of wildlife, culture and unique, less visited destinations.
Tues. Feb. 26th: Karibuni Tanzania! Welcome to Tanzania! You are met at Kilimanjaro International Airport near the northern Tanzanian city of Arusha, the country's thriving safari hub, and transferred to your accommodation Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge. The lodge, on the slopes of Mount Meru near Arusha National Park, is set in lush gardens amidst forest and near a crystal clear spring. Hundreds of bird species have been recorded around the lodge and troops of Sykes and Colobus monkeys inhabit the forests. The lodge was created from a farmhouse built turn of the century and has just ten rooms. Hosts Tim and Stacia Leach, in collaboration with nearby villages, are dedicated to the conservation of the forest around their lodge and the protection of the vital spring on which so many people depend.
Wed. Feb. 27th: Safari Njema! Have a good journey! Your safari begins after breakfast when your Land Cruisers and drivers for the next 14 days await at the entrance to the lodge for the six hour journey north to Lake Natron on the Great Rift Valley floor. The perfectly symmetrical cone of Mount Lengai, Tanzania's last active volcano, dominates Lake Natron's skyline. Along the way, enjoy a picnic lunch in a landscape which reflects the volcanic forces which created the rift valley. At this time of year, wildebeest and zebra are typically grazing alongside the Maasai people’s livestock. Your accommodation is Ngare Sero Natron Camp, which consists of only six uniquely designed tents which blend in harmoniously with the otherworldly environment. The camp provides a high level of comfort in this remote and rarely visited area.
Thurs. Feb 28th: After the long drive to Natron, you have the day to enjoy the Natron area, by vehicle and by foot. This is Maasai country and visits can be arranged to their homesteads. Or hike to the waterfalls which breach the rift valley walls. Lake Natron is one of the few spots where flamingoes regularly nest and raise their single chicks. Take a trip to the lake to see the birds and afterwards enjoy sunset and sundowners on a bluff overlooking the lake.
Fri. Feb 29th: This morning you ascend a track up the rift valley wall to cross Loliondo, a stunningly beautiful landscape of rolling hills and grassy plains used by migrating antelope. It's a five hour journey. Although Loliondo lies outside of Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, wildlife isn’t concerned with borders and Loliondo provides good game viewing at this time of year. There have been frequent sightings of Wild dogs, among Africa's most endangered animals. Your accommodation is Suyan Camp, one of only a few luxury seasonal camps in Loliondo's Gol Mountains. Ten tents in all, each is spacious and elegantly furnished with ensuite. This is the way safaris used to be many years ago.
Sat. March 1st: You remain in Loliondo and spend another night enjoying Suyan Camp’s intimate atmosphere. Because of the camp’s location outside of official borders, walking safaris are allowed with a Maasai guide. Or you can go by vehicle to nearby OlKarien Gorge, where Ruppell's griffon and White-headed vultures nest every March and April.
Sun. March 2nd: Today you venture into the Serengeti National Park proper, crossing cheetah and lion country, your entire day a game drive and your ultimate destination the central Serengeti. Your accommodation is the recently refurbished Sopa Lodge, good quality accommodation and service in a prime wildlife location.
Mon. March 3rd: You remain in the Serengeti for another day. The central Serengeti has resident game throughout the year and you are likely to see a lot on your game drives. Go on early morning and late afternoon game drives or take a picnic and stay out all day. The central Serengeti offers the best chances of sighting the elusive leopard. The Sopa Lodge is also well situated at this time of year for the migrating herds of wildebeest and zebra as they move up from the southern plains.
Tues. March 4th and Wed. March 5th: From the central Serengeti you head south to where the park borders on the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a five hour journey depending upon wildlife sightings. Northern Tanzania’s wildebeest and zebra migration was recently announced as the seventh on UNESCO's list of the world’s new wonders. The park has been a UNESCO world heritage site since the 80s because of the migration. If the migration follows its usual pattern, you may find yourself in the middle of over a million wildebeest or very close to them. Late January through early March is also foaling season. Your accommodation for two nights is Ndutu Safari Lodge. Set under a canopy of acacias overlooking Lake Ndutu, the lodge offers comfortable accommodation and tasty home cooking.
Thurs. March 6th: Today, the Ngorongoro Crater awaits, after a brief stop at Olduvai Gorge to visit the small museum which documents Mary and Louis Leakey's many fossil discoveries. Ngorongoro Crater is one of the world’s largest calderas with a floor 600 meters below its rim, and home to a long list of East African wildlife. Only giraffes are missing; they cannot negotiate such steep walls. The crater offers the best chances of seeing endangered Black rhino. It will be a long and exhilarating day. Your accommodation for the night is one of the best lodges on the northern safari circuit. Small and tranquil, with lush gardens surrounded by coffee fields, Plantation Lodge is the perfect place to relax, offering individually decorated rooms, excellent food, massage, and a refreshing pool.
Fri. March 7th and Sat. March 8th: Today you descend an old rift escarpment on a bumpy track for several hours to Lake Eyasi, where you have the opportunity to meet the Hadzabe tribe. This is an extraordinary cultural experience: the Hadzabe, who speak a click language, attempt to live by the hunter and gatherer traditions of their ancestors. Your accommodation for two nights is Kisima Ndege Tented Lodge on the shores of Eyasi. There are just seven tents, each built of palm and other ecologically sound materials. There is a simple elegance about Kisima. The excellent service, meals which use home grown produce, and sunset over the lake, when the rift walls which rise on the opposite shore glow copper, make this camp a special experience.
Sat. March 9th: You depart Eyasi after an early breakfast for Mtu wa Mbu or Mosquito River village, gateway to Lake Manyara National Park, a three hour drive. You take a guided walk through Mtu which is an excellent introduction to village life. After the walk you enjoy a lunch prepared by local women. In the early afternoon you check into your accommodation early for a restful afternoon, because at nightfall, you return to Lake Manyara National Park for a bush dinner under the stars followed by a night safari. A night game drive is a rare treat: you might see hippos out of the water; bush babies; porcupines; night birds of prey; perhaps even a leopard if you are lucky. Your accommodation is Kirurumu Tented Lodge, a comfortable permanent camp set high on the edge of the rift valley and with an excellent view of Lake Manyara far below.
Sun. March 10th: It takes three hours to reach Tarangire National Park, a mix of grassland, acacia woodlands and rocky hills and one of the most scenic of the northern parks. Tarangire is known for its large resident population of elephants because of the year-round availability of water. You will most definitely see elephants. Tarangire is also a great park if you enjoy East Africa's superb birdlife. Your accommodation is Tarangire Safari Lodge, set on a bluff with an unsurpassed view of the Tarangire River where thirsty wildlife comes to drink. Wildlife often passes through camp.
Mon. March 11th: After one last early morning game drive, you depart Tarangire for the two hour drive back to Arusha. You have a few hours to explore Arusha where you can have lunch. You can also do some shopping. Any purchases you make, as well as lunch, will be at your own cost. In the afternoon you will be taken to Kia Lodge where you can relax by the pool or in your day room. On a clear day, enjoy views of Mount Kilimanjaro from Kia Lodge. After an early dinner, you will be transferred to Kilimanjaro Airport for the departure of your KLM flight home. It is possible for anyone traveling to Zanzibar to catch a midday flight from Arusha.
28-05-2007
