Mara River Great Migration – luxury 8 day flying Safari, Tanzania.
Luxury Tanzanian all inclusive flying Migration Safari
Contact us to personalise a private luxury safari to suit your schedule.
A country with incredible topography, from pristine ocean to Africa’s highest peak. Kilimanjaro. Tanzania is a wilderness and wildlife extravaganza. This vast and sparsely-populated country hosts some of the greatest wildlife experiences on earth.
Experience some of the best National parks and game viewing areas in Africa. Starting with Tarangire NP to Ngorongoro Crater Conservation area & Lake Manyara NP to the famous plains of the Serengeti. Flying between camps and National Parks by way of Cessna Caravan you will be flying low over the plains watching the animals move across the landscape. Not only does this cut down days sitting in vehicles crossing sometimes very rough roads it maximise’s time on Safari and gives you another perspective capturing the vastness these area’s span.
Staying in stunning luxury camps built by award winning Sanctuary Retreats you will find yourself in private, wildlife abundant area’s of the parks. This style of Wildlife Safari is best suite to the more discerning client who does not want to compromise on quality.
Classic Tanzania 8 Day Safari
7 nights, 8 day luxury wildlife safari: Round trip from Kilimanjaro International Airport return. Experience some of the best National parks and game viewing areas in Tanzania. The Great Migration of the Serengeti & Masai Mara plains, Tarangire NP forests filled with it’s unique antelopes, Leopards and large herds of Elephants, Ngorongoro Crater the largest unbroken and unflooded caldera on the planet and home to the largest congregation of large mammals on earth.
DAY 01 – Arrive Kilimanjaro / overnight Arusha Coffee Lodge
After your arrival at Kilimanjaro international airport you will be met by your Sanctuary Retreats representative and guide before transferring to Arusha Coffee Lodge approximately 1hr drive away.
DAY 02 – Sanctuary Swala Camp, Tarangire National Park.
0930hrs – Depart Arusha on scenic Safari flight to Kuro airstrip deep in the heart of Tarangire National Park.
1030hrs – Upon arrival you will be met by your guide and transferred to Sanctuary Swala in our customised open safari vehicle. Driving time is approximately 1 hour with game viewing en route. Each of the twelve tents at Sanctuary Swala is shaded by tall acacia trees and ancient baobabs within sight of the well-frequented waterhole. The canvas pavilions at Sanctuary Swala are unashamedly luxurious but still close enough to nature to permit an exciting night under canvas. In the afternoon there is time to relax before embarking on your first game drive.
DAY 03 – Sanctuary Swala Camp, Tarangire National Park.
Awake to the sounds of the bush as a steaming hot cup of tea or coffee is served on your tent’s deck. This morning you may like to sleep in and enjoy your surrounds, or explore the park on an early morning game drive before returning to camp for a refreshing drink and lunch. This afternoon you have time to take a refreshing swim in the pool or relax on your private deck with a cool drink and gaze out to the waterhole and watch as the game lazily congregates in the shade to escape the heat.
As the afternoon progresses you may like to explore the Tarangire on an afternoon game drive. The beauty of Tarangire unfolds as you venture out into the baobab scattered landscape. During the dry season the concentration of wildlife in the Tarangire is second only to the Serengeti ecosystem. Return to camp to freshen up before meeting around the camp fire for a pre-dinner drink as you discuss the day’s adventures.
Huge herds of Elephant, Greater Kudu, Impala, Waterbuck and Zebra are all easily spotted. While Leopards are hard to find amongst the tall tree canopy they are regularly seen in the area as well as Lions. Due to the camp’s secluded location you are unlikely to see many vehicles as you venture out into the national park.
DAY 04 – Sanctuary Ngorongoro Crater Camp
0930hrs –Depart Tarangire on a light aircraft to Manyara airstrip.
1000hrs – Arrive Manyara airstrip
After breakfast, transfer to the airstrip for your light aircraft flight to Manyara. Our Sanctuary Retreats guide will meet you at the airstrip and proceed to Manyara National Park for a half day game viewing. If you are lucky you may spot the parks famous tree climbing Lions. Arrive at Sanctuary Ngorongoro Crater Camp for sundowners and dinner after climbing the escarpment of the Great Rift Valley. This camp is located in Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Conservation area, on the crater rim. There are 10 luxury safari tents. Each custom-made walk in tent is spacious and complete with en-suite bathroom, flush toilet, shower and hot water available throughout the day. Each tent provides a room safe, hairdryer and mosquito nets. There are three main area tents: a dining tent, lounge, and bar and lounge tent.
DAY 05 – Sanctuary Ngorongoro Crater camp
The climate at 2200 meters is a lot cooler on the Crater rim up than on the plains. Prepare for an early start as the best game viewing and the least amount of crowds are at first light. The Crater access road that drops you 600m down to the Crater floor opens at 6am.
Request a 5:30am hearty breakfast, hot water bottles and blankets for the morning Game drive. Enjoy game viewing with a spectacular backdrop of the crater wall at every turn. This great caldera is home to around 30,000 animals with a high concentration of predators. Zebra and Wildebeast account for almost half the animals with plenty of Gazelle, Cape Buffalo, Hartebeest, Warthog and big bull Elephants. On the lake in the middle of the crater, you may see thousands of flamingos fluttering and shimmering like a pink heat haze. Return to camp this afternoon with time for a hot shower before pre dinner drinks by the camp fire as you discuss the day’s adventures.
DAY 06 – Sanctuary Kichakani Serengeti Camp
1000hrs –Depart Manyara on a light aircraft to Serengeti
1130hrs –Arrive Serengeti.
Early this morning you will depart Manyara on a light aircraft 1.5 hour flight to northern Serengeti.Upon arrival you will be met by your guide and transferred to camp in our customised open safari vehicle. With game viewing en route. In the afternoon there is time to relax before embarking on your first game drive.
Kichakani is semi permanent luxury mobile camp that moves with the seasons following the Great Migration; so no matter what time of year you visit you are guaranteed a wildlife spectacular.
DAY 07 – Sanctuary Kichakani Serengeti Camp
Enjoy an morning wake up by your softly spoken tent attendant carrying a tray of hot filtered coffee, tea or beverage of your choice as planned the night before. Take breakfast in the privacy of your luxurious tent at the dining area or on the go.
Head out on a morning or full day game drive in the heart of the Great Migration this time of year along the infamous Mara River.
Sanctuary Kichakani Serengeti Camp’s three set locations throughout the year are based on the natural migration path offering wildlife viewing from open plains, sweeping grasslands and rocky kopjes. The stars of this seasonal path are wildebeest, zebra, Thomson’s gazelles, and the predators that this migratory journey attracts. The Serengeti is known for having the Big Five; cheetahs are a highlight, along with wild dog, giraffe, waterbuck and impala.
DAY 08 – Kichakani Camp to Kilimanjaro airport
Enjoy a leisurely morning relaxing at camp before transferring to the airstrip for your light aircraft flight from Serengeti – Kilimanjaro. Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro a Sanctuary Retreat assistant will meet and assist you with your onward flight or hotel transfer.
1030hrs –Depart Serengeti on a light aircraft to Kilimanjaro
1245hrs –Arrive Kilimanjaro airport
ACTIVITIES IN TANZANIA
GAME DRIVES
Tarangire is famed for its large concentrations of elephant and spectacular baobabs of every shape and colour. The river is the park’s lifeline and attracts much of the game to its banks. You may also find some of the many leopard that rest by day in the shady trees. The park is also home to kudu with their immense spiral horns, and oryx with their equally lengthy rapier horns. These shy, show-stopping antelope are common in Tarangire, where Sanctuary Retreats’ expert driver-guides can get visitors close to the herds without disturbing them. The low volume of visitors to the park offers a truly unique and private experience and our customised open safari vehicles offer unobstructed viewing and great photography opportunities.
BUSH BREAKFASTS, PICNICS & DINNERS
You may have decided with your guide to take a picnic breakfast or lunch with you but equally lovely in the evening is to enjoy a bush dinner. A secluded clearing is prepared for a traditional East African meal in the middle of the Tarangire bush. With a sundowner in hand watch as the sun swiftly sinks and your setting becomes illuminated by a magnificent log fire. Once you have settled into your surroundings let our chef introduce you to traditional Swahili fare and experience a memorable evening under the African night sky.
WALKING SAFARIS
Put on your walking shoes and experience beautiful Tarangire National Park from a different perspective with a walking safari at Sanctuary Swala. With our professional walking guide and armed ranger, guests can now explore the grassland around camp in one of the most secluded areas of the park. Our qualified guide has a wealth of knowledge and will explain how to understand animal behaviour while tracking a variety of game. You may encounter zebra, waterbuck, impala, ostrich, elephant as well as a number of birds. Sanctuary Swala is one of only a few camps within Tanzania’s Northern Park that is able to offer walking safaris.
(Maximum 6 people per walk, additional cost)
GAME DRIVES AT NIGHT
Experience the wonders of a safari at night in Tarangire. As dusk falls, relax in the comfort of Sanctuary Swala’s customised safari vehicle as you venture into the park transformed by night. Search for nocturnal animals rarely seen as this is one of the few places in northern Tanzania where you can enjoy a safari by moonlight. At night, you may encounter an African wild cat, the elusive leopard or feel the round eyes of a bushbaby peering down at you as the moon rises into the sky. With specialised lighting you will be able to look for lion and hyena, as well as smaller creatures such as spotted genet, serval, bat eared foxes, owls and nightjars. (Maximum 5 people, additional cost)
BEEKEEPING PROJECT
Sanctuary Swala has developed a beekeeping project located in the village of Mwika on the border of Tarangire National Park. Through beekeeping we are able to preserve the natural environment while providing a valuable source of income to the community. Sanctuary Swala not only provided the village with the materials to make the hives, but with the knowledge and the equipment to keep bees which produce organic acacia honey. The honey that is harvested is sold through Sanctuary Swala with all proceeds going back to the project. With the success of the first harvest of honey in August 2010 the project has plans to develop and grow to over 100 hives, providing more families with income from a traditional foodstuff. While at Sanctuary Swala you have the opportunity to meet with the beekeepers on a visit to Mwika village and learn firsthand how the project operates.
ACTIVITIES IN TANZANIA
CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
Guests can enjoy cultural activities in a nearby Masai village.
SUNDOWNERS
Sundowners are a must on any safari, and the perfect way to end the day and take some time to enjoy the magnificent sunsets of Africa. Enjoy a refreshing drink or a signature cocktail and scrumptious cocktail snacks as you celebrate the end of the day; all while being surrounded by thousands of wildebeest and zebras.
Sanctuary Retreats
Luxury accommodation across Tanzania
Sanctuary Retreats Swala Camp
Sanctuary Swala is located in a secluded area of Tarangire National Park, one of the most exciting and least visited parks in the country.
In the heart of Maasai country and a remote corner of the Tarangire, in total seclusion amongst giant acacia trees and looking out beyond the flat savannah, Sanctuary Swala offers a very exclusive safari experience. The picturesque landscape is filled with ancient baobab trees, ambling elephants and birds in flight. Built to the highest eco-friendly standards, this camp has a particularly low-carbon footprint.
ABOUT TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
The Park’s name originates from the Tarangire River that crosses through the park. The landscape and vegetation are incredibly diverse and the hilly landscape is dotted with many Baobab trees, high grasses and dense bush. Huge herds of up to 300 elephants roam the national park while migratory wildebeest, zebra, impala, buffalo and eland crowd the lagoon and waterholes. The Tarangire is also home to the more unusual species of fringe-eared Oryx and peculiar long-necked gerenuk.
WHY SANCTUARY SWALA
- Located in an exclusive pocket of Tarangire National Park
- Tripadvisor guest reviews voted Sanctuary Swala as No. 1 out of 18 lodges and camps in the Tarangire National Park
- Variety of activities include morning and evening game drives, walking and night game drives
- An infinity swimming pool overlooking a water hole frequented by game
- Sundowners, bush dinners and picnics
- An opportunity to visit Sanctuary Retreats Philanthropy Projects including Mwika beekeeping project
Sanctuary Retreats Ngorongoro Crater Camp
Sanctuary Ngorongoro Crater Camp is located in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area – situated in the Ngorongoro Crater rim valley, close to the access road into the crater, giving guests unrivaled access to the crater floor.
Ngorongoro is home to a large assortment of animals including zebra, buffalo, warthog, wildebeest, hippo and elephants; and an amazing population of predators – lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs and the elusive leopard.
ABOUT NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located 180 km west of Arusha in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania. The main feature of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest inactive, intact, and unfilled volcanic caldera. The crater, which formed when a large volcano ex-ploded and collapsed on itself two to three million years ago, is 610 metres deep and its floor covers 260 square kilometres. A large diversity of animals reside in the Crater, including an extraordinary population of predators, such as lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs and the elusive leopard; as well as hippo, wildebeest, warthog, zebra, eland, buffalo, gazelles and waterbuck.
WHY WE LOVE SANCTUARY NGORONGORO CRATER CAMP
- Located in the rim valley of Ngorongoro Crater
- The camp is located very close to the crater floor access road allowing for quick and easy access to the crater floor – perfect for early morning crater safaris.
- The area is home to a large assortment of animals including zebra, rhino, buffalo, warthog, wildebeest, hippo and elephants; and an amazing population of predators – lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs and the elusive leopard
- Morning & afternoon game drives in the crater and on the rim
- Cultural activities in nearby Masai village
Sanctuary Retreats Kichakani Serengeti Camp
In December 2017 Sanctuary Retreats launched the exclusive new Sanctuary Kichakani Serengeti Camp in Tanzania.
This extraordinary new escape, based in three set locations across the Serengeti, invites guests to intimately experience the movement of a million-plus wildebeest and zebra as they follow the fresh grasses across the Serengeti plains during the annual migration cycle.
ABOUT SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
The beautiful Serengeti National Park is renowned for the famous annual wildebeest migration, with over one and a half million wildebeest and 250,000 zebra. The national park is a UNESCO World Heritage site and covers around 5,700 square miles of grassland plains, savannah as well as forest and woodlands. The park contains a variety of wild-life, including the “Big Five.” There are also many cheetah to be seen, Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle, hyena, impala and even the elusive African wild dog.
FINE DINING
Sanctuary Retreats prides itself in the personalised service we are able to offer our guests. Please let us know if you have any special requests and/or dietary requirements.
Dining will be individual table settings placed in spots around the camp with unique viewpoints. There will also be comfortable sofas and umbrellas placed in and around the camp in special spots with great views for guests to sit and soak up the surrounding area.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in your stay – and dining is a mix of silver service, multi course and buffet style depending on the camp. On early morning game drives, indulge in a packed breakfast enjoyed in the middle of the bush and head back to the lodge for a late lunch; or leave after an early breakfast and indulge in a scrumptious packed lunch enjoyed whilst on a full day game drive. For a more intimate experience you can choose to dine on individual tables set in special spots around the camps.
Afternoon tea is served just before the afternoon game activity and offers a selection of cake, tea, coffee and fresh fruit juices. Sundowners and snacks offer the perfect way to end the day as the sun sets over the savannah. Pre-dinner drinks can be enjoyed around the fire before dinner.
At Swala camp you can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner over looking the only permanent water hole in the area where all the animals come to quench their thirst. From small antelope like Impala who seek ‘sanctuary’ around the camp to Waterbuck, Buffalo and Lions as well as the resident herd of bull Elephants who don’t like sharing.
ABOUT TANZANIA
GETTING TO EAST AFICA
Getting to East Africa is relatively easy with two main hubs on the continent being Johannesburg, South Africa or Nairobi in Kenya. From here it will be easy to connect through to your destination, Tanzania.
You will also find direct flights into Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar from Europe, Dubai and Oman.
Ask a Moon Tours specialist if you’d like us to help book required flights.
TANZANIA
MONEY MATTERS
Tanzania’s currency is the shilling. Notes are issued in denominations of 500, 1000, 2000, 5000 and 10000 shillings. Coins are issued in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 shillings, although the first two are seldom used. The local currency you may need during your stay in Tanzania should be obtained at authorised facilities such as banks and foreign exchange bureaus. US Dollars and British Pounds can also be exchanged at the airport on arrival. It is very difficult to exchange the shilling outside of Tanzania so we recommend that you change only as much as you will need. Major credit cards are accepted at most outlets in Tanzania. At some of our Sanctuary Retreats camps in Tanzania, we accept Visa, MasterCard or Amex, as well as cash.
TIPPING
If you enjoyed your stay with us the guidelines below can be used as a reference. Tipping is a very personal matter and it is not included for staff at our lodges and camps.
- Porter – US $1 per bag
- Driver-guide – US $5-7 per traveller per day – this is normally paid on the last day and is based on 4-6 travellers in the vehicle. If there are only 2 or 3 travellers you may consider increasing this amount to US $6-8 per traveller per day
WEATHER
Tanzania has a tropical climate which is mainly characterised by warm days and cool evenings. December to March are usually the warmest months of the year, while June to August are the coolest. April and May often see intermittent rains, and from September to November the days are warm with short scattered rains falling in November.
TIME ZONE
GMT + 3 hours.
LANGUAGE
Tanzania’s official language is Swahili.
PASSPORT & VISA INFORMATION
Travellers should check for visa requirements pertaining to their citizenship, as entry requirements vary between countries. All travellers, however, must be in possession of a passport with at least six months of validity left beyond the intended departure date from Tanzania.
For more information on Tanzania travel please visit http://tanzaniatourism.go.tz/en
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
TSA Bans Powerless Devices From Flights
According to recent rules issued by the US Transport Security Administration (TSA), passengers travelling from Europe, the Middle East and Africa to the US must be able to turn on their electronic devices to prove they are genuine, “Powerless devices” – cellphones and computers that cannot be turned on will not be permitted on board the aircraft.
This was followed by an announcement by the UK Department for Transport regarding stepping up some aviation security measures. “In line with the US advice, passengers on some routes into and out of the UK may now also be required to show that electronic devices in their hand luggage are powered up or face not being allowed to bring the device onto the aircraft.” According to Reuters, TSA officials singled out smartphones, including the Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy, for extra security checks on U.S.-bound flights from Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Source: http://www.tsa.gov/press/releases/2014/07/06/enhanced-security-measures-certain-airports-overseas
Rates are FROM per person twin or double share and include scenic Safari flight and road transfers.
April – May Camps closed for maintenance and upgrades
1 June – 31 October; From $9820USD
1 November – 20 December; From $9245USD
21 December – 6 January; From $11,330USD
7 January – 31 March; From $9000USD
50% additional single supplement
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