Ride, Bike, Hike and Canoe - 10 Days

Combining a classic safari in the northern part of Tanzania, visiting the famous Serengeti national Park and the Ngorongoro Crater as well as Lake Manyara and Tarangire National Park, with some active excursions to get out of that safari car! A guided walking safari in Arusha National Park brings you close to flora and fauna, animal trails and who knows, giraffes and buffalos. Biking in the Mto wa Mbu region is quite an adventure, giving you an insight in local life plus the opportunity to explore the shores of Lake Manyara by mountain bike. And canoeing on the quiet waters of Lake Manyara gives you an entire different perspective on the beautiful landscape and wild animals.

Day 1: Transfer from the airport to Arusha

Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be met by our transfer driver and transferred to your lodge where the remainder of the day is at leisure – rest in your room, relax in the manicured gardens, enjoy a refreshing swim in the pool or the surrounding areas, the choice is yours. Dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Relax and discover the surroundings

A day to spend as you wish. If you want to do something more than reading a book at your private pool, there are lots of activities to choose from. Go out for more beautiful nature, some fun and new experiences and come back home to retire to the campfire.

Ride, Bike, Hike and Canoe

Included in this tour:

All transport mentioned in the program
Game viewing in 4×4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof, fridge, binoculars and charging points
Services of a professional English-speaking driver guide
Accommodation and meals as per itinerary
Mineral water, coffee, and tea while on safari
All Park, village, and concession fees
Guided walking safari in Arusha National Park
Guided mountain bike tour Mto wa Mbu and Lake Manyara
Flight Serengeti-Arusha/JRO
Government taxes and levies
AMREF Flying Doctors evacuation insurance

Not included in this tour:

Tourist visas $ 50 – 100 $
Personal travel/medical insurance
Optional activities not mentioned in itinerary
Tips for driver guide and lodge/camp staff
Any items of personal nature (laundry service, telephone/internet bills, souvenirs)
Drinks during the meals
International flights and departure taxes

Day 3: Arusha National Park: The ideal place for a walking safari

Get closer to nature by taking a walk in Arusha National Park with an experienced armed ranger. Although the park is one of Tanzania’s smallest nature reserves, it has a lot to offer to the travellers. The Arusha National Park is very diverse with high mountains, craters, lakes and a beautiful flora and fauna. It is also one of the few parks in Tanzania where walks can be made. With a bit of luck, there are several bird species to be seen during the walk, for example the lesser flamingo. The Park also includes giraffes, buffaloes and various species of antelope, as well as the exotic white and black colobus monkey, which often swings high up in the trees. After the walk, the trip goes to the Momella Lakes for a picnic lunch and an afternoon game drive. During the game drive you’ll enjoy amazing views of the peaks of the Mount Meru and the Kilimanjaro.

Day 4: Elephants and baobabs in Tarangire National Park

From Arusha it is about 2 hours’ drive to Tarangire National Park. This impressive park is known for the many elephants (more than 6,000) that gather along the Tarangire River, where they can quench their thirst. This beautiful park is also home to buffaloes, wildebeests, antelopes, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, lions, leopards and cheetahs. The Park is decorated with thousands of baobab trees, some of which are more than 10 meters wide. With more than 450 bird species, Tarangire is also a paradise for bird lovers. You will get a picnic lunch from the hotel, which you can take on a picnic place surrounded by little monkeys, with beautiful views over the river and the elephants. After a long day of touring, just drive a little further for a well-deserved shower and cold drink in the lodge or tented camp.

Day 5: Cycling on the shores of Lake Manyara

Experience the local culture on a 3-hour mountain bike tour through the colourful village of Mto wa Mbu. The tour passes by farms, schools, a church, and a local bar and gives a good idea of the smells and colours of this bustling village. This is a great opportunity to meet the villagers, encounter wildlife, and enjoy beautiful scenery. Once outside the village, the drive continues to the lakeshore of Lake Manyara within the Migunga Wildlife Management Area, with beautiful views of the lake, the imposing forested walls of the Rift Valley and small herds of wildlife. The ride is on fairly flat terrain (Off Road).

Late afternoon, the Rhotia Valley Children’s Home can be visited. It’s nice to play football with the kids or help with their homework. The orphanage was founded in 2005 by the Dutch medical couple Marise and Joris Koch. The orphanage currently houses 38 children between the ages of 3 and 18. The goal is to support the orphans in Rhotia Valley with education, shelter, and work in order to give these children a safe place to stay so that they can face a happier future. Staying at the Rhotia lodge is a contribution to the children’s home.

Day 6: Lion in trees? Yes, for sure, in Manyara National Park!

Nestling at the base of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, Lake Manyara National Park is recognized for its incredible beauty and special inhabitants. Upon entering the park, you imagine yourself being in the jungle: this part is a green oasis with high trees and waterfalls, the ideal habitat for big groups of baboons, waterbuck, aardvark and blue meerkats. Deeper into the park this tropical rainforest converts into wide-open savannah, where you can see many game animals such as buffalo, elephant, giraffe, impala, hippo and others. Enjoy a full day of game viewing in search of the famous but rare tree climbing lion. From a sea of pink flamingos as far as the eye can see to bull elephants at close range, Lake Manyara showcases a superb variety of herd animals and birdlife.

Today you also have the chance to get very close to giraffes, elephants, buffalo and other grazing animals on the shore. Everything from the comfort of your canoe. During this 2.5-hour canoe trip on Lake Manyara you get a unique perspective on Tanzanian wildlife and landscape. A well-trained guide will accompany the safari. He will ensure your safety and enjoyment while explaining more about the natural history of Manyara and surroundings. Enjoy the breath-taking scenery and beauty that surrounds you and the incredible variety of bird species, including thousands of pink flamingos. (Note the water level in the lake needs to be sufficient).

Day 7: Big Five in the Ngorongoro Crater

With a diameter of 18 kilometres, an area of 260 km² and a 600-meter-high crater wall, the Ngorongoro Crater is the largest still intact crater in the world. From the edge you look out over this amphitheatre with impressive and breath-taking beauty. Green vast plains, rivers, forests, marshes and the often-white Lake Magadi form a home for about 30,000 animals. A lot of people want to witness this. As a result, it is no longer allowed to make a game drive longer than 6 hours per day. But this is enough to discover the whole crater. This Noah’s Ark is an ideal breeding ground for this unique ecosystem teeming with wildlife. Predators such as lions, leopards, cheetahs but also elephants, monkeys, zebras, gazelles, rhinos, buffaloes, wildebeest, and hippos live here. Most of these animals, whenever they want, can walk in and out of the crater through the steep crater walls as they please.

After an extensive game drive, you climb out of the crater and continue to the Serengeti. Leaving the Ngorongoro area, the vast extensions of the Serengeti plains before you will impress you and wanting you to explore this area in deep. Through the Nabi Gate you enter the Serengeti, and you keep on searching for game until you arrive at your accommodation. After taking a refreshing shower, sit down at the campfire and relax with a cold drink. The night will be filled with, far away, the hyena’s laughs and the roar of the lion and who knows, an elephant or giraffe strolling around your tent.

Day 8: Thousands of wildebeest and zebras in the Serengeti

Time to chase the big migration! In general, you will find impala, giraffe, hippo, hyena and often lions and other big cats such as leopards and cheetahs in the Serengeti. The migration, consisting of around 2 million animals, is on the move all year round. Usually, the wildebeest and the zebras during the short rainy season in October and November are to be found moving from the hills in the north of the Serengeti, to the plains in the south. During the longer rainy season of April, May and June they return north, always in search for green pastures. With fluctuations of annual rainfall, the exact location of the animals varies from year to year. Your guide however will try to establish the location of the herds and to get the best views. Naturally it also attracts a mass of predators, and you may be able to see a band of lionesses gather for a hunt.

But apart from the Great Migration the savannah has so much more to offer. Herds of cheerful impala and Thomson gazelle, curious zebras and elegant giraffes are all around you. And look also in the sky and the trees to discover all those colourful birds, from hard-working yellow weavers and the smart lilac-breasted rollers to the bigger secretary birds and marabou storks.

Day 9: Keep on searching for game on the endless plains

A full day to discover as much as possible of the wonders of the Serengeti, the Big Migration, and all other wild animals. Together with your guide you can set up your program: a full day of game driving with picnic lunch, or an early morning drive with back in the camp a late breakfast, rest, and lunch, after which you set off again late afternoon. You drive through a varied landscape, often in the wide-open savannah scattered with the typical kopjes (rock formations), but also through hilly forests and along the hippo pools, where dozens of hippos are relaxing in the water. If you would like to enjoy a real once-in-a-lifetime experience, go for a hot-air balloon safari (optional with supplement).

Day 10: Back to Arusha

It’s time to say goodbye to the wilderness. Your guide will take you in the morning to the Seronera airstrip with a final game drive. An adventurous bush flight awaits you!

You board a light plane that takes you in one and a half hour to Arusha. A beautiful flight because due to the low altitude you can clearly see the rolling landscape, the savannah with the acacia trees and the herds of animals. Depending on the route, you may even be flying over the Ngorongoro. Once you arrive at the airport, say goodbye to your guide. The safari has ended and with a lot of beautiful photos and great memories you will return home. Kwa heri!

Ride, Bike, Hike and Canoe - 10 Days