Morning at leisure with optional activities (payable direct). Safari briefing and lunch at the hotel. Then depart to Lake Manyara National Park. As you make your way out of Arusha, you leave the busy city behind, and the landscape gives way to vast plains dotted with grass thatched huts. It will be common to see young children tending to herds of cattle and sheep. In the distance, the imposing wall of the Great Rift rises from the horizon. Arrive at your lodge perched above the Rift Valley escarpment overlooking the park for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation Lake Manyara Serena Lodge on full board basis (excludes laundry and drinks)

Lake Manyara National Park
The park is named after Lake Manyara, a shallow alkaline lake that is a prominent feature of the park. The park covers an area of 330 square kilometres and is known for its diverse wildlife, including large herds of elephants, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, baboons, and various species of antelope. The park is known as home to tree-climbing lions, a behaviour that can be observed in other areas of Africa. In addition to its wildlife, the park is known for its birdlife, with over 400 bird species recorded, including flamingos, pelicans, storks, and various birds of prey. The park's terrain varies from dense forests to open grassy plains, and the views of the Great Rift Valley and the surrounding landscapes are breath-taking. It is a popular destination for wildlife safaris and bird watching tours.

Lake Manyara Serena Lodge
Standing high on the edge of a towering terracotta escarpment with panoramic views over the glittering alkaline waters of Lake Manyara, Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge offers a unique blend of tranquillity, wildlife discovery, and ornithological richness. The unprecedented range of high-adventure sports, meanwhile, includes mountain biking, canoeing and forest walks, while cultural choices include tours of the neighbouring villages and dance displays by the local Iraqw and Sukuma people.

Grouped around a central ‘vanishing horizon' pool, this highly unusual lodge features a simple timbered reception area, built in traditional African style, which is accessed via a bridge over a small stream. Beyond reception, lies the central dining room, bar, and veranda, below which lies the pool. Perched on the very edge of the cliffs, with stunning views over the lake is the pool bar and observation point. Dotted around the grounds, all with views over the lake, are a series of circular two-story ‘rondavels', which house the rooms.

Designed to reflect the brilliance of Lake Manyara's unique birdlife, the architectural motif melds swooping avian curves with the gentle concentric patterns of traditional Maasai ‘Bomas', while the vibrantly coloured wall frescoes depict the colourful intricacy of bird migratory patterns.

Morning game drive in Lake Manyara National Park. Return to the lodge for lunch. Depart for Serengeti National Park. Once you pass the Naabi Gate – the gateway to Serengeti National Park – you game view en route to the lodge arriving for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation Serengeti Serena Lodge on full board basis (excludes laundry and drinks)

Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park covers an area of approximately 14,750 square kilometres and is known for its vast savannah grasslands, iconic wildlife, and annual wildebeest migration. The park is home to the "big five" animals: lions, elephants, leopards, rhinoceros, and Cape buffalos, as well as cheetahs, hyenas, giraffes, zebras, and many other species of mammals and birds. The annual wildebeest migration, where over a million wildebeest and other herbivores migrate in search of greener pastures, is one of the most spectacular natural events in the world. The park is also home to the Maasai people, who have lived in the area for centuries and still practice their traditional way of life. Serengeti National Park is a popular destination for wildlife safaris and hot air balloon safaris, and its stunning landscapes and wildlife attract visitors from all over the world.

Serengeti Serena Lodge
Set high on the saddle of a tree-clad ridge, commanding panoramic views across the Serengeti, this lodge is the ultimate fusion of traditional African architecture and world-class style. Winner of numerous awards from the world travel press.

Centrally located adjacent to the famous Western Corridor and Grumeti River, the lodge has been designed to blend completely into the living landscape. A series of traditional domed ‘rondavels' are widely spaced throughout the grounds, which are cooled by groves of acacia trees and watered by sparkling streams. On the very edge of the ridge is a ‘vanishing horizon' pool, which looks out over the ‘endless plains' after which the Serengeti is named.

The lodge has been styled to offer a showcase of cultural performance, heritage, and traditional art, which is best illustrated by the lavish Makonde carvings which decorate both the rooms and the stunning domed dining room.

As for wildlife, the Serengeti National Park offers not only all the members of ‘The Big Five’ (elephant, rhino, lion, leopard, and buffalo) but also the annual ‘migration' of over one million wildebeest and their attendant cast of predators.

OPTIONAL Shared Hot Air Balloon Safari
Early morning shared transfer in the balloon company vehicle to the balloon staging site. You meet the pilot who provides a safety briefing while the crew inflate the hot air balloon. At sunrise, your shared hot air balloon lifts off over the African plains. At times, your pilot will ascend to a higher altitude to give you an overview of the ecosystem. Then you descend to treetop level to silently observe the wildlife from above. After about 50 minutes, you land and are met by the balloon staff to transport you to your shared bush breakfast. You then return to your camp or lodge.

Morning and afternoon game drives with meals and overnight at the lodge.
Accommodation Serengeti Serena Lodge on full board basis (excludes laundry and drinks)

Depart the lodge and game view as you make your way to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. A picnic lunch box is served en route. Arrive at your lodge perched on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater for the afternoon at leisure, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation Ngorongoro Serena Lodge on full board basis (with picnic lunch box) (excludes laundry and drinks)

Ngorongoro Conservation Area
The Ngorongoro Crater is home to an estimated 30,000 animals, making it one of the most densely populated wildlife areas in the world. The area is also home to the Maasai people, who have lived in the area for centuries and still practice their traditional way of life. In addition to the wildlife, the area is known for its stunning landscapes, including the Ngorongoro Crater, the Olduvai Gorge, and the Empakai Crater. Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular destination for wildlife safaris and outdoor adventure activities.

Ngorongoro Serena Lodge
Regularly voted one of the best hotels in the world, this unique lodge clings to the rim of the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater, the largest and most perfect volcanic crater on Earth. Long and low, the lodge is built from local river stone and camouflaged with indigenous vines. Designed to blend completely into the landscape, it is entirely invisible from the floor of the Crater 600 metres below.

Known as ‘The eighth wonder of the world' the Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa's best-known wildlife arenas. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it offers a unique biosphere, which has remained virtually unchanged since the dawn of time. Deep within the Crater, enclosed by towering walls, some 30,000 large mammals wander the plains, lakes, and forests of ‘The land that time forgot', dominated by enormous bull elephants, rhinos, and lions.

Hugging the contours of the jagged Crater rim, the lodge takes its inspiration from the so-called ‘Cradle of Mankind', the prehistoric site of Olduvai Gorge, which lies close by. Linked by arched stone passages and timbered decks, its walls are decorated with stylised prehistoric cave paintings and lit by flaring torches. At the stone heart of the lodge burns a glowing fire, which is kept constantly alight. Decorated with cave paintings, the rooms are strung around the Crater rim. Each has its own rock-enclosed balcony and all enjoy completely uninterrupted views of the volcanic amphitheatre far below.

Early departure and descend to the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater. You game drive in this paradise. With a space of only 102 square miles and a resident wildlife population of more than 30,000 mammals, there is a great chance that you might see all of the big five. A picnic lunch box is provided at a scenic location with the floor of the crater. In the afternoon, you return to the rim of the crater and continue to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation Ngorongoro Serena Lodge on full board basis (with picnic lunch box) (excludes laundry and drinks)

Those awake early enough will be able to enjoy the sunrise across the eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. Following breakfast, you depart the lodge and begin your journey back to Arusha arriving in the city for lunch (excludes drinks). Then transfer to Kilimanjaro International or Arusha Airport for your departure flight (flight booked by agent or on own arrangements). End of our services.