serengeti safari; african luxury safari; tented camp

Private tented camp, Serengeti

Safari by 4WD vehicle from a private camp in a secluded section of the Serengeti, far from the lodges. We camp in a vast, private, Masai-owned wilderness where the great herds roam freely.

Photo by Gary Strand

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Serengeti Wildlife Safari route-map

Trip Details at-a-Glance

Cost From: $6895   see pricing
Length: 13 days
Arrive: Arusha, Tanzania
Depart: Arusha, Tanzania
Lodging: 4 nights deluxe game lodges, 8 nights private camps describe
Meals: All meals included
Activity: Safaris, Wildlife & Natural History, Walking, Cultural Adventures
Trip Level: Optional guided game walks, 4WD gameviewing, evening game drives
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Highlights

  • Experience incredible Ngorongoro Crater and the epic Serengeti, one of the world’s legendary wildlife paradises
  • Ideal combination of lodges and delightful camps with special access to wildlife
  • Special activities: off-road travel, walking safaris, exploration in open vehicles, Masai culture


Best trip of my life. It was always my dream to go to Africa and now I want to broaden my horizons and see more of this great continent.Cheri M.—Deer Harbor WA

Choosing the Right Trip

We work hard to help you choose the right trip for you, paying attention to your individual interests, abilities, and needs. If you have questions about the level of comfort or any of the activities described in this itinerary, please contact us.
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References

We are proud to have an exceptionally high rate of repeat travelers. For more information, we would be happy to put you in touch with a client who has traveled with us.

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Departure Notes

Once you have signed up on the trip, we send a complete packing list, relevant health information, and required travel documents.

Resources

In the fabled Serengeti—“the place where the land moves on forever”—wildlife roams freely across a magical landscape unchanged since the beginning of time. And on our quintessential safari, you’ll feel as if you have this special world all to yourself! We begin our dream journey with amazing gameviewing and overnights in a stunning lodge perched on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, one of Africa’s legendary settings, then move to our own special safari camps on private gamelands bordering the Serengeti. Here we experience the untouched beauty and wildlife of Africa with off-road travel by open 4WD vehicle and authentic game walks with a skilled tracker and Masai guides—an exclusive activity not possible inside the park and a true experience of “old Africa.” Even better—to ensure the best wildlife viewing possible, we adjust our itinerary according to the Serengeti’s seasonal wildlife patterns.

Itinerary at a Glance

For a more complete description, Download Full Trip Brochure

Days 1-3
Arusha, Tanzania / Lake Manyara / Ngorongoro Crater

(December to May itinerary) After an overnight at Arusha’s lovely Serena Mountain Village, nestled in a coffee plantation, we enjoy a drive in Lake Manyara National Park, located below the dramatic wall of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, then continue to Ngorongoro Crater, whose beauty and vastness is simply incredible. On the crater’s 105-square-mile grassy floor lives Africa’s largest permanent concentration of wildlife in a phenomenally scenic setting. During our game drive in the crater, we’re likely to see elephant, zebra, wildebeest, and buffalo, and there’s hardly a better place on earth for observing prides of lions. Our overnights are at the luxurious Ngorongoro Serena Lodge, perched on the crater rim.

Days 4-7
Alamana Walking Safari / Exclusive Camp in Private Gamelands

We visit Olduvai, where Mary Leakey discovered the Zinjanthropus skull, then head for the Alamana, a vast wilderness adjoining both Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Here the Masai live a traditional existence, moving freely in harmony with their livestock and side by side with the wildlife. Thanks to our long partnership with the Masai, we have permission to camp on their private gamelands, and since we are not in a national park, we can enjoy very special wildlife viewing activities: off-road travel, exploration by open vehicle with 360-degree panoramas, nighttime game drives, and exciting bush walks with Masai moran (warriors) and our specialist walking guides. Cultural interactions with the Masai are always a highlight here.

Days 8-11
Serengeti Plains / Exclusive Private Camp

Our grand finale is on the Serengeti Plains, where we enjoy the privilege of exploring the Serengeti by 4WD vehicle from our own private camp on the edge of the short-grass plains. Large prides of lions reside here, as well as clans of spotted hyenas, and we may be lucky enough to spot a leopard, usually in the branches of acacia or sausage trees. As the predators stalk the bountiful herds, we should see vast numbers of wildebeest and zebra, along with the Serengeti’s resident wildlife, including giraffe, buffalo, topi, hartebeest, waterbuck, impala, reedbuck, bushbuck, dikdik, hippopotamus, crocodile, warthog, and diverse birdlife.

Days 12-13
Plantation Lodge / Arusha

Overnight at Plantation Lodge amid Tanzania’s famous coffee plantations, and depart on Day 13, or join our Zanzibar Extension.

For a more complete description, Download Full Trip Brochure

Optional Extensions

If you would like to continue your adventure, we offer the following extensions:

What the Trip is Like

This trip is rated Level 2+, easy to moderate. This is a camping and lodge safari with gameviewing by 4WD vehicle and bush walks that can be enjoyed by anyone in reasonably good health. There are a few long driving days over rough roads and rugged dirt tracks. At our private camps, we have opportunities for optional bush walks with a professional tracker as well as the flexibility to go out on game drives. The game-tracking walks are not difficult and are conducted at a pace that allows an intimate exploration of the African bush. Any African safari is an adventure, however, and the traveler to Africa should bring along flexibility, a sense of humor, curiosity about new peoples and places, and an openness to the unexpected.

Explanation of Trip Levels

 

Departures & Leaders

Oct 7-19, 2010  Sebastian Chuwa
Dec 23, 2010-Jan 4, 2011  Sebastian Chuwa
Jan 13-25, 2011  Mzee Justice
Feb 3-15, 2011  Sebastian Chuwa
Feb 24-Mar 8, 2011  Sebastian Chuwa
Mar 17-29, 2011  Sebastian Chuwa
May 19-31, 2011  Mzee Justice
Jun 26-Jul 8, 2011
Jul 16-28, 2011
Aug 13-25, 2011
Oct 8-20, 2011
Dec 22, 2011-Jan 3, 2012

Tour Costs

Prices are for 2011
$6895 (10-15 members)
$7295 (4-9 members)
Single supplement: $495
Park fees: $1450
*December surcharge: $590

Extension Costs
Zanzibar Extension: Serena Inn, Breezes or Palms Resort
   from: $1595
Zanzibar Extension: Mnemba Island
   from: $3995

more on pricing

Tour Cost Includes:

  • expert leadership of a Wilderness Travel Trip Leader and local guides
  • accommodations, based on double occupancy
  • guaranteed window seating in safari Land Cruisers
  • meals on safari and other meals as indicated in the Full Trip Brochure, plus Welcome and Farewell Dinners
  • safari camp staff
  • group camping and cooking equipment
  • land transportation and airport transfers as noted in the Full Trip Brochure, baggage handling
  • membership in Flying Doctor Society for emergency medical assistance

Tour Cost Does Not Include:

International airfare, meals not specified in the Full Trip Brochure, park entrance fees, transfers for independent arrival or departure, airport departure taxes, optional tipping or gratuities to leaders or staff, additional hotel nights made necessary by airline schedule changes or other factors, pre-trip expenses such as medical immunizations (if any), travel insurance, or passports and visas; and other expenses of a personal nature (alcoholic beverages, laundry, and so on).

Trip Payment Schedule

At time of reservation: $500
120 days prior to departure: 20% of tour cost
60 days prior to departure: Balance

Cancellation Fee Schedule

Minimum fee: None
46-90 days prior to departure: 25% of tour cost
45 days or less: 100% of tour cost

Serena Mountain Village

Day 1 (1 night), Arusha, Tanzania

Nestled in a coffee plantation on the shores of Lake Duluti, this lodge is a well-run property with an excellent restaurant and a tranquil location. ...
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Ngorongoro Serena Lodge

Days 2 to 3 (2 nights), Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Serena Lodge is an international-style hotel with a spectacular setting on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater at 6,000 feet. The location ...
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Serengeti Wildlife Safari—Deluxe Mobile Camps

Days 4 to 7 (4 nights), Ngaroi (adjacent to Serengeti National Park),
Days 8 to 11 (4 nights), Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Serengeti Wildlife Safari Camps are mobile safari camps that move with us as we travel. They have large, walk-in tents furnished with bright fabrics ...
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Plantation Lodge

Day 12 (1 night), Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania

With 16 rooms spread out across flowering gardens, this lodge has a peaceful setting and is in fact a working coffee plantation. While not a luxury ...
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Kia Lodge (Day Room)

Day 13, Arusha, Tanzania

A short drive from Kilimanjaro International Airport, Kia is a very convenient place for a day room. You can relax at this lodge for several hours ...
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Extension Accommodations

If you would like to view the accommodations offered with our extensions options:

Note: Listed above are our signature accommodations for this trip. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.

Our Trip Leaders

Here are the Trip Leaders scheduled for this journey (please note that leader assignments are subject to change).

Sebastian Chuwa

Departure Dates: October 7-19, 2010, December 23, 2010-January 4, 2011, February 3-15, 2011, February 24-March 8, 2011, March 17-29, 2011

Sebastian Chuwa, Tanzania’s leading botanist, acquired his love of botany from his father, a medicine man who relied entirely on traditional Masai knowledge of plants to cure patients. Sebastian joined the Ngorongoro Conservation Area as principal Botanical Officer in 1974. While working and ...
Click here for a full bio and list of all upcoming trips

Mzee Justice

Departure Dates: January 13-25, 2011, May 19-31, 2011

Mzee Justice, whose name means “revered elder” in Swahili, has been a professional safari guide since 1994. His guiding prowess incorporates a hunter’s eye and he can spot game in circumstances beyond the normal realm of most people’s visual abilities. Active in every ...
Click here for a full bio and list of all upcoming trips

Client Comments

Best trip of my life. It was always my dream to go to Africa and now I want to broaden my horizons and see more of this great continent. Cheri M., Deer Harbor WA We really enjoyed the private camps. We saw animals and birds better and closer than ever before and this was our sixth safari! In one outing we saw a leopard in a tree, a lioness on a kopje and a cheetah lying in the grass. Julia and Vernon S., River Edge, NJ There were unexpected treats that were great: the two lunches in the bush that had beautiful tables, place settings and fantastic food; having champagne and treats on top of a rock with a view that we hiked to; the visit to the Masai sacred rock and eating the grilled goat and being with them. The safari itself was fantastic...the added treats were incredible. Carole C., Brookline, MA
Everything we dreamed of and more. Our best trip ever. We’ll definitely use WT in the future. Gail P., The Villages, FL Beyond my dreams! Jean Z., Hercules, CA It was a great trip and will be hard to top! Sandy M., Harrisburg, PA Every aspect of the trip was excellent but even more, the overall experience of interacting with nature, the country, and the people was touching and inspiring.
 
Nina B., Irvine, CA