TANZANIA BIRDING
This safari is not just about the art of photography; it’s a holistic experience that immerses you in the intricate web of Tanzania’s ecosystems. Alongside expert guides, you’ll traverse diverse habitats, encountering not only birds but also Africa’s iconic mammals, from graceful gazelles to majestic elephants. This journey will also introduce you to the vibrant cultures of local communities, adding depth to your understanding of the region.
All Year Round
11 Days | 10 Nights
Day 1 :Your Journey start at Kilimanjaro International Airport
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport and after undertaking customs and immigration formalities, you will be met by our representatives and transferred to your hotel for some replenishment, rest and relaxation for the night, ready for the fabulous safari experience that await.
Lodging
Meals and Overnight at Airport Planet.
Day 2: Drive to Mkomazi National Park
After breakfast at the lodge, you will meet your guides and fellow participant for a Safari briefing before making your way east to Moshi and the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, then enjoy a scenic drive southeast to the Pare Mountains and the entrance to Mkomazi National Park. On your scenic drive to the Camp, observe birds and mammals in the lush landscape until reaching Babu’s Camp on the west slope of one of the small mountains at the Park.
Lodging
Meals and Overnight at Babu’s Camp / Mkomazi Wilderness
Day 3 & 4: Explore the beauty of Mkomazi National Park
You will have days of game drives exploring the beauty of Mkomazi National Park. The game drives at the Park offers fantastic birding. There is a whole range of species that are found between here and Somalia, the Somali-Masai endemics. These include Black-throated Barbet, Purple Grenadier, White-bellied Go-away-bird, Orange-bellied Parrot, Red-fronted Warbler, Rosy-patched Bush shrike, Somali Golden-breasted Bunting, and many others Birds. This is a great place to see hyraxes, yellow baboons and colorful lizards. The park also hosts the elegant fringe-eared Oryx, the spiral-horned lesser kudu, the shy red duiker, and the bizarre long-necked gerenuk, whose Swahili name, Swala Twiga, means “giraffe-antelope.” In the evening, you will share highlights of your adventures and toast your incomparable Naturalist guides.
Lodgings
Meals and Overnight at Babu’s Camp / Mkomazi Wilderness
Day 5 & 6: Drive to Arusha - Explore the beauty of Tarangire National Park
Your final morning will have another memorable game drive, looking for any of the special Birds and animals you may have missed before making your way to Arusha where you will arrive at your lodge in in time for Lunch. After lunch we head south of Arusha to Tarangire National Park, a diverse landscape with open plains, stands of magnificent giant baobab trees, riverine forest, acacia parkland, scrub-woodlands, and extensive marshes. The area supports over 300 species of birds including three Tanzanian endemics and near-endemics: Ashy Starling, Yellow-collared Lovebird, and Rufous-tailed Weaver. The lush grasses are full of ground birds like Northern White-bellied Bustard and both Red-necked and Yellow-necked Francolins. In addition, the Silalei Swamp and Tarangire River is the centerpiece of this park which is famous for some of the largest herds of elephants in Africa. In the dry season large numbers of animals congregate along the lifeblood of the river. Here you may see lion, leopard, cheetah, Greater and lesser kudu, buffalo, Oryx, eland, giraffe and zebra.
Lodgings
Meals and Overnight at Tarangire Sopa Lodge
Day 7: Drive to Ngorongoro Highlands
After a final exciting morning at Tarangire, you will head west to the rift valley wall where you will spend most of the day birding the fabulous Lake Manyara National Park, which has over 300 bird species. Some of the birds you may look for includes the Crowned Plover, Grey Crowned Crane, Fischer’s Sparrow Lark, Two-banded courser, Black-faced Sandgrouse, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Narina Trogon, Crowned Hornbill, Schalow’s Turaco, Emerald Cuckoo, Crowned Eagle and forest dwelling Crested Guinea fowl. This park is also good for mammals like African Buffalo, Elephant, Giraffe, blue and vervet monkeys and Hippo. Late in the afternoon, you will have a scenic drive through the steep rift valley escarpment into the rich farmlands of the Ngorongoro highlands and arrive at your lodge for dinner.
Lodgings
Meals and Overnight at Serena Ngorongoro or Embalakai Tented Camp
Day 8: Explore the basin of the Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast at the lodge, you will have a full day birding at the magical Ngorongoro Crater. As you descend down to the Crater floor, you can see Ostriches, Kori bustards, Secretary birds, Grey crowned Cranes, the ground nestling Northern Anteater Chat, Rufous-napped Lark, Capped Whater, Fischer’s Sparrow lark, Red capped Lark and the Grassland Pipit. The tree nestling birds of the Ngorongoro Crater are the Superb Starling, Rufous Tailed Weaver and the African White backed Vulture. The soda lakes of Ngorongoro are the breeding grounds of thousands of flamingoes and other water birds such as ducks, waders and herons. The Ngorongoro Crater is also inhabited by birds of prey such as: “The Augur buzzard and the Long-crested eagle”. In addition, the annual migrants from Europe and Asia inhabit the Ngorongoro Crater between September and April. Among the migrant birds in this area you can see the Lesser Kestrel, the European swallow, European Bee-eater, the Northern Wheatear, European roller, Pallid Harrier, Caspian Lapwing and the Montagu’s Harrier. Furthermore, in the wet season you can see the Rosy-breasted Long claw and large flocks of European storks.
The drives at the crater also provide one of the best opportunities in Africa to view black rhino, which tend to spend their time on the crater floor. Ngorongoro Crater is one of the world’s greatest natural spectacles; its magical setting and abundant wildlife never fail to enthrall visitors. Another big draw card to this picturesque Caldera, is its dense population of predators, which include lions, hyenas, jackals, and if Lucky enough you may have chance to see the small cats like the Rare Caracal, Serval cat as well as the African wild cat which sometimes requires a trained eye to spot. Hot Bush lunch will be served at one of the picnic site at the crater floor, followed by another birding visiting the hippo pool near the Mandusi Swamp, Lake Magadi, a large but shallow alkaline lake in the southwestern corner which is one of the main features of the crater, the lerai forest as well as other parts of the crater. Late in the afternoon, drive back to the lodge.
Lodgings
Meals and Overnight at Serena Ngorongoro / Embalakai Tented Camp
Day 9 & 10: Discover the Ndutu Forest and Southern Plains of Serengeti
After one last morning on the rim, you make your way through Endulen to Ndutu forest and the Southern Plains of Serengeti where sandgrouse, bustards, and larks abound. The Ndutu woodlands harbor Rufous Chatterer, Cardinal and Bearded Woodpeckers, Black-faced Babbler, Green Woodhoopoe, Fischer’s Lovebird, a variety of bishops, waxbills, and widowbirds, and the endemic Gray-breasted Francolin. You can anticipate exploring lake masek, lake ndutu, the hidden valley, kusini valley and the kakesio plains during your three days birding at the area. In addition to the fabulous birding at the area, predators will be abundant and easily seen. Cheetah densities will be at the highest as many have followed the migratory Thomson’s gazelles onto the southern and eastern plains. Lions should be easily visible, both resident prides and the nomads which have followed the wildebeest and zebras onto the plains.
Lodgings
Meals and Overnight at Lake Masek Tented Camp or Similar
Day 11, 12 & 13: Drive to The Serengeti Plains
After a beautiful sunrise birding at Ndutu Forest and the southern plains of Serengeti, you make your way through the Gol Kopjes to Central east part of Serengeti. Driving through the Gol kopjes is always a breathtaking experience with a vision of vast open plains and amazing wildlife encounter. This area linking the Southern plain of Serengeti and Central Serengeti is a fragile habitat consisting of ethereal kopjes and short grass plains. The Serengeti Biodiversity Program has recorded some 540 species of birds. In particular, keep your eyes open for the “Serengeti specials”: bird species endemic to the region and therefore cannot be found elsewhere on the planet. These special birds include the grey throated spurfowl, Schalow’s wheatear, red throated tit, rufous-tailed weaver, grey-crested helmet shrike, and Schalow’s turaco. Some other birds you may recognize and try to find are the secretary bird, African fish eagle, Fischer’s lovebird or countless vulture species.
You will have three days of game viewing exploring the Central eastern Serengeti and Seronera river valley is home to a great diversity of wildlife due to its unique ecological niches as a transition zone where two distinctly different habitats, the plain and the woodlands merge and various species of wildlife from both habitats can coexist. Due to this unique ecological features, Central Serengeti supports a much greater diversity wildlife including Elephants, Giraffes’, Impala, waterbuck, hippo, topi, reedbuck, buffalo, baboon and vervet monkey, while the attendant predators such as lion, leopard and cheetah are to be found amongst the many kopjes scattered across the plain. More than 500 bird species have been recorded in Serengeti National Park, making this an excelling destination for avid birders. Besides some iconic species, such as the Kori bustard, ostrich and African Fish Eagle, you may even be able to spot our ‘Serengeti specials’. These special birds are endemic to the region and can’t be seen anywhere else in the world.
Lodgings
Meals and Overnight at Canopy Safari Camp
Day 14: Bush Flight from Seronera Airstrip to Arusha
After one more thrilling sunrise birding at Serengeti, you make your way to the Seronera airstrip for a scheduled 1 hour and 5-minute flight back to Arusha airport via light aircraft. On arrival, we’ll have a short drive to the Cultural Heritage Center in time for lunch. Experience some amazing shopping choices from intricate carvings to beaded jewelry and don’t miss the chance to bring home some Tanzanite as well as see an extraordinary museum of African Art. Afterwards you will have a chance to relax in a private day room and get ready for your international flight back home with treasured memories of birding in Tanzania, her people, and the many wild creatures inhabiting this special land.
Lodgings
Day Use room at Airport Planet
Safari Enhancement choices
Early arrival Option
Arrive a day before your scheduled trip to unwind, explore the area at your own pace, and fully immerse yourself in the journey ahead.this extra time allows for a smooth start, ensuring you're refreshed and ready for the adventure that awaits.
Balloon safari
As the sun rises, you’ll gently ascend into the sky, floating silently above the vast Serengeti plains. From this unique vantage point, you’ll witness herds of wildebeest, zebras, and other wildlife roaming freely below.