5 DAYS TANZANIA BUDGET SAFARI LAKE MANYARA, SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK AND NGORONGORO CRATER.

Overview

Lake Manyara National Park, nestled at the base of the Great Rift Valley escarpment in northern Tanzania, is a smaller but remarkably diverse park covering about 330 square kilometers. Its scenic beauty, with the dramatic escarpment backdrop and the often pink-tinged alkaline Lake Manyara, makes it a captivating destination.

Key Features

The park’s defining features include:

Lake Manyara: A shallow, often alkaline lake that attracts vast flocks of flamingos and other waterbirds. Its size fluctuates seasonally.
Great Rift Valley Escarpment: The towering western boundary of the park, providing stunning vistas.
Habitat Diversity: Despite its size, Manyara encompasses groundwater forests, acacia woodlands, grassy floodplains, and swamps, each supporting unique wildlife.

Wildlife Highlights

Manyara is known for:

Tree-Climbing Lions: A unique behavioral adaptation often observed in the park’s acacia woodlands.
Large Elephant Herds: Frequently seen browsing in the forests and near the lake.
Abundant Birdlife: Over 400 species have been recorded, including the iconic flamingos, various raptors, and woodland birds.
Other Mammals: Buffalo, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, impala, waterbuck, hippo, baboons, and numerous monkey species are common. Leopards and cheetahs are present but less frequently seen. Rhinos are absent.

Activities

Visitors to Lake Manyara can enjoy:

Game Drives: Exploring the park’s varied habitats. Night game drives offer a different perspective.
Bird Watching: A prime location for avian enthusiasts.
Canoeing: Experiencing the lake and its wildlife from the water.
Walking Safaris: Getting closer to the smaller wonders of the park.
Treetop Canopy Walk: A unique perspective of the forest canopy.
Cultural Tourism: Engaging with local communities in nearby Mto wa Mbu.
Mountain Biking: Exploring areas around the park.
Hot Air Balloon Safaris: Occasionally available for a breathtaking aerial view.

Lake Manyara offers a condensed yet rich safari experience, often combined with visits to nearby Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and Serengeti. Its unique features, especially the tree-climbing lions and prolific birdlife, make it a memorable stop in northern Tanzania.

Itinerary

DAY 1: ARUSHA – LAKE MANYARA.

Breakfast at the hotel the meet our driver for a transfer to the office from where we will leave for Lake Manyara national park. Arrive at the park by 1000am, with picnic lunches proceed for a game drive in search of the wildlife and he flamingos that inhabit in this national park. Lake Manyara is famous for the tree climbing lions and the flocks of Flamingos. Later in the evening leave Lake Manyara and drive to Panaroma Camp where dinner will be served followed by overnight.

DAY 2: LAKE MANYARA – SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK.

Breakfast will be served, check out and leave Panaroma camp- for Serengeti area, a 4hours drive arrive at the main gate for registration and afternoon game drive. You will have at least 6 hours game drive before proceeding to Central Serengeti at Seronera camp where dinner and overnight will be served. Serengeti is really wide and we choose to stay at Central; so that we can access the area with largest animal concentration during the game drive.

DAY 3: SERENGETI FULL DAY GAME VIEWING

Early breakfast at the camp then with picnic lunch leave the camp for a full day game viewing tracking the wildebeest migration and the big five; lion, Leopard, buffalo, Elephant and the Rhino. You may take a game drive to crocodile infested grumeti River to see the crocodiles and the hippopotamus. Ha ve picnic lunch at the picnic site and continue with the game drive till 1700hrs. Drive to the camp with a game driver for Dinner and overnight at the camp.

DAY 4: SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK – NGORONGORO CRATER.

Early breakfast at the camp then leave with picnic lunches for a t least 6 hour Game drive within Serengeti National park. Here you will tracker the wildebeest, Zebras, Giraffes, Lions, Lioness, black rhino, Cheetah, Leopard, Hyena, Bushbuck, lesser kudu, wild dog, Kongoni, impala, grant’s gazelle, black backed jackal, Mongoose, Olive baboons, Vervet Monkeys among other animals are found here and you will be lucky to some of them. By noon leave the park with a stopover at Olduvai Gorge at extra cost of usd $35 per person. By evening arrive at the conservancy area where you will have dinner and overnight at Simba camp.

DAY 5: NGORONGORO CRATER – ARUSHA TOWN.

Breakfast at the camp, then leave for a game drive within the ngorongoro crater where you will be able to descend with a game drive with the view of Common Lions, African Elephants, Black Rhino, blue wildebeest, Leopard, Cheetah, Hyena. Wild dog, Grant’s Zebras, African buffalo and Hippopotamus at the crater rim. Have the picnic lunch at the crater rim then start ascending to the main gate, exit the crater after the 6 hours and drive to Arusha where you will be dropped at your Arusha Hotel.