Lake Victoria Cultural & Safaris Holiday

• Duration:10 Days
• Destinations:Arusha, Lake Manyara, Lake Eyasi, Ngorongoro, Serengeti and Lake Victoria.

Highlight

This itinerary offers a unique combination of getting close to the wildlife in Tanzania’s best parks and discovering the local cultures in untouched areas like Lake Eyasi and Lake Victoria. If you like to do things different and experience a really authentic African safari, this may be the perfect journey for you.

Day 1: Arrival- Arusha

Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro airport, you will be met by your driver and transferred to Ambureni Coffee Lodge. Settle into your accommodation, ready to start your safari journey proper in the morning.

Day 2: Lake Manyara National Park

After breakfast you go on a walking tour in farming town Mto wa Mbu. This village is unique in Tanzania since it is home to over 120 different tribes from across Africa and forms a colourful mix of languages and customs. Your walking guide will take you to rice and banana plantations, a local beer factory, a school and a carving factory. Discover the traditional way of life of the villagers. Continue to Lake Manyara National park, which is only a few minutes’ drives from Mto wa Mbu. Lake Manyara is known for its huge soda lake filled with pink-hued flamingos, large population of baboons, incredible birdlife and breathtaking views. You can see giraffes, elephants, hippos, buffaloes, zebras, flamingos and if you are lucky you spot a tree-climbing lion. In the late afternoon you drive to Eileen’s Trees Inn for dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Lake Eyasi

This day will be full of culture, with interesting encounters with a local tribe. After breakfast, you drive to Lake Eyasi. This is an untouched and scenically beautiful area where you can get a real insight into the way of life of the Hadzabe Bushmen. This tribe hunt on wild animals with bow and arrows, eating roots, honey and wild fruits. Visit their habitat and experience their culture first hand. You go with the Bushman on a game walk and participate in their real life activities such as hunting. For a lot of people these are one of the most valuable and memorable experiences of their safari. All meals and overnight will be at Eileen’s Trees Inn.

Day 4: Ngorongoro Crater

Today you set off towards the Ngorongoro Crater for a beautiful game drive. It shelters close to 30.000 animals including the Big Five. The crater teems with zebras, buffaloes, lions, wildebeest, warthogs, baboons, elephants, flamingos, ostriches, hippos, cheetahs and a small population of the rare black rhino. The beautiful colours and dancing clouds make the crater almost surreal. Because of its natural beauty the Ngorongoro Crater is chosen as one of Africa’s Seven Natural Wonders. In the late afternoon you drive to Mbalageti Lodge in the western part of the Serengeti for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Serengeti National Park (west)

After breakfast you depart on a full day game driving in the famous Serengeti. Depending which time of the year you visit this park, you can move with the herds across the plains exploring the Great Migration. A great experience to see all those hoofed mammals, followed by iconic predators, migrate in a clockwise circle every year. Apart from the Great Migration, the Serengeti has great all-year round resident game. If you want to spot the Big Five – lion, elephant, leopard, rhino and buffalo- all in one park, the Serengeti is also one of the best places to do so. Return in the late afternoon back to Mbalageti Lodge for dinner and overnight after an exciting safari day.

Day 6: Lake Victoria

Today you set off to Africa’s largest lake. Lake Victoria plays a vital role in the lives of millions of people who live on the shoreline of this huge lake. Explore this untouched area, when you pass through the small villages of the Sukuma tribe. This tribe grow cotton, ground nuts, sorghum and cassava as well as keeping livestock. Life carries on here, simply as it was centuries ago. This journey offers you a unique insight in the rural life in Tanzania. At the end of the afternoon you drive to the Serenity Lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Lake Victoria

In the early morning you depart on a canoe fishing trip on Lake Victoria with local people. The waters are ideal for fishing. You can cast your line for the big Nile Perch or giant Tilapia. Lake Victoria has also a great variety of freshwater tropical fish, many of which are exported to aquariums all over the world. It’s shores are peaceful and pristine, and offer a quiet relaxing environment. After this fishing trip you return to the lodge for breakfast and a little leisure on the lake shore. Enjoy a village tour in the afternoon, where you meet a traditional doctor who learns you about African traditional healing.

Day 8: Lake Victoria

Rise up early morning for a fishing trip on Lake Victoria by boat. This is a difference experience than by canoe since you can go further by boat, with higher changing of a good catch. Lake Victoria is not only a great place for fishing but also for bird watching or visiting one of the many small untouched islands, like Rubondo where you can spot a diversity of big game, from elephants and giraffe to chimpanzees (optional). Spend the afternoon at leisure at the beautiful shores of the lake where the Serenity Lodge is located. Dinner and overnight are also at this lodge.

Day 9: Serengeti National Park (central)

After breakfast you drive back to the Serengeti for a game drive in the central part of this national park. This area is famous for the abundance of lions and leopards that can usually be seen quite easily. Game viewing in this central area is spectacular all year round. Enjoy the views of endless plains and stunning wildlife like cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, hippos, ostrich, pangolin and many more. Dinner and overnight will be at Eileen’s Trees Inn.

Day 10: Departure

On this last day of your safari you drive back to Arusha for lunch and the continue to Kilimanjaro International Airport for you departure flight.

Price include

• All meals and accommodations during the entire safari
• A very high quality safari land cruiser with pop up roof
• A highly experienced English speaking safari guide
• Unlimited mineral water during the entire safari
• All park fees for all the national parks
• All activities in Lake Victoria
• All transfers and game drives
• Maasai village
• Bushmen tour fee
• AMREF Flying doctors cover

Price exclude

• International flights
• Tips
• Drinks at the lodges

Any other things not mentioned above