3-Days Ngorongoro Crater & Lake Manyara National Park

7:30 am: Your Africa Kenya Safaris driver/guide will swing by your hotel or other place of your choosing to begin your Tanzania adventure. Hop into your 4 x 4 Land Cruiser Jeep and we’ll hit the road, moving into Maasai country. Look for these traditional people in their colorful wraps, tending their cattle.It won’t be long before we arrive at the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a great volcanic caldera sunk into a mighty expanse of land – 256 km (101 sq. mi). At the crater’s rim, we’ll view the world’s largest intact caldera with vistas of its blue/green expanse.

Hold on tight as we descend the steep crater walls in our 4 x 4 Jeep, coming to rest in a world of acacia forest, marsh, and massive grasslands. Here we’ll discover one of the densest areas of wildlife with over 25,000 animals.We’ll spend the day looking for lions, leopards, wildebeest, zebra, elephants, buffalo, and even hippos and pink flamingoes.Toward the late afternoon, we’ll head back up the crater to be met by one of Africa’s best sunsets. Then, it’s on to our Ngorongoro accommodation to relax, have dinner, and marvel at our first safari day’s sightings.

If we get up early we can make it back to the crater’s rim for a glorious Ngorongoro sunrise!Lake Manyara Park is not far off and you’ll be met with the reserve’s arresting colors – the green of its acacia forests, the blue of the lake, and the exotic pinks of its thousands of flamingoes.

And you won’t be alone in your admiration for this little gem of a reserve – Ernest Hemingway called it, “The loveliest I had seen in Africa.”You’ll find all manner of wildlife in the park like warthogs, giraffes, elephants, and if you’re lucky, up in the acacia trees, Lake Manyara’s famous tree-climbing lions, resting up on a branch!We’ll spend our second safari night at our Lake Manyara lodge or tented camp.

The park is extra lovely early in the morning with the sun’s first rays upon the forest and the lake. Enjoy this peaceful time and then it’s off to breakfast.One more game drive around the park for perhaps a final glance at a tree-climbing lion and then it’s time to head to Arusha.

During our trip back, we’ll pause for lunch and soak up the safari ambiance all about us.We’ll have you back at your hotel, residence, or airport in the afternoon.You’re now official safari-goers with the stories to prove it. We hope this taste of Tanzania is just the first of your safari adventures. From all of us at Africa Kenya Safaris, thank you for your desire to explore our wonderful natural world. Hope to see you soon!