15 DAYS, FROM SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 TO SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2024
A comprehensive exploration of one of the ten natural wonders of the world, Tanzania’s amazing Serengeti Region, home of the Maasai tribe and hundreds of thousands of species of mammals and birds, plus the exotic Indian Ocean “Spice Island” of Zanzibar. The tour features accommodation in comfortable lodges and fine hotels as well TOUR COST: $11,675.00 FROM TORONTO - “LAND ONLY” $8,975.00 SINGLE ROOM SUPPLEMENT: $775.00
September 08 - 22, 2024
Land Only: $8,975 Single Supplement: $775.
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Today we return to the Ngorongoro area via the "Road of the Kopjes.” Look out for “big cats” such as lions, leopards and cheetahs! Picnic lunch en route. In the afternoon we explore the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which, unlike the regular National parks, is also inhabited by humans. This is the homeland of the Maasai, a tribe of nomadic pastoralists who have maintained their traditional lifestyle and coexist with the local wildlife. Visiting a Maasai village, you will experience Africa as it was a few hundred years ago! Today we will also be able to admire some remarkable geological features, such as the Nassera Rock, a huge monolith that is home to all sorts of game and birds, shifting dunes of volcanic ash, sacred to the Maasai, and Olkarien Gorge, a canyon inhabited by a colony of vultures. Late afternoon arrival in Olduvai Camp, situated at an altitude of 1,400 m in the world-famous Olduvai Gorge, a nearly 50 km long ravine in East Africa’s Great Rift Valley that is one one of the most important prehistoric sites in the world, since excavations carried out there by the world-famous British/Kenyan paleoanthropologist-archeologist team of Mary and Louis Leakey revolutionized our understanding of early human evolution; millions of years ago this ravine was inhabited by early species of humans, such as homo habilis and homo erectus, and so Olduvai became known as “the Cradle of Mankind.” Escorted by Maasai warriors, we enjoy a leisurely walk to the top of a nearby Kopje in order to admire the great Serengeti Plain at sunset. Dinner and overnight in the very comfortable, fully equipped tents of Olduvai Camp.
Today we explore the Ngorongoro Crater, measuring no less than 20 km in diameter, which is home to an incredibly rich variety of fauna, including rhinos as well as lions, leopards, and elephants. A picnic lunch will again be included. Dinner and overnight in the 4-star Bashay Rift Lodge. How about a swim in the pool before dinner?
Second day in the Park
Departure from the hotel after breakfast. We’re off on a “spice tour” of this “spice island,” one of the few places in the world where saffron and many other Middle Eastern/Asian spices such as cardamom, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, etc. are grown, including visits to some the beautiful plantations. Also visit to the Jozani Forest, featuring some very exotic (and large) trees and ferns and other tropical types of vegetation and inhabited by a native species of monkeys, the Red Colobus, now nearly extinct. Return to hotel. Breakfast and dinner will again be included.
- Return flight to Tanzania, via Amsterdam, and domestic flights as shown in the itinerary. - Accommodation based on double occupancy in the camps and hotels mentioned in the itinerary, or similar - Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily during the safari part of the tour on the mainland (ending on day 11), and breakfast and dinner daily in Zanzibar - Overland transportation: land cruisers (of 4-6 seats) on the mainland, private coach in Zanzibar - All visits and sightseeing as outlined in the itinerary, including admission to parks and other sights mentioned in the itinerary - Services of expert guides - Gratuities for local guides and drivers - Hotel taxes and gratuities. - Tanzanian visa fee, value US$60
- All expenses of a personal nature - Beverages with lunch/dinner, but mineral water will be included during excursions - Travel insurance. We advise that everyone travel with appropriate travel insurance. Please inquire with the office for rates.