Our published itineraries have been meticulously designed over a number of years using a variety of resources including scientific studies, first hand experiences and returning client feedback. To start with, we design each itinerary first and foremost around monthly concentrations of wildlife. Secondly, lodging options are recommended to maximize your game viewing opportunities as well as providing an optimal mixture of different styles of accommodations. Rest assured that when you book with Africa Dream Safaris you will receive the very finest wildlife viewing and lodging experience available.
All our itineraries are built upon a Fly In & Drive Back basis. This is the best way to conduct a safari in Tanzania as it maximizes your precious time and eliminates all redundancy. Each day offers something new and exciting, as you never retrace your tracks. It is also the most enjoyable and optimal way to explore Northern Tanzania. It is certainly an amazing way to kick off your adventure by first flying over this vast wilderness and then landing onto a small grassy airstrip in the world famous Serengeti!
You are at once introduced to your private driver guide and he will load your luggage into your private vehicle. Without further delay you are thrust into the heart of the wilderness on your first action packed game drive. It is likely that you will encounter many different animals, including some of the big cats, before lunch. Flying into the Serengeti forms a wonderful introduction to the spectacular parks of Tanzania, and is an extremely comfortable way to jump start your adventures. Additionally, transit time is greatly reduced giving you more quality time ‘in the bush’ for wildlife viewing, relaxing and other enjoyable activities that you wish to incorporate into your itinerary.
Our Fly In & Drive Back itineraries utilize different Serengeti airstrips to take advantage of seasonal wildlife concentrations:
- December – April: Seronera Airstrip in the Central Serengeti
- May – June: Grumeti Airstrip in the Western Serengeti
- July – November: Lobo Airstrip in the Northern Serengeti
Each itinerary is designed with a minimum of four days in the Serengeti National Park. After all, the Serengeti is Africa’s premier national park and offers the definitive safari experience. Two of these days are always based in the Central Serengeti around the Seronera River Valley. Several perennial rivers run through this valley enabling an abundance of resident animals to thrive year round including elephant, giraffe, gazelle, hippo and buffalo. The combination of location and resident prey attracts the largest and most diverse population of predators in Africa including lions, leopards and cheetahs.
In addition to the two days in the Central Serengeti viewing resident animals, each itinerary also incorporates two days in different regions of the Serengeti to view the migratory animals including the world famous Wildebeest Migration. These additional two days are shifted on a monthly basis as the migratory animals shift. We incorporate two days in the South Serengeti during the green season, North Serengeti during the dry season or West Serengeti during the transitional seasons. Migratory animals include wildebeest, zebra, eland, gazelle, cheetah, and hyena.
To summarize the above strategies regarding the Serengeti, each published itinerary optimizes your game viewing experience by incorporating two days in the Central Serengeti for viewing the resident animals and two days in either the North, South or West Serengeti (depending on the season) for optimum viewing of the migratory animals. Additional days in the spectacular Serengeti are always recommended as time and budget permit.
A two day visit to Ngorongoro Crater is always featured in every itinerary, as this unique place is truly one of the most fascinating wonders of the world. This section of the itinerary includes either two days on the rim of the Crater, or one day on the rim and one day in the nearby Crater Highlands. The end result is always two separate game drives into the Crater including our legendary early morning game drive – we pride ourselves on almost always being the first vehicle down into the Crater! The early morning is a magical time in the Crater – the amphitheater like stage is set with sunrise burning through the morning mist as animals frolic in the pale light. Enjoy a picnic breakfast at your leisure. There are certainly fewer crowds to distract you in the early morning, as most packaged tours wait to complete a leisurely breakfast back at the lodge before starting their game drive. Morning is also the best time to view the Crater’s infamous Black Rhinos.
Lake Manyara is always included in every itinerary as its jungle-like ambience offers very different scenery compared to the rest of the parks, and it also presents a unique wildlife viewing experience. Lake Manyara is especially good for viewing elephants and primates, and its convenient location makes for an easy stopover enroute to either Tarangire or Arusha. Tarangire National Park is incorporated into our itineraries during the dry season or during the green season as time permits.
- All accommodations and meals
- All airport transfers, hotel transfers and meet and greet services (safaris are 100% escorted from the moment of arrival to the moment of departure)
- All national park and reserve entrance fees including special game drive permits and exclusive access to some of the most secluded and wildlife abundant areas in the Serengeti
- Private use of a specially outfitted 4WD Stretched Land Rover with unlimited game drives providing for maximum flexibility, comfort, and wildlife viewing.
- Private services of your professional and knowledgeable driver-guide (all our guides are local Tanzanians, fluent in English, and most have advanced wildlife certificates from the Mweka Wildlife College with an average experience of 10 years)
- Internal airfare from Kilimanjaro-Arusha to the Serengeti National Park
- Use of Nikon Action 8 x 40 wide view binoculars while on safari
- Unlimited bottled drinking water and refrigerated cool box with soft drinks and bush snacks
- Laundry, beer, wine and spirits are included at select lodges and camps
- Detailed welcome package mailed to your residence
- All-inclusive services from your ADS safari specialist in the US
- Comprehensive support from our operational office in Tanzania
- Donation to The Foundation for African Medicine & Education and the School Of St Jude
- International Airfare to and from Kilimanjaro International Airport
- Laundry, soft drinks, beer, wine and spirits not specified above
- Travel Insurance, Gratuities and Items of a personal nature (souvenirs, etc)
