Classic Tanzania Safari & Gorilla Trekking
Destination
Tanzania & Rwanda
Travel Period
Jan-March, June-Dec
Duration
10 days | 9 nights
Arusha is located at the foothills of Mount Meru on the eastern side of the Great Rift Valley. This is the gateway to the northern safari circuit, with easy access to the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, Tarangire, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Mount Meru. Its elevation of 1,400 m (4,600 ft) keeps temperatures relatively cool despite proximity to the equator; temperatures generally range between 10 and 30 C (50 and 86F), with little humidity due to the altitude.
Arusha is serviced by two airports, Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) on the eastern side, and Arusha Airport, which primarily services domestic travel. The two airports are connected by the main road, which is notorious for traffic. There is some good shopping available, including the impressive Cultural Heritage, with curio shops, a jewellery boutique, a Tanzanite and precious stone counter, a bargain center, and an art gallery.
Siringit Villa is a luxury 6 bedroom villa which can be booked exclusively or individual rooms. The spacious and elegant property, overlooking the green, is meant to give friends or families that unique experience that can only be rivaled by the most secluded and high end tented camps.
This spacious and elegant property has been carefully created to provide an unrivalled guest experience, and the rest of the villa is true to form: whether it be in the gorgeous living room, the private dining room, the lush gardens, the relaxing terraces, or the invigorating lap pool.
Siringit Villa is located within the confines of the superb Kilimanjaro Golf and Wildlife Estate on the edge of the 5th fairway of the 18 hole championship golf course just 30mins from Kilimanjaro International Airport.
Villa Suites
The six spacious rooms in Siringit Villa are designed to create peace of mind and tranquillity. The poolside rooms open up to breezy balconies overlooking the golf course and grazing impala. The front-facing rooms open up to balconies overlooking the manicured garden and the magnificent mountains. Small details have been taken into consideration to value your need for privacy, personal service and comfort.
The en-suite bathrooms are spacious, with a bathtub to fill with bubbles lit by candlelight, and steaming hot showers heated by solar heaters. His and her sinks have been designed for ultimate ease and comfort.
The golf course at Kilimanjaro Golf and Wildlife Estate is set amidst the natural beauty of Arusha with Mount Meru in the skyline and fairways manicured around streams and tended gardens. This is the first 18-hole championship golf course in Tanzania, and it is right on your doorstep when staying at Siringit Villa.
A veritable Garden of Eden, the Ngorongoro Crater is only 260 km2 (100mi2) in size yet has some of the highest densities of lion and spotted hyena found anywhere in the world. The view from the crater rim at 2,000 feet above the floor is nothing short of breathtaking. The thick mountain forests of the crater highlands strike a sharp contrast with the short grass plains of the crater floor with its yellow fever Acacia woodlands and streams. The soda lake Magadi in the center of the crater floor sometimes attracts lesser flamingos, and the area is known for very large tusked elephants, black rhino, and great predator action.
Easily accessible from Arusha, the three million year old Ngorongoro Crater was once a gigantic volcano that some suggest was even higher than Mt Kilimanjaro. It is the largest intact caldera in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Walks are available on the rim in certain areas, but game viewing on the crater floor is strictly by vehicle and on designated game drive routes. Local Maasai pastoralists and their villages surround the western side of the crater whilst the eastern side is heavily forested up to the farming town of Karatu.
Lemala Ngorongoro is intimately set in a delightful ancient Acacia forest close to the rim of the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater. As it is located next to the quiet Lemala crater access road on the eastern side, a key advantage of staying at Lemala Ngorongoro is the quick and easy drive down on to the crater floor in the morning.
Standard Tent
Nine spacious en-suite tents feature an outside deck offering beautiful views over the area and are fitted with two queen-size beds with warm duvets, a flush toilet, large safari-style shower, plentiful running water, wooden storage cabinets and wooden floors, 24-hour solar lighting and outside loungers. Triples available on request.
Game drives from camp may start as early as 6.15am and guests can be down among Ngorongoro’s abundant wildlife on the floor within 10-15 minutes – crucial for photographers who demand the best light conditions.
Sundowners, early morning walks and game drives in new custom-designed vehicles accompanied by Lemala’s highly-knowledgeable and experienced guides are some of the activities guests can look forward to during their stay.
Other activities offered on-site or nearby include massages, child-friendly activities, bird watching, and more.
Mto Wa Mbu Village Walk
Mto Wa Mbu, or “the river of mosquitoes” in Swahili, is a small village located on the road between Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Visit Mto Wa Mbu village for a great cultural experience with an experienced, English-speaking guide who grew up in the village. The attraction of this village lies in its ethnic and cultural diversity with more than 20 different ethnic groups living together in harmony. As you walk along, guests will discover local farms, food markets, rice paddies, banana beer bar and local activities.
This photographer’s paradise is one of the best places in Africa to view the big cats as well as an amazing array of plains game. The northern Serengeti has the classic big open plains of the African savannah, sprawling views, and consistently delivers excellent wildlife sightings. It is one of the best places in East Africa for leopards, and the kopje strewn hillsides that are home to these elusive creatures are in themselves stunningly beautiful. A few days here can be very action packed and there’s even chances to see black rhinos in some areas.
The Serengeti is perhaps the most famous African wilderness area, its name synonymous with the notion of safari for nearly a hundred years. This UNESCO World Heritage site covers 14,750 km2 (5,700 mi2) of premiere game viewing in Acacia woodlands, open grasslands, and undulating savannahs interspersed with seasonal rivers. The park on the northern side borders the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya and, together with several other smaller reserves and conservation areas, forms the larger Mara-Serengeti ecosystem.
Lemala Mara
Located in the remote northern Serengeti beneath shady trees, the camp includes a central mess tent with lounge, dining, and bar areas where guests can unwind after game drives. Facilities include complimentary wifi in communal spaces, charging stations, laundry services, and attentive, personalized service. The camp’s discreet setup allows guests to enjoy the surrounding wilderness with minimal impact on wildlife.
Lemala Ndutu
Set on the edge of a permanent marsh in the Ndutu region, the camp features a welcoming mess tent with lounge, dining, and bar areas styled in classic safari décor. Guests enjoy freshly prepared meals, complimentary wifi in communal areas, charging facilities, laundry services, and evening gatherings around the campfire. The mobile design ensures a low environmental impact while maintaining a high standard of comfort in a prime wildlife location.
Tent
Lemala Mara offers 10 standard en-suite mobile tents, each thoughtfully designed to balance comfort with an authentic wilderness experience. The tents feature twin or double beds with warm duvets, solid wooden floors, generous storage, and reliable solar-powered lighting. En-suite bathrooms include flush toilets and spacious safari-style showers, while private decks allow guests to relax and enjoy uninterrupted views of the surrounding northern Serengeti landscape.
Operating between June and October, Lemala Mara offers exceptional access to the Great Migration’s dramatic Mara River crossings. Expertly guided game drives showcase massive herds, resident predators, and sweeping landscapes with very few other vehicles in the area. Guests can also enjoy extended game drives and optional hot-air balloon safaris, offering unforgettable views of the northern Serengeti at the height of the migration.
Day 6 – Optional Activity: Hot Air Balloon
A balloon flight over the Serengeti is widely considered a bucketlist activity that offers a serene and spectacular experience floating over the vast, lush, and game filled plains. A lift off at dawn means you watch the sun rise as you head in a generally western direction. Flights usually last close to an hour and depending on the take off spot you float over riverine woodlands, watching hippos return to their daytime refuges and crocodiles basking on sandbanks. Sometimes predators and large antelope herds can be spotted below, pointed out by your experienced captain.
After the flight you will be met by the trailing transfer vehicles and taken to a pre-prepared picnic breakfast, beautifully set up in an idyllic spot on the plains.
Just a three hour drive from Kigali, Volcanoes National Park encompasses 160 km2 (60mi2) in a rich mosaic of montane ecosystems, with evergreen and bamboo forests. The national park includes five of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains, with Karisimbi being the highest at 4,507 m (14,785 ft). The lush slopes of these volcanoes provide a dramatic natural setting for one of the most thrilling and memorable wildlife experiences: seeing the mountain gorilla in its natural habitat. Roughly half of the world’s wild population of mountain gorillas reside on the Rwandan slopes of the Virungas massif.
This is also the setting for the film Gorillas in the Mist, an autobiography about Diane Fossey, who set up the Karisoke Research Center and dedicated her life to these wonderful animals.
Nestled in a small village outside the town of Kinigi, the Amakoro Songa Lodge is a genuine blend of conservation and tourism. The lodge features eight luxurious cottages and is the closest property to the Park Headquarters, the starting off point for gorilla trekking.
Amakoro Songa Lodge gets its name from the black volcanic rocks that characterize this mountainous part of Rwanda, home to the mountain gorillas. The lodge is set on a seven-acre plot with beautifully manicured lawns, surrounded by the Muhabura, Gahinga, and Sabinyo mountain volcanoes. The outdoor fireplace is not to be missed and it allows guests to enjoy an evening drink while watching the traditional Intore Dance Troupe.
Cottage
All the cottages at Amakoro Songa Lodge are intentionally furnished with rustic elegance, fusing local and modern pieces that create a good warmth and comfort. The spacious rooms, each equipped with a fireplace, allow guests to opt for a post-trekking massage.
The primary activity at the lodge is, without a doubt, gorilla trekking. Amakoro Songa Lodge is the closest lodge to the Park Headquarters, where the adventure begins, making it very convenient given the very early start required for trekking. After the unforgettable experience meeting humans’ closest relatives, a reinvigorating foot massage awaits. Other activities include golden monkey trekking, guided community walks, cycling, mountain climbing, birding, cave adventures, and bush dining, as well as spa treatments.
There is also the opportunity to visit a neighboring village and take part in traditional activities like tree planting, community cleaning, and traditional dancing. The lodge organizes community walks that include home visits and a story moment with the oldest resident who shares stories dating back to pre- and post-colonial times. The community walks always end with a picnic and a private moment to enjoy nature.
Day 8 – Golden Monkey Trekking
Golden monkeys are known to have unique characters and are a rare species that are endangered at the moment and they are currently found in the Virunga Mountains in Rwanda. They are easily recognized due to the yellow patches that can be seen all over their bodies. The Golden monkeys are also known as ‘the Old world monkey’ and the only way to separate these primates from others is by their noses. There is a unique character about the golden monkeys and that is most of the monkeys have their nostrils pointing to the sides but if you look closely at the golden monkeys, their nostrils face upwards.
Golden monkey trekking in Rwanda mostly takes place in the Volcanoes which is found in the Virunga Mountains and it has only one session per day which starts in the morning. Those who are willing to take part in the golden monkey trekking are advised to report at the headquarters by 7:00 am for a mini briefing about the trek before it starts and it is only fifteen minutes away from the Park.
Day 8 – Dian Fossey Museum | Karisoke Research Center
Explore the captivating Karisoke Exhibit, divided into seven engaging sections highlighting the rich history and conservation efforts surrounding mountain gorillas. Discover the life history and behavior of these majestic creatures, delve into the legacy of Dian Fossey, and learn about the challenges facing gorilla conservation. Panels and posters provide detailed information and visuals, offering an immersive experience for visitors eager to learn more about gorillas. Step into the Dian Fossey room to view original artifacts and learn about her pioneering work, including encounters with actual snares.
Learn about the Karisoke Research Center, founded by Dian Fossey over 50 years ago, and its ongoing conservation and research initiatives. From protecting gorillas to supporting local communities, the Dian Fossey Fund continues to make a meaningful impact in Rwanda and Congo, ensuring a brighter future for these remarkable animals.
Day 9 – Gorilla Trekking
The Virunga Mountains straddle the borders of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and are home to around 480 mountain gorillas, more than half of the world’s entire population — the rest live in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
In Volcanoes National Park, which encompasses five of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains, twelve gorilla groups are now habituated for tourism and offer one of the world’s most awe-inspiring natural experiences. To be in the presence of these gentle giants at such close quarters is truly a once in a lifetime experience.
Although the immense size of the silverbacks might be overwhelming, these 400-pound creatures are actually extremely accommodating to human presence amongst their family. The guides might even teach you a few words in ‘Gorilla’ so you can greet them and show that you are, in fact, friendly!
The day of the trek usually begins with an early start at your hotel and then a drive to park headquarters at Kinigi. Here, park officials assign you to a gorilla family and you meet your gorilla guides. After being briefed on protocols, you head over to the specific starting point, where teams of porters are available for hire. Remember, you are trekking for around 2,500m and so any help is welcome.
Groups are limited to eight guests. The initial trek is usually through rural Rwanda’s open fields of potatoes and pyrethrum, until you reach the rough wall boundary of the park itself. From here, your guide will be in communication with the trackers and you will begin the hike through the forest to meet the gorillas. Your permit allows you one hour with the gorilla family, after which you say goodbye to your trackers and hike back down to meet your awaiting vehicle.
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