Leaders	Roy Atkins and Zul Bhatia
Flights	Ethiopian Airlines, scheduled Outbound: Overnight, Heathrow-Kilimanjaro Inbound: Overnight, Kilimanjaro-Heathrow (Outbound and inbound via Addis Ababa)

Days 1-3	Overnight flight to Tanzania, via Addis Ababa. Full day in Arusha NP - 2 nights at Ngare Sero Lodge.
Days 4-5	Travel to Tarangire NP for game drives - 2 nights at Tarangire Safari Lodge.
Day 6	Drive to Lake Manyara NP - 1 night at Karatu Country Lodge,
Days 7-8	Visit Ngorongoro CA and full day game viewing on the Serengeti - 2 nights at ThornTree Camp.
Days 9-10	Drive to Western Serengeti, game viewing on way. Birding in lodge grounds - 2 nights at Speke Bay Lodge
Days 11-12	Visit Oldupai Gorge then on to famous Ngorongoro Crater - 2 nights at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge.
Day 13	Drive to Arusha, birding at the lodge - 1 night at Ngare Sero Lodge.
Days 14-15	Birding Masai Steppe before overnight flight to UK, via Addis Ababa, arrive day 15.

Weather	Expect good weather but with some rain, perhaps heavy at times, as April is during the ‘Long Rains’. It’s difficult to predict how much rain but it should not hamper us. Temperatures can range from 20°-30°C, depending on altitude. Ngorongoro can be chilly.
Walking	Most of the wildlife watching is from vehicles, but we shall take easy walks in the grounds of the lodges and also occasional walks in the NPs. Most are on easy and flat terrain.
Meals	All included from breakfast on Day 2 to lunch on Day 14.
Health	High risk Malaria area. Please take advice from your local travel clinic/doctor about Malaria Prophylaxsis.
Insects	There may be a few mosquitoes, particularly in lower lying areas and other biting insects so bring repellent.
Accom	Comfortable safari lodges/cottages and tented camps, all ensuite.
Visa	E-visa to be obtained before travel, additional £45.
Group	12

The famous Ngorongoro crater and the Serengeti, where Wildebeest and Zebra are present in vast numbers, as well as other antelopes and predators, plus exceptional birds.

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48uep6bbphidval|TANZANIA

	*   Wildebeest, Zebra and gazelles in their tens of thousands!
	*   Stunning scenery throughout, particularly in the Ngorongoro Highlands
	*   Astonishing wealth of larger mammals from Elephant to the tiny Dik-dik
	*   Top predators - Lion, Leopard, Cheetah and smaller ones such as Serval and Bat-eared Fox
	*   Around 300 bird species likely from Ostrich to tiny sunbirds - tens of thousands of flamingos!!
	*   Tanzanian guide and personal friend - Zul Bhatia, with 25 years’ experience here
	*   Safari Lodges and luxury camps with private facilities and comfortable safari vehicles

Days 1-2	We depart London on an overnight flight, change planes in Addis Ababa and arrive in Tanzania in the afternoon of day 2, where we spend the rest of the day relaxing and birding in the wonderful grounds of our lodge.
Day 3	Arusha National Park is little visited compared to the more famous Parks, but its freshwater and soda lakes, lush forests and Alpine areas are rich in wildlife. Mammals are very obvious with Buffalo, Giraffe, Warthog, Kirk’s Dik-dik, Zebra, Black-and-White Colobus and Blue Monkeys, while birds include a mix of local residents and migrants such as Blacksmith Lapwing, Avocet, egrets, ducks, warblers and flycatchers. Little, Cinnamon-chested and White-fronted Bee-eater occur and forest birds may include White-eared Barbet, Narina Trogon, various greenbuls and Crowned Eagle. Lesser and Greater Flamingos can occur in tens of thousands on the soda lakes!
Days 4-5	We explore Tarangire National Park to spend quality time with African Elephants at their highest density in the world! Magnificent, ancient Baobab trees, some over a thousand years old, dominate the landscape and the River Tarangire is a magnet for mammals including Bohor Reedbuck. The density of mammals attracts Lions, Leopards and sometimes Cheetahs - even the rare Wild Dog has appeared in recent years. We’ll look out for Helmeted Guineafowl, francolins, sandgrouse, hornbills, waders and raptors including Brown Snake, Martial, Tawny and Bateleur Eagles, plus Tanzanian endemics such as Yellow-collared Lovebird and Rufous-tailed Weaver.
Day 6	Lake Manyara National Park is our next stop and we spend time exploring the forests, savannah woodland, marshes and Lake Manyara itself. Birdlife is exceptional with Palm-nut Vulture, African Fish Eagle, Purple-crested Turaco and Broad-billed Roller, while the Hippo Pool and swamps hold waterbirds including Long-toed Lapwing, Black Crake and African Jacana. On leaving the Park, we climb the Rift Valley escarpment with stunning views and enter the beautiful Ngorongoro Highlands.
Day 7	In the early morning, a short drive brings us to the end of the tarmac, where we enter the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Climbing through highland forest we get our first views of the breathtaking Ngorongoro Crater and from the viewpoint we’ll see many distant animals 2,000 feet below - perhaps even a Black Rhino through the telescope. We’ll look out for Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Olive Thrush and Hunter’s Cisticola. Traversing the crater rim we’ll enjoy the spectacular scenery, before dropping down to the vast Serengeti Plains.
Days 8-10	Up to two million animals may be on the plains of the Serengeti, with Wildebeest the most numerous, then Plains Zebra and Thomson’s and Grant’s Gazelles. Woodlands hold Waterbuck, Coke’s Hartebeest, Impala, Masai Giraffe and Topi with hunting Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Spotted Hyaena and Black-backed and Golden Jackals. Serval, Bat-eared Fox and rare Caracal may be seen. The many birds include residents, plus migrants from Europe, Asia and elsewhere in Africa, with species such as Montagu’s and Pallid Harriers, waders and wheatear species, mixing with striking resident birds such as Secretary Bird, Ground Hornbill, various kingfishers, vultures, coursers, francolins, barbets, weavers and endemic Grey-breasted Spurfowl and Fischer’s Lovebird. The Western Corridor is where Wildebeest and Zebra congregate, while special birds along the rivers include Karamoja Aapalis, Black-headed Gonolek and Swamp Flycatcher - expect some very large Crocodiles!
Days 11-12	Enroute to the famous Ngorongoro Crater, we’ll visit Oldupai Gorge, the ‘Cradle of Mankind’, where two million year old remains of early man were unearthed - the museum here is a must! Our accommodation on the crater rim is special, with a magical atmosphere and outstanding views. Next day, we descend into the crater proper, with its varied habitats of grassland, swamps, dry forest, evergreen forest, freshwater and alkaline lakes - home to huge numbers of mammals, with many predators and, with luck, endangered Black Rhino. Birdlife is prolific and species normally seen include Crowned Crane, Kori and Black-bellied Bustard, Yellow-billed Stork, Black-winged Plover, Rosy-throated Longclaw and Fischer’s Sparrow Lark. Even the lodge grounds are wonderful, with birds such as Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, African Stonechat, Cape Robin Chat, Tacazze and Eastern Double-collared Sunbird - it is all an incredible wildlife experience!
Days 13-15	We travel to Arusha for some relaxed birding around our lodge, where we spend our final night in Tanzania. The following morning we’ll spend time on the Masai Steppe in search of any final birds and mammals, before heading to the airport in the afternoon and our flight back to the UK, arriving on day 15.

Just some of what we hope to see..

Thousands of Wildebeest	Serval	Grey Crowned Crane
African Elephant	Bat-eared Fox	Palm-nut Vulture
Black Rhinoceros	Black-backed Jackal	African Fish Eagle
Lion	Black-and-White Colobus Monkey	Crowned Eagle
Leopard	Blue Monkey	Bateleur
Cheetah	Thousands of Flamingos	Purple-crested Turaco
Coke’s Hartebeest	Secretary Bird	Narina Trogon
Masai Giraffe	Ground Hornbill	Broad-billed Roller
Kirk’s Dik-dik	Kori Bustard	Yellow-collared Lovebird
Topi	Black-bellied Bustard	Sunbirds!