Phenomenal Wildilfe Viewing, Cultural Encounters, Lake Manyara Tree Canopy Walk, Olduvai Gorge
Ngorongoro Crater Extension
Overview
Visit the famed wildlife haven of Ngorongoro Crater, with its 2,000-foot-high walls and nearby tribal communities. On the 105-square-mile crater floor, you'll find elephant, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, and endangered black rhino. While at Ngorongoro, you'll have the option to visit the famed paleoanthropological site of Olduvai Gorge, dubbed “the Cradle of Mankind.” The extension also includes an option to visit the traditional Datoga and Hadzabe tribes near Lake Eyasi and time to explore the subtropical forests of Lake Manyara National Park, home to troops of baboons and monkeys plus a wealth of exotic birdlife.
Arrive: Ngorongoro
Depart: Ngorongoro
Highlights
- Safari in the phenomenal Ngorongoro Crater, a spectacular wildlife haven
- Options to visit Olduvai Gorge, local tribes, and Lake Manyara National Park
Itinerary
Join your private guide and drive to the Ngorongoro Highlands with game viewing en route to Plantation Lodge, a small, secluded property conveniently located near the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Lake Manyara. After you settle in, enjoy a walk around the lodge's gorgeous gardens, a dip in the pool, or an optional visit to a nearby farm to learn about the working lives of the local people. The lodge's garden offers an opportunity to spot some of the region's colorful birdlife. Overnight at Plantation Lodge...BLD
At 7,300 feet above sea level and enclosed by steep walls, Ngorongoro is the largest unbroken caldera in the world. It is truly one of the wonders of the natural world. Set out for a full-day game drive on the crater floor, with a picnic lunch. As an alternative to a full day in the crater, take the the option to visit the crater in the morning and Olduvai Gorge in the afternoon. Overnight at Plantation Lodge...BLD
Options for Day 3:
Datoga and Hadzabe Cultural Encounter
Datoga and Hadzabe Cultural Encounter
Drive to remote Lake Eyasi, a seasonal soda lake on the floor of the Great Rift Valley, and meet the pastoral Datoga people, noted traditional blacksmiths and keepers of a distinct language. They have livestock such as cattle, goats, and sheep and make a living by collecting scrap metal and forging it into bracelets, arrowheads, and knives. They consider themselves to be the oldest tribe in Tanzania, with origins dating back 3,000 years.
The Hadzabe are one of the last hunter-gatherer tribes left in the world and distinct from other tribes in East Africa, both linguistically and genetically. Their diet consists of wild honey, tubers, berries, baobab, and large and small game.
Lake Manyara National Park and Treetop Canopy Walk
Lake Manyara National Park and Treetop Canopy Walk
Head to Lake Manyara National Park for a game drive and canopy walk. Nestled at the base of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, Lake Manyara is rich with lush vegetation that provides home to troops of baboons and blue monkeys. The woodlands, grasslands, wetlands, and the soda lake itself have recorded over 350 species of birds, including flamingo, pelican, sacred ibis, and stork. Included is an hour-long guided walk on the Treetop Canopy for a fascinating birds-eye view of Lake Manyara's rich forest habitats.
Overnight at Plantation Lodge...BLD
Overnight at Plantation Lodge...BLD
Depart for your next safari camp...B
A visa is not required for U.S. citizens visiting Tanzania.
Accommodations
Scroll through our signature accommodations for this trip below. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.
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Itinerary
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Trip Levels
With more than 200 different adventures to choose from, we want to help you find the trip that’s right for you. Our Trip Level system ranks each trip in two ways: a number rating from 1 to 6 according to the activity, and general travel rigors. 1 is the easiest and 6+ the most difficult—see descriptions below for explanations of each number. A plus (+) sign means the trip is a bit more strenuous than other trips of that level. The detailed explanation of each trip—below the bar with the number rating—is perhaps more important, specifying activities, altitudes, hiking, and travel conditions. The Detailed Itinerary, available by download or mail, gives further information. Our Area Managers can also answer questions and guide you to the trip that best suits your interests.
Level 1 – Easiest
Non-camping journeys, optional walks, little elevation gain or loss.
Level 2 – Easy to Moderate
Hotel nights and/or safari-style camping, hikes of two to four hours on some days. Other physical activities are sometimes included, such as optional sea kayaking.
Level 3 – Moderate
Half- to full-day hikes (3-6 hours) over rolling countryside on most days, occasional steep trails. Many of our hotel-based walking tours are in this category, as are our snorkeling adventures.
- Tuscany & the Cinque Terre
- Argentina: Hikes and Estancias of Patagonia
- Palau Snorkeling & Sea Kayaking
- Some trips with minimal hiking but rugged travel conditions or long drives, such as Tribal Ghana, Togo & Benin, are Trip Level 3.
Level 4 – Moderate to Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-6 hours), mountainous terrain, significant elevation gains and losses (hiking up or down as much as 3,000 feet) on many days. Altitudes no greater than about 10,000 feet.
Level 5 – Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Trips with hiking at average altitudes of 10,000 to 12,000 feet are in this category.
Level 6 – Very Strenuous
Full-day hikes (5-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Most hikes take place at altitudes above 10,000 feet, with some days ascending as high as 18,000 feet.