Tour Plan
Day 1: Welcome to Tanzania!
Your driver/guide will pick you up from Kilimanjaro airport and transfers you to Ilboru Safari Lodge; a pleasant lodge with a beautiful garden and swimming pool. Harmoniously woven into the surrounding African landscape, Ilboru Safari Lodge rests at the base of the majestic Mt. Meru.
Stay comfortably in your private bungalow reminiscent of a traditional Swahili ‘boma’. They are a uniquely African design and this version of the boma features a round layout with thatched rooftops while still providing the western conveniences you would expect.
Journey Time 45 minutes
Accommodation Ilboru Safari Lodge
Meal Plan No meals inclusive today
Day 2A: Lake Manyara N.P.
After an early breakfast you game drive out of the park and travel to ‘Mto wa Mbu’.
Today you will stretch your legs during a 2 to 3-hour village walk in cozy ‘Mto wa Mbu’. Here you will meet the local community, taste homemade banana beer, learn about the Makonde woodcarvings and listen to your guide who will tell you everything about the way of living in this village.
After the village walk, you will have a local lunch. Together with the highly respected Miss Bibi you prepare a delicious Swahili meal.
In the afternoon you enter Lake Manyara National Park. This is a small but very beautiful park offering breathtaking views, excellent game-viewing and an incredible array of birdlife. You have a chance to spot: zebra, baboon, warthog, giraffe, impala, elephant, hippo, wildebeest and the rare tree climbing lions.
Your accommodation for tonight is Lake Manyara Tortilis camp. This semi-luxury tented camp combines comfort with the sense of wilderness, the sense of freedom, the sense of being 'right there', as you relax after the excitement of the day. We make your safari-camp experience truly unforgettable. Set in the heart of nature, our camp is designed to look after you while you tune in to the very heartbeat of Africa : the sounds, the scents. Dine, sleep, relax and know that the best of Africa's natural wonders is knocking gently on your door.
Journey Time 1 hour, Tarangire to ‘Mto wa Mbu’
Accommodation Lake Manyara Tortilis Camp
Meal Plan Breakfast, local lunch, dinner
Time has come to depart for the most famous safari park in the world: Serengeti National Park.
The Serengeti hosts the most extensive population of wild animals on earth and has a complex and untouched ecosystem. Serengeti means "endless plains" in the language of the Maasai, a description that the Serengeti completely lives up to. These endless plains have to be experienced to be fully appreciated! The drive towards your accommodation will be long but one continuous safari!
You visit the heart of the Serengeti, Seronera Valley. This valley might be termed as the ‘classic’ Serengeti; short grass plains with all different kind of wild animals ranging from the impressive lion to the naughty mongoose.
After the incredible impressions of the Serengeti, you drive to your accommodation for a delicious diner and a good night’s sleep. Tortilis camp is named after the distinctive tortilis tree of the Serengeti. This camp combines comfort with the sense of wilderness, the sense of freedom, the sense of being right there, as you relax after the excitement of the day.
Journey Time 2 hours to the park entrance
Accommodation Tortilis Camp
Meal Plan Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
Day 4: Game drives in Serengeti National Park
Early in the morning you leave the camp for a full day safari! Most of the national park is open and grassy. Ultimately, the success of any safari lies in the number and quality of encounters with big cats. There are thousands of lions in the Serengeti and you have a fair chance to see cheetahs, although they are difficult to spot. And when it comes to leopards, the Serengeti rarely disappoints!
We will find you a nice picnic spot to enjoy your packed lunch and then you continue your safari back to Tortilis Camp where you have an excellent dinner and some time to relax.
Tired but satisfied, you go to bed with dreams of Serengeti plains
Accommodation Tortilis Camp
Meal Plan Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
Optional activity: Hot Air Balloon Safari Serengeti
This optional activity costs US$500 per person.
Float in a hot air balloon over the famous Serengeti National Park with its enchanting scenery. This may be the most beautiful area in the world for a balloon flight. There are no power lines, fences and few roads. Your Balloon Safari adventure starts early morning when you depart your lodge or camp. It is still dark and you may be fortunate to see nocturnal animals on the way to the launch site.
When you arrive, you meet your pilot and witness your balloon being inflated and prepared. The capacity is limited making this experience a special and exclusive one. The balloon safari takes approximately 1 hour depending on the weather conditions. You will end this excursion in style with a champagne bush breakfast in the middle of the park!
Day 5: Game drives in Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater
Today you enjoy a long game drive on your way out of the beautiful Serengeti and continue to the Ngorongoro Crater.
In the afternoon, you will have a game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater! As an UNESCO World Heritage Site the crater offers a unique biosphere which has remained virtually unchanged since the dawn of time. There are very few places in the world where you can find such a large population of wildlife throughout the year.
Deep within the crater, enclosed by towering walls, you have a good chance of spotting ‘The Big 5’: Lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard. For the latter two you need a bit of luck as they tend to shy away. After this great experience, you will go to your accommodation for tonight, Ngorogoro Tortilis camp.
Accommodation Ngorongoro Tortilis Camp
Meal Plan Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
Today is unfortunately the last day of your trip with Matoke Tours!
Depending on the time of your international flight you can decide to do an optional activity. This will only be possible if your flight is after.
Optional activity Ngorogoro highlands walk: US$ 50 per person
This 1 to 1,5 hour activity will be guided by an armed ranger. You will walk alone the crater rim of the Ngorogoro crater where you can view lots of wildlife and you will get in close contact with the Masai people.
Your driver/guide will take care of your transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport. If you are not ready to go home, you can continue your holiday to one of our other destinations in Africa.
Journey Time 5 - 6 hours
Accommodation Not included
Meal Plan Breakfast
This is the end of a wonderful tour in Tanzania with Primate safaris Uganda!
contact, for the rates of this tour.