4 Days Safari Itinerary on a Budget

Depart from Arusha with picnic lunches to Tarangire national park for a full day game drive till late afternoon then proceed to Lilac camp site for dinner and overnight at lilac camp site.

Tarangire is best known for its elephant families, savannah, iconic baobab trees, seasonal swamps and the life-giving Tarangire River. Animals gather at the river to drink and cool off from the hot African sun. You will see giraffe, bushbuck and hartebeest. The Park is also home to buffalo, zebra and wildebeest. These animals are closely followed by a range of predators such as lion and leopard. From the open roof of the vehicle you will be able to take in the landscape and watch the variety of wildlife. You will enjoy a picnic lunch in the park, which includes coffee and soft drinks. After a full day in the park you will be driven to lilac camp site for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast you will drive up the crater highlands, stopping at the rim for a spectacular view of the Ngorongoro Crater and continuing as far as the eye can see the vast view of the Serengeti. Serengeti mean “endless plain” and is inhabited by more than 2 million wildebeest and other wildlife. From January to April the wildebeest, plains zebra and Thomson’s gazelle give birth to their calves. Large predators including lion, cheetah and hyena are drawn to the area by this abundance of prey which migrates throughout the park. Many smaller animals like rock hyrax, bat eared fox, mongoose, honey badger, jackal, monkey, baboon and African hare also inhabit the area. There are also over 500 species of birds. After this exciting game drive you will return to camp for dinner and your overnight stay.

You will rise very early and enjoy a sunrise game drive to spot animals when they are more active and also to witness a fantastic African sunrise; one of the most spectacular sites one can experience. You will then return to camp for breakfast, and travel to the Ngorongoro Crater. This vast crater is inhabited by the greatest concentration of wildlife in the planet; almost every species of wildlife indigenous to East Africa including the rare black rhino. The crater contains a river, several swamps, a soda lake that, from the top, looks like steam, a forest and open plains. The large bull elephant that reside here have extremely large tusks, due to the rich mineral content of the volcanic soil and its grasses. You will enjoy lunch during this extraordinary game drive. After a full day inside the crater, you will ascend to the crater rim and drive to the Simba public camp site you will have dinner and enjoy your overnight stay.

After an early breakfast you will drive to the Ngorongoro Crater. You will descend down a steep track into the caldera to enjoy your last game drive. You will experience a breathtaking range of animals and birds. The caldera (a collapsed volcano) is home to over 25,000 mammals ranging from the “Big Five” (lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino, leopard) to over 500 species of birds. You will enjoy a picnic lunch inside the crater and then make your way back up the crater rim in the afternoon. You will then drive back Arusha, arriving in the late afternoon. This is where your safari will end.