Nothern Tanzania Circuit

Arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport, met and assisted by African Spice Safaris representative. Transfer to Arusha for lunch. Afternoon drive to the Ngorongoro Crater, the largest intact caldera in the world. Its enduring charm stems from its overwhelming beauty and the abundance of wildlife permanently resident on the crater floor. Arrive at your lodge in the evening. Rest of the day at leisure.

This morning we descend 2,000 feet into the giant caldera of this extinct volcano. This magnificent natural amphitheatre contains the largest concentration of animals in all of Africa. Prides of lion, black rhino and elephant share this land with the legendary Maasai tribesmen. Because the grasses are short, game is easily spotted and can be approached quite closely. We spend a splendid morning on the floor of the crater observing wildlife in this ageless World Heritage Site.

The Serengeti National Park is our destination today. En route we stop at Olduvai Gorge, the 'cradle of mankind,'where the Leakey family uncovered the fossil of Homo habilis, who lived 1.75 million years ago. Arriving at our lodge in time for lunch, we find ourselves deep in the heart of this famous migration corridor. With its wide-open spaces, bright blue skies and creature-filled landscape, over the next two days we will discover why the fabled Serengeti typifies the dream of "Old Africa". Large prides of lions laze in the long grasses, plentiful families of elephants feed on acacia bark and trumpet to each other across the plains, while giraffes, gazelles, monkeys, eland and the whole range of African wildlife present themselves in awe-inspiring numbers. Afternoon game drive until sunset.

We awaken to the sounds of Africa and begin our day with a Bush Walk, affording an intimate and profoundly personal bond to the world of the wild. Our expert naturalist is hard at work, pointing out each individual miracle of the land that we are now a part of. An extensive afternoon game run explores the depths of the deep Serengeti. Everywhere there are animals, monkeys and, yes, birds' but look closely and you will thrill to the huge jungle cats-lion, leopard and cheetah just watching the world go by. And go by it does. Rhino, gazelle, antelope and massive elephants by the hundreds. Animals in the trees, on the wing, camouflaged in the bush, in rivers and in streams. The adventure of a lifetime.

Today we drive to Lake Manyara Serena Lodge for Lunch and Drive to Tarangire. With a permanent water source, the park is virtually guaranteed enormous herds and excellent game viewing including cheetah, lion (some tree-climbing!), leopard and hyena and a herd of 3,500 elephants. The park is also host to a number of rare species including eland, oryx, kudu and gerenuk. Our accommodations are at Tarangire Sopa Lodge, a tranquil oasis overlooking the rolling plains.