Your Ndutu Calving Season Safari begins with a morning pickup from your hotel, lodge or other accommodation in Arusha. First, you meet your professional safari guide for a short briefing. Then you set off through the beautiful landscapes of northern Tanzania.

Next, you drive to Lake Manyara National Park, a compact but remarkably varied park beneath the dramatic Rift Valley escarpment. Once inside, your game drive takes you through groundwater forest, open grassland, acacia woodland and the seasonal lake shore.

During your Lake Manyara safari, you may see large herds of elephants, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest and giraffes. The park is also home to baboons, warthogs, hippos and many bird species. In addition, Lake Manyara is famous for its tree-climbing lions. However, sightings are never guaranteed, because the wildlife is completely wild and free-ranging.

After your game drive, you continue to the Karatu area near the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Finally, you check into your lodge, relax and enjoy dinner before the exciting days ahead in Ndutu.

Accommodation: Ngorongoro Farm House
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

After an early breakfast, you leave Karatu and drive towards the Ndutu area in the southern Serengeti ecosystem. Today, the main part of your Ndutu Great Migration Safari begins.

As you approach Ndutu, the scenery opens into vast plains dotted with acacia trees and seasonal lakes. During the calving season, these nutrient-rich plains attract huge numbers of wildebeest and other grazers. Meanwhile, your experienced guide follows wildlife activity and chooses routes to suit current conditions.

Throughout the day, look for:

• Wildebeest gathering in enormous herds
• Newborn wildebeest calves
• Zebras moving alongside the migration
• Thomson's gazelles and Grant's gazelles
• Lions hunting or resting near the herds
• Cheetahs scanning the plains for prey
• Spotted hyenas
• Jackals
• Elephants and giraffes
• Raptors and other bird species

One of the most memorable sights of the Ndutu calving season is a newborn wildebeest taking its first steps. The many young animals also lead to intense predator activity. As a result, this is one of the most exciting times for wildlife viewing in Tanzania.

Then you enjoy a picnic lunch in the wilderness before continuing your afternoon game drive. Later, as the sun begins to set, you drive to your camp for dinner and the night.

Accommodation: Safari Haven
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today you spend the whole day exploring Ndutu during the Great Migration calving season.

Wake early and enjoy breakfast before setting out on a morning game drive. Early morning is an excellent time on the plains, because it is cooler and many predators are more active. First, your guide searches for the areas where the migration is concentrated.

The herds move naturally according to rainfall, fresh grass and water. So every Ndutu safari is different. For example, you may see wildebeest mothers protecting their newborn calves and large herds crossing the plains. You may also spot zebras grazing among the wildebeest while predators carefully watch the herds.

The Predator Experience

Ndutu is especially exciting during the calving period, because newborn animals create opportunities for predators. Your safari guide may help you find:

• Lions: Often seen resting near the herds or actively hunting.
• Cheetahs: Frequently use the open plains to hunt vulnerable young animals.
• Spotted hyenas: Highly adaptable predators that are often active around the migration.
• Jackals: Commonly seen moving through areas where young animals gather.

While wildlife encounters can never be guaranteed, a full day in Ndutu greatly increases your chance of seeing these natural interactions.

At midday, you enjoy a picnic lunch at a designated spot before continuing your afternoon game drive. Later, you return to camp for dinner and an evening under the African sky.

Accommodation: Safari Haven
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Wake early for your final game drive in the Ndutu migration area. This morning, you have another chance to photograph the Great Migration and watch the wildlife before leaving the southern Serengeti.

After your game drive, you set off towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The drive is part of the experience, since the landscape changes from open plains to green highlands. Depending on your itinerary and wildlife conditions, your guide may also stop along the way for photos and wildlife viewing.

Then you arrive in the Karatu area in the afternoon and check into your lodge. For the rest of the afternoon, you can relax, enjoy the lodge grounds and prepare for tomorrow’s Ngorongoro Crater safari.

Accommodation: Ngorongoro Farm House
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Wake early and get ready for one of the highlights of your Tanzania safari: a Ngorongoro Crater game drive. After breakfast, you drive to the crater and descend about 600 metres to the crater floor. The Ngorongoro Crater is a spectacular natural amphitheatre with steep walls, and it holds a remarkable concentration of wildlife.

During your crater safari, search for:

• Lions
• African elephants
• Cape buffaloes
• Zebras
• Wildebeest
• Hippos
• Hyenas
• Thomson's gazelles
• Grant's gazelles
• Flamingos and other water birds
• Black rhinoceros, with luck

Throughout the drive, your professional guide chooses the best routes based on recent sightings and current conditions. Then you enjoy a picnic lunch in the crater before you begin the climb out.

After leaving the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, you drive back towards Arusha and arrive in the late afternoon or early evening. Finally, your guide drops you at your hotel, the airport or another agreed place in Arusha. So ends your unforgettable Ndutu Calving Season Safari – Great Migration & Wildlife.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch