Circular Safari in Tanzania: Lake Natron, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire and Manyara.

In this safari in northern Tanzania, we will make a circular route through the main national parks of the north(Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire) but adding Lake Natron, a unique place overlooking the Oi Doinyo Lengai mountain came as a result of  volcanic eruption in the middle of Maasai territory. Lake Natron, also known as Lake of the Flamingos, which bordering Kenya and is famous for being one of the saltiest lakes on the planet.

The Maasais welcome us to Tanzania

We will start the trip at Kilimanjaro International Airport where one of our drivers will pick us up upon arrival. We will go to one of the most special lodges in Tanzania, owned by the NGO we work with, and in the middle of Maasai territory. We will sleep in authentic Maasai huts, made by Maasai, but with European comforts, i.e. hot water, double bed, private bathroom and electricity. We will be able to observe from our beautiful hut, the majestic Kilimanjaro that will greet us from afar every morning at sunrise. On our second day in Tanzania, we will see and learn about the Maasai culture in a respectful way. They will be the guides who will lead us through their territory explaining us how they live their daily life.

Our room during the first two nights on the road. Overlooking Kilimanjaro

Circular Safari in Northern Tanzania

On our third day, we start the circular route through the north of Tanzania, where we will visit besides Lake Natron, the main parks in the north of the country: Serengeti National Park, Tarangire, Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

We get up in the morning to go to Tarangire National Park, where we will do our first safari. On this first day, we will begin to see some of the most spectacular animals of the African savannah: elephant, lion, giraffe and many other animals that will welcome us.

On our fourth day of travel, we will visit Lake Manyara, a lake very close to Tarangire that allows us to see the animals up close. It is an area where there are encounters with elephants and they allow themselves to be photographed up close, sometimes even touching. This second day of safari will allow us to get the bug to see the first animals, with a little luck we will have already seen the main animals, except for the Rhino and the Leopard, which we will leave for the last days of safari.

Direction to Lake Natron

On our fifth day of travel, a day’s drive to Lake Natron awaits us. During the journey we will cross through small villages away from tourism and the circuits of most safaris.

Before reaching Lake Natron we will stop to see a hole created by a volcanic eruption where vegetation has now grown. We will stop for lunch and explore the surroundings. After lunch we will continue our journey to Lake Natron, where we will see Oi Doinyo Lengai and take some pictures of this beautiful volcano considered the mountain of god by the locals.

A little later, we will enter the Lake Natron Conservation Area and head to our lodge. An accommodation run by masai where we can sleep in rooms or in glamping tents.

Lodging at Lake Natron overlooking the Oi Doinyo Lengai volcano.

We will spend two nights in this beautiful lodge, and during our second day, we will visit the lake and its surroundings: to the lake to see the pink flamingos and footprints, some natural pools, and a waterfall. That day we will have a Maasai guide belonging to the community that lives in Lake Natron and our guide who will also accompany us during all the days.

Safari in the Serengeti National Park

On our seventh day of circular safari we will head to Tanzania’s most famous park: The Serengeti. It will take several hours by car to reach the park where we will stay inside and we will be able to see the first animals in the afternoon on the way to our lodging.

We will sleep and wake up to enjoy a full day safari in the Serengeti. We will be able to see, with a little luck, some of the animals that we have not seen in the first days, especially one of the Big Five, the Leopard, a solitary animal that is rarely seen and usually far away.

Giraffe seen during our safari in the Serengeti.

Safari in the Ngorongoro Crater, last stage of our circular route in Tanzania.

On our last day of safari, we will leave the Serengeti in the direction of Ngorongoro. We will visit the Ngorongoro Crater, a unique site in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Ngorongoro Crater is a dormant volcano with a huge crater where an entire eco-system lives inside. It is one of the few places where you can see the Black Rhinoceros, an animal in danger of extinction mainly due to poaching and illegal hunting.

On day 10 of our circular safari through northern Tanzania we will head to Arusha where our driver will drop us off at the airport to either continue our journey to Zanzibar or to return home.