This short safari is heading out to Ndutu to explore the great wildebeest migration. This trip takes you to one of the highlights of the greatest animal movement, the great migration which will be gathering in the mineral-rich Ndutu Plains for the calving season with 1000 newborns born daily and predators on the hunt, this trip will be unforgettable. This is a seasonal trip (late December to early March).
You will be picked up from the airport and transferred to Tulia Spa & Boutique. A city sightseeing tour comes as part of the excursion on day 1. The city excursion will involve visiting the local markets, Maasai market, cultural heritage, and Arusha city museum.
After pick-up from the airport and a tour briefing, you will head to Arusha with a packed lunch included. You will drive to Ndutu (about 5.5 hours, covering a distance of 260 km). After 2 hours of driving, you will enter the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. You will notice the landscape changing from hilly forests to plains and green grasslands. Sweeping grasslands cover the region which gradually fades into the Serengeti. Ndutu forms part of the route for the annual migration of more than 2 million wildebeest and thousands of zebras, antelopes, and gazelles.
During game drives in the right season (between December and April), you will be able to see the fertile plains turn into calving and nursery grounds for the great migration. This season attracts hordes of predators prying on vulnerable young wildebeest. Crested with Ndutu Lake and Lake Masek, these waterholes offer plenty of wildlife during the dry season. Ndutu is also the home ground for 6 species of big cats.
In the morning after breakfast, you will head out for a game drive in the Ndutu area. After completing a half-day game drive along with a picnic lunch, we will branch out and head towards the Ngorongoro Crater rim. The 75 km drive to the rim will take about 2.5 hrs with mild game action to see on the way. The crater is one of Africa’s impressive geological attractions and a supreme mecca of wilderness. The day comes to an end with dinner and a good rest in your accommodation.
On the last day of your safari, you will have an early start. Finishing up with a quick breakfast, you will make an early descent at around 6:30 a.m. into the crater floor. The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest inactive, intact, and unfilled volcanic caldera. It has a massive floor of about 260 sq km with a depth of over 2,000 feet. The 5/6-hour game drive on the crater floor will show you a lot of animal action. Keeping the camera ready is definitely recommended. Animals like African elephants, buffalos, black rhinos, hippos, hyenas, cheetahs, and lions are found in abundance. After the picnic lunch at the beautiful hippo pool, you will begin a steep ascent to the top exit of the crater. This is the last leg of your safari, with a 4-hour drive left to Arusha. You will be dropped off at your preferred location in Arusha in the evening or transferred to the airport.
