NGORONGORO, SERENGETI AND RWANDA GORILLA SAFARI

Today you visit Lake Manyara National Park, packed lunch in hand, on your way to the Ngorongoro Crater, hopefully arriving in time for an afternoon crater drive. The Crater is one of the wonders of the world, a natural caldera serves as an amphitheater for stunning game drives during which you can expect to see the Big 5. You will have a full day to explore this incredible area, before heading back to the beautiful lodge for your last night in the area. 

The stunning Mara River, filled with hippos and crocodiles, cuts through this land and is hosts to one of the greatest spectacles nature has to offer: the dramatic wildebeest crossings of the Mara River. Between mid July and November, the Great Migration typically visits the area and crosses the Mara River back and forth in search of green grass. This area does offer a truly unique safari experience; undisturbed exploration of this majestic part of the Serengeti National Park. During the next couple of days, you will enjoy shared game drives and enjoy the wonderful landscapes and wildlife in the Serengeti National Park. 

The gorillas are by no means tame, and are completely wild animals. However, experienced guides will accompany us on our tracking, many of who have been involved in the habituation process themselves. The guides will use their knowledge of the gorillas’ habits and information from the previous day to locate the group’s whereabouts. Because of this, the time taken to track the gorillas varies enormously, from as little as half an hour to as much as 9 hours before one return to base. Once the gorillas are located, our group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. This is one of the world’s truly memorable experiences – a look into one of these magnificent creatures’ eyes brings home the bond that exists between them and us. It also brings home the poignant fact that they are on the edge of extinction, and that our presence here contributes to ensuring their continued survival.