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10 days 9 nights
Embark on a 10-day, 9-night journey through the breathtaking landscapes of the Crater Highlands, tailored for active travelers with a passion for nature and cultural immersion.
Designed for those seeking a hands-on experience, this package offers exhilarating hiking opportunities in and around the Crater Highlands, accompanied by camping under the stars and immersive encounters with local tribes.
Highlights of the journey include trekking expeditions, captivating cultural exchanges with indigenous tribes, and thrilling game drives amidst the scenic beauty of the region. Additionally, adventurers will have the chance to conquer the slopes of the active volcano, Oldoinyo Lengai, for an unforgettable summit experience.
This package is ideal for travelers who crave an authentic connection with nature and local communities. Hikes are suitable for individuals in good health, ensuring accessibility for a wide range of participants.
Join us for an unforgettable adventure, where every step leads to new discoveries and unforgettable memories
Arusha
After arrival at Kilimanjaro airport, you will be welcomed by our representative. Then we transfer to Arusha and have dinner and overnight at the Karama Lodge (or other lodge of similar standard if not available*).
Manyara – Lake Eyasi
After breakfast we drive to Lake Eyasi via Manyara National Park and have a game drive. After a picnic lunch, we depart for a walking trip for a thorough exploration of the Eyasi lake which is the breeding site of flamingo birds. Your guide will explain you how flamingos can produce their own food. We will have dinner and overnight in Eyasi at the Kisima Ngeda Tented Camp (or other camp of similar standard if not available*).
Hadzabe Tribe
After an early breakfast we meet the Hadzabe Bushmen at their bush-home and accompany them on their hunt with bow and arrow. The Hadzabe live a life that seems not to have changed during the past thousands of years. They are hunter-gatherers and live in small groups which comprise of approximately of 5-10 families. They are nomads and sleep in simple temporary huts built from branches, leaves, grass and skin only, or in caves. Their food includes game meat, rodents, insects, roots and leaves. As they speak their own Hadzabe language, a local interpreter will accompany us. We return to the camp for dinner and overnight.
Ngorongoro Crater - Olmoti
After breakfast, we drive to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, descend into the crater floor for a game drive. The crater (610 metres deep and 260 km squared) is a microcosm of East African scenery and game. Scenic grandeur and stunning views are the hallmark of this wonder of the world. There are 25,000 larger animals within the crater itself, mostly zebra and wildebeest. However, this is undoubtedly the best place to see black rhinos in Tanzania as well as prides of lion that include the magnificent black-maned males. There are lots of colourful flamingoes and a variety of other water birds around the soda lake on the crater floor. The crater is home to more than 100 species of birds which cannot be found in the Serengeti. We will have a picnic lunch on the picnic site at the Ngoitoktok swamp, which is famous for its hippos. After lunch, we ascend the crater and drive to the Olmoti crater rim, where we will have dinner and overnight at the Nainokanoka Campsite (or other campsite of similar standard if not available*).
Olmoti Crater – Empakai
After breakfast at your camp, we climb down into the Olmoti Crater with lunch boxes through a dense forest and reach the Crater Floor which is covered with grass. After the picnic we hike up to the crater rim again where we meet our driver who will bring us to the Empakai Crater, where we will reach the campsite for dinner and overnight.
Empakai Crater – Naiyobi
After breakfast in the camp, we walk down from the east rim to the floor of the Empakai Crater. It is a pristine forested crater with no roads. We will walk to the lake where regularly huge flocks of flamingos can be seen. We will then return to the crater rim where we will have a picnic lunch and proceed to Naiyobi village. On this trek we will be accompanied by donkeys which carry all our material, including the tents which will be used for overnighting at the Naiyobi village campsite (or other campsite of similar standard if not available*). Dinner in Naiyobi village.
Oldoinyo Lengai
After breakfast in Naiyobi village, we drive to a campsite located at the base of the Oldoinyo Lengai, the only active volcano of the Crater Highlands. In the language of the Masaai, Oldoinyo Lengai means “Mountain of God”. You should relax a little at the campsite, because we will be active during the night! After a light dinner we will ascend the volcano to its menacing crater, a nearly perfect cone. We reach the crater around midnight and as it still erupts occasionally, you may have the opportunity to walk on still-steaming new ground. In the early morning hours we descend back to the campsite to have breakfast.
Oldoinyo Lengai – Lake Natron
After breakfast we will walk along the rift valley to Lake Natron, the Soda Lake where many water birds can be seen including more than 2.5 Mio. Flamingos which breed here. The lake is quite shallow; it is less than three meters (10 feet) deep. The dark deep red color of the lake is characteristic of those where very high evaporation occurs. As water evaporates during the dry season, salinity levels increase to the point that salt-loving microorganisms begin to thrive. The red pigments of these salt-loving, tiny bacteria produce the deep reds of the open water of the lake, and orange colors of the shallow parts of the lake. You will have lunch on the way and dinner and overnight at the Lake Natron campsite (or other campsite of similar standard if not available*).
Lake Natron
After breakfast we will hike around the lake to explore the area. We will not only experience the extraordinary colours of the nature and the wildlife of this area, but we will also meet people of the Masaai tribe. We will have lunch at the camp and then walk to the waterfalls just near the lake. In the afternoon we will have dinner and overnight at the campsite.
Lake Natron - Arusha
After breakfast, you can relax in the camp until pick-up time and return with a packed lunch for Arusha via Mto wa Mbu Village.