Ndutu Calving Season: Witness Half a Million Births

Witness the miracle of life and the raw power of nature during the wildebeest calving season in Ndutu. Adventure awaits in the wild!

Duration: 10 days
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights

Arrive Kilimanjaro

Arusha - Upon arrival in Tanzania, you’ll be greeted at the airport and taken to Villa Maua Lodge in Arusha. You’ll have the evening to relax and enjoy Africa’s unique ambiance.

Arusha - Lake Manyara - Karatu

Lake Manyara National Park - You’ll depart from Arusha after breakfast for the drive to Lake Manyara National Park. The journey takes approximately two hours, but we’ll pass through the market town of Mto Wa Mbu along the way. This agricultural and fresh produce market is a melting pot of local cultures and a souvenir hunter’s paradise.
After a brief stop at the village market, you’ll enter Lake Manyara National Park. The park is truly a photographer’s playground and offers some of the best game viewing in the world. You can expect to see many of Africa’s most well-known animals, with the tree-climbing lions a particular treat. These proud predators lounge in acacia trees practically begging to be photographed.
Bird-watchers will find Lake Manyara is an absolute delight, with a huge variety of birds on display in the park. Even the novice can expect to be amazed by large flamingo flocks, circling birds of prey, and the brightly colored lilac-breasted roller.
You’ll then retire to your chosen accommodation for dinner and a good night’s rest.

Karatu - Ndutu Area

Serengeti National Park - We’ll take an early breakfast, as we’ve got a big day of exploration and adventure ahead of us!
We’ll begin the day with the scenic drive towards the Serengeti. Along the way, we’ll pass through the mist-shrouded rainforests of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area where you might be lucky enough to glimpse cape buffalo, baboons, or even elephants and leopards in the dense undergrowth.
It’s a nearly four-hour drive to the Serengeti park gates, but you can choose to break up the drive with one or both of the below optional activities:
• Oldupai Gorge Museum: Sometimes known as the Cradle of Mankind, the Oldupai Gorge Museum commemorates some of the oldest evidence of human habitation ever found. Here you can see some of the oldest fossil evidence in the world of human habitation, visit the Oldupai Gorge Museum to learn more about the human journey, and take in the stunning views of this stark gorge country.
• Maasai boma visit: Pay a visit to one of the famous Maasai bomas, where you’ll have the opportunity to witness (and participate in) traditional Maasai dance, tour an authentic Maasai village, and even do a little souvenir shopping at the local market.
Both of the above activities attract an additional cost. Speak with your safari expert about adding them to your itinerary.
You’ll then make your way into the Ndutu region of the park, where tens of thousands of young Wildebeest take their first steps on the long road towards the distant Maasai Mara.
You’ll have time for an afternoon game drive through the region before checking into your accommodation.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Ndutu

Ndutu Lake - You’ll be up before dawn so that we can enjoy a sunrise game drive along the shores of Lake Ndutu. As far as the eye can see, thousands upon thousands of animals graze on the lush grass.
You’ll then head to the nearby Gol Plains, where you’ll have the chance to spot carnivores such as cheetahs and lions in action while it is still cool enough for them to hunt.
From here, it’s on to Lake Masek, a freshwater lake that is home to water birds and hippopotamuses. Surrounding the lake is enough undergrowth to attract elephants, giraffes, and antelopes, making it a fantastic place to snap pictures of these beautiful creatures against a unique backdrop.
You’ll then venture out onto the Serengeti proper for a game drive. Here you’ll have the chance to spot graceful giraffes and leaping antelopes, foraging hyenas, lean cheetahs, shy leopards, and the regal lions that have become symbolic of Africa.

Ndutu - Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongoro Conservation Area - After early breakfast collect your picnic lunch boxes set out for full day game in Ngorongoro crater. Ngorongoro Crater is a deep, volcanic crater and the largest unbroken caldera in the world. About 20 kilometers (12 miles) across, 600 meters (1,969 feet) deep and 300 square kilometers (186 square miles) in area, the Ngorongoro Crater is a breathtaking natural wonder. Within the crater rim large herds of zebra and wildebeest graze nearby while sleeping lions laze in the sun. At dawn, the endangered black rhino returns to the thick cover of the crater forests after grazing on dew-laden grass in the morning mist. Just outside the crater’s ridge, tall Maasai herd their cattle and goats over green pastures living alongside the wildlife as they have for centuries.
Dinner and overnight on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater or in nearby Karatu Town according to the standard and the type of accommodation requested from our options.

Ngorongoro - Arusha - Zanzibar

Stone Town - After breakfast, drive back to Arusha for lunch before departing with a scheduled flight to Zanzibar.
Upon arrival, Ndoto Safari’s representative will take you to your Stone Town accommodation.

In Zanzibar Island

Stone Town - After breakfast, you’ll be picked up by your guide for a day of cultural exploration.
Your day starts with a guided tour of Stone Town’s labyrinthine alleys, bustling market bazaars, and historic sites. You’ll learn about the city’s history as a spice port, its dark period as a major slave port, and the many times control of the island has changed hands.
After your exploration is complete, you’ll head to a local spice plantation for your chance to taste, smell, see, and even cook with the herbs, spices, and tropical fruits that first put Zanzibar on the map. It’s a terrific way to engage with the local culture and have a delicious meal at the same time!
You’ll return to your accommodation in the evening.

Stone Town - Zanzibar East

Zanzibar - You’ll be picked up after breakfast and whisked away to your beachfront accommodation.
You’ll have today to relax and enjoy Zanzibar’s famous white sand beaches and turquoise waters. Upon request, Ndoto Safari can assist in arranging additional guided tours and day trips.

In Zanzibar Island

Zanzibar Island - Enjoy Zanzibar’s famous white sand beaches and turquoise waters. Upon request, Ndoto Safari’s can assist in arranging additional guided tours and day trips.

Depart

Stone Town - Pick up after breakfast and transferred to Zanzibar Airport for your onward travel.

What's Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Additional Information

Life begins for a huge number of animals in the Ndutu region that straddles the southern Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. In the space of a few short weeks, the calving season sees half a million young wildebeest brought into the world - with an average of 8,000 wildebeest born each day. It is here that the vast herd begins to take shape, and it is here that the predators begin their yearlong assault upon the herd. With so many young and weak calves stumbling around, it becomes easy for the lions, leopards, and cheetahs to pick off a tasty morsel.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
October 2024
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