Compare Wild Tanzania & Gorillas by Aardvark Safaris vs Essence of Tanzania by Rothschild Safaris

Day 1

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Rivertrees Country Inn

On arrival into Kilimanjaro International Airport in Tanzania today you will be met and driven to Rivertrees Country Inn where you stay overnight on a bed and breakfast basis.

An intimate, family run guesthouse, Rivertrees Country Inn in Tanzania rests at the foot of Mount Meru near the Usa River. Equidistant from Kilimanjaro Airport and Arusha, the inn is positioned within ten acres of beautiful gardens. Planted by owner Martina Gerken-Trappe, the garden comes to live with an abundance of colorful exotic flowers.

Blending old world charm with African country style and hospitality, accommodation at Rivertrees Country Inn comprises 18 individually styled garden rooms and two spacious riverside cottages with decking and a fireplace. The recently built River House contains two elegantly decorated bedrooms, which can be booked individually or exclusively. The inn has an on-site pool and relaxing bar and restaurant. If you so wish, you can dine in privacy at the original house or on a quiet terrace with views across the river.

Rivertrees Country Inn in Tanzania is perfect if you want to relax for a night or two prior to or following your safari. During your stay, you enjoy trips into Arusha National Park, visits to the nearby town, or you can simply relax prior to the most demanding leg of your trip.

Day 2
This morning you will be collected from Rivertrees and driven to Arusha in time to take a scheduled light aircraft flight to Tarangire.
You will be met on arrival at Tarangire airstrip and driven to Olivers Camp where you stay for three nights on a full board basis including all meals, house drinks, laundry and scheduled safari activities.

The long established Oliver's Camp has moved several times over the years but has finally settled in one of the most amazing sites in northern Tanzania's Tarangire National Park. Lying in the center of Masailand, with views across a flood plain of Minyonyo Pools, a section of the Tarangire River, a stay at the camp gives you breathtaking vistas and close contact to the wilderness.

Oliver's Camp provides low impact accommodation with an authentic cozy style and outstanding personal service. You sleep in one of ten tents equipped with solid wooden furniture, soft linens, and en-suite facilities. After a day of game viewing, relax with a drink in the dining room or retreat with a good book into the library tent.
During your stay at Oliver's Camp, you enjoy guided walking safaris and mobile safaris that enable you to fly camp and spend a night under the stars. Your excellent guides help you encounter the vast array of birds and animals local to this part of Tanzania. This abundance of wildlife makes game drives in open 4x4s an exhilarating experience.

Day 5
A scheduled light aircraft flight will take you from Tarangire to Lake Manyara airstrip today when you will be met and driven to Gibbs Farm.
The next two nights will be spent at Gibbs Farm on a full board basis to include all meals.

Brimming with colonial charm and character, Gibb's Farm in Tanzania is an old farmhouse that forms the center of a working African farm. Positioned centrally between Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater, the farm enjoys amazing views across the coffee plantation and access to the forested Ngorongoro Conservation Area behind. Exquisitely manicured gardens look out across the Great Rift Escarpment.

Eighteen airy chalets make up Gibb's Farm Lodge. Each is quietly hidden amid a private flower garden and is complete with en-suite bathroom, inviting fireplace, and uninterrupted views which you enjoy from your secluded terrace. Meals at this Tanzanian farm are a hearty, homegrown affair using fresh, organic produce and served in the welcoming rustic dining room.

You are free to explore the vast floral and medicinal gardens, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area forest, and over 30 acres of surrounding farmland. If you want to extend your horizons during your stay then consider a tour of nearby Lake Manyara or Ngorongoro Crater.

Day 7

This morning you will be driven to Lake Manyara airstrip, where you will meet your onward flight to Kogatende. You will be met on arrival at the airstrip and transferred by a game drive to Serengeti Safari Camp.

Your three-night stay at Serengeti Safari Camp is on a full board basis to include all meals, house drinks, laundry and safari activities.

Serengeti Safari Camp is a temporary camp that relocates to different areas of Tanzania's Serengeti National Park to get the most from each season, following the wildebeest migration. The camp is in the south from December through March moving to the central and northern Serengeti in June.

The camp comprises six elegantly furnished tents, one of which is a family tent with two bedrooms and an adjoining sitting area. Your tent has all modern ensuite conveniences including a traditional bucket shower and an eco-flush toilet. Meals are shared under the night sky or inside the dining tent. The staff at this small, friendly camp is available at all times to ensure you have everything you need.

Often, when people imagine African safaris, it's the wide open plains of the Serengeti that come to mind. The park is renowned for its wealth of resident game, including many predators, and the spectacle of the annual wildebeest and zebra migration. With the camp's superb guides, you'll have a front-row seat.

Day 10

Meals: Breakfast

 Accommodation: Kigali Serena Hotel

A scheduled light aircraft this morning will depart from Kogatende to Kigali where you will be welcomed by a guide and driven to Kigali Serena Hotel. Your overnight stay here is on a bed and breakfast basis.

Located close to the heart of Rwanda's capital city, Kigali, the Serena Hotel is a luxurious five-star hotel a 15-minute taxi ride from the airport. It is ideal as a comfortable stopover for a night or two at the beginning or end of your Rwandan safari.
Serena Hotel comprises 148 excellent en-suite rooms. You can choose between standard, deluxe, and superior rooms, as well as junior, executive and presidential suites.

The hotel is fully equipped with modern conveniences as well as a lovely swimming pool, great restaurant and relaxing bar.There is a poignant genocide memorial in Kigali, not far from Serena Hotel in Rwanda, which you are free to visit.

Day 11

Accommodation: Virunga Lodge

This morning you will be collected from the Kigali Serena Hotel by your guide, who will brief you on your safari before setting off to Volcanoes National Park.  Your journey north will take you through the beautiful terraced hillsides that characterize much of Rwanda's landscape, gradually climbing to Virunga Lodge at the base of the spectacular Virunga volcanoes range, sometimes with as many as five peaks visible.  This drive takes approximately three hours.

Your three-night stay at Virunga lodge is on a full board basis which includes all meals, house drinks, laundry and two gorilla tracking permits per person.
Tracking the gorillas through the light mountain forest on the slopes of the Virungas is a magical experience. If you are lucky you can get to the gorillas, spend an hour with them, and be back at the base in time for a late lunch!  Some gorilla families, however, are more elusive and tracking can take a full day, especially when it is wet and muddy.

Aside from gorilla tracking, you can climb the Visoke or Karisimbi volcanoes, track golden monkeys, visit the remains of the Karisoke Centre which Dian Fossey set up, visit Dian Fossey's grave and the gorilla cemetery, visit the Roz Carr Imbabazi orphanage, relax on the shores of Lake Kivu, or take a guided walk to Lake Bulera and experience local village life.

Perched high on a ridge, Virunga Lodge gives you inspirational views across the Virunga Volcano range as well as Lakes Ruhondo and Bulera. Just three hours' drive from Rwanda's capital city, Kigali, and an hour from the Ugandan border, Virunga Lodge is less than an hour away from the gorilla tracking in Parc National des Volcans (PNV).
Virunga Lodge comprises eight spacious and luxuriously furnished standard ensuite cottages equipped with a private ensuite bathroom with flushing toilet, double vanity and showers with hot and cold running water.  There are also two newly built larger deluxe cottages, Ibiyaga, and Ibirunga, complete with their own sitting room and fireplace and a modern adjoining bathroom.  Each cottage has its own secluded terrace, which enjoys views across the valley, lakes and volcanoes, as do the lounge, bar and dining room. 24-hour electricity is generated solely by solar panels. Please note that the pathways to and from the lodge are steep.

Rwanda's Parc National des Volcans lies adjacent to national parks in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo and gets its name from the string of volcanoes that lie within it. The park is home to half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas. Tracking the resident gorilla families, made up of between seven and 35 members, is the focus for most visitors. When you are not watching gorillas, you can climb the Visoke or Karisimbi volcanoes (5-6 hours), track a troop of golden monkeys (2-3 hours), visit the remains of the Karisoke center (3-4 hours) founded by Dr. Dian Fossey, visit Iby'Iwacu cultural village, the Buhanga Sacred Forest, or Musanze Caves, or take a quiet walk around the beautiful villages near the lakes. Visits to the nearby Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project are also possible at additional cost.

Please discuss your wishes for additional activities with your guide when you first arrive. Several of them, such as golden monkeys and climbing the volcanoes can only be done in the morning while others such as lake visits or a trip to the cultural center can more easily be included after tracking gorillas.

Day 14
Today, you leave for Kigali. Time permitting, you can go for a tour of the city including a visit to the market, a pottery project, handicraft shops, and the genocide memorial, before heading to the airport to meet your onward international flight, or continue with another African adventure.

Day 1 - 2: Tanzania: Arusha - Rivertrees Country Inn, Garden Room

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Rivertrees Country Inn

Today you will fly into Kilimanjaro. A special meet & greet has been arranged for your arrival to assist you through customs, immigration and to collect your bags. Please look out for an airport representative with your name on a signboard. You will be assisted to meet with your driver for your private road transfer to your accommodation.

Accommodation:

Rivertrees Country Inn is a charming country estate that was once an old coffee farm, and still retains the nostalgic air of a well-loved homestead. Sprawling 10 acres of fertile greenery, the grounds are a natural extension of Mt Meru’s sloping foothills, and offer a sanctuary for the birds and wildlife indigenous to the area. Elegantly rustic cottages are dotted along the river and in thickets of tall trees, while lush lawns and birdsong make for a peaceful and picturesque setting.

Dinner will be served upon arrival.

Inclusions:

Your 2 night stay includes:

• WiFi - Signal strength can be intermittent

Activities:

Optional activities for an additional cost: Canoeing, mountain biking, local village tour. Note: activities are shared unless otherwise stated. Water activities are water dependent.

Day 3 - 4: Tanzania: Tarangire National Park - Kuro Camp, Safari Tent

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Kuro Camp

This morning you will transfer with your guide by road to Tarangire National Park and your next accommodation.

Accommodation:

Kuro Camp is set in central Tarangire away from the busy north, amid a grove of Acacia and Kigelia trees on the banks of the Tarangire River- often a dry, sandy course snaking through this quiet area of the park. The camp has a total of 6 light and stylish safari tented rooms. All the rooms rest among the trees with views of the African bush and have en-suite bucket showers and flush eco-toilets.

Inclusions:

Your 2 night stay includes:

• Local beverages (house wine, beer, spirits and soft drinks)
• Laundry - Please allow 24 hours for your laundry to be returned to you

Activities:

Morning and afternoon game drives, walking safari, bush picnics. Optional activities for an additional cost: Spot light night drive. Note: activities are shared unless otherwise stated.

Day 4: Night Game Drive

The adventure doesn’t end at sunset; continue your drive through the vast wilderness in search of game as it gets dark. Sway to the movement of an open vehicle while wrapped warmly against the night cold. You might hear the call of a Nightjar darting overhead, or see the flash of eyes reflected from the bushes. Drop your head back and look up at the crisp night skies that seem to go on forever. You guide will pull out the spotlight, giving you the opportunity to spot a host of nocturnally active animals such as hyena, lion or leopard. Keep an eye out for other creatures of the night such as porcupines, civets and genets.

Day 5 - 6: Tanzania: Ngorongoro Crater - Plantation Lodge, Double Room

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Plantation Lodge

Today you will be met at your accommodation and driven to your next accommodation.

Accommodation:

The Plantation Lodge is located just outside the small village of Karatu about half way between the Crater and Lake Manyara. This makes it the perfect spot for those looking for a safari day in each and a lovely, peaceful place to go back to afterwards. The 15 rooms, 7 suites and 2 family units are all individually furnished, melting harmoniously into the flowering garden offering comfort and relaxation. All rooms have private en-suite bathrooms with a verandah or terrace with a view of the gardens. Facilities include a swimming pool, souvenir shop and beauty treatments.

Inclusions:

Your 2 night stay includes:

• Laundry - Please allow 24 hours for your laundry to be returned to you
• WiFi - Signal strength can be intermittent

Activities:

Morning or afternoon game drive. Note: activities are shared unless otherwise stated.

Day 5: Private Vehicle and Guide

Today you will met by your guide with private vehicle which you will have available to you for the remainder of your trip.

Day 6: Ngorongoro Crater Drive

Today you will descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, the largest intact, unflooded caldera in the world. The crater is a World Heritage Site, commonly considered the 8th Wonder 0f The World. The enduring charm of Ngorongoro Crater stems from its overwhelming physical beauty and the abundance of wildlife that permanently reside on the crater floor.

Depending on the season, populations of approximately 25,000 to 30,000 large animals live in the crater. This includes, reputedly, the highest density of mammalian predators in Africa. An astonishing 55 different species of mammal have been counted in the crater together with over 400 species of birds, so your wildlife viewing is going to be spectacular. Aside from herds of zebra, gazelle, and wildebeest, the crater is home to the "Big Five" of rhinoceros, lion, leopard, elephant, and buffalo. Hyenas are the most numerous predators and are constantly at war with the lion. There are also ongoing skirmishes between buffalo and lion.

Day 7 - 9: Tanzania: Serengeti National Park - Legendary Serengeti Mobile Camp, Tent

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Legendary Serengeti Mobile Camp

After breakfast this morning, you will be transferred to the local airstrip for your flight to Serengeti National Park, then by road your next accommodation.

Lake Manyara - Serengeti National Park, Shared Charter flight

Accommodation:

Legendary Serengeti Mobile Camp is set up near the Great Migration in the famous Serengeti, where great migration herds of more than 2 million wildebeest & zebra and their attendant predators are constantly on the move, driven by an endless search for food and water. The camp consists of 10 en-suite tents. The bathrooms have flush toilets and bucket-style showers. Breakfast or lunch is often set up under shade of an old tree on the untamed Serengeti plains. Evenings are spent enjoying fine wine or well-aged toast around a roaring campfire under a star-filled sky.

Inclusions:

Your 3 night stay includes:

• Local beverages (house wine, beer, spirits and soft drinks)
• Laundry - Please allow 24 hours for your laundry to be returned to you

Activities:

Morning and afternoon game drives, walking safaris, bird watching. Note: activities are shared unless otherwise stated.

Day 10:

This morning you will transfer to the local airstrip for your flight to Arusha. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to Rivertrees Country Inn, where you will have a day use room to refresh and relax. Later this evening you will be transferred to Kilimanjaro in time to connect with your international departure flight.

Serengeti National Park - Arusha, Shared Charter flight