4 Days Balloon Safari
- One day game drive in Tarangire, which has some of the highest population density of elephants as compared to anywhere in Tanzania, and its sparse vegetation, strewn with baobab and acacia trees, makes it a beautiful and distinctive location to visit.
- Three days in Serengeti, including an unforgettable Hot Air Balloon flight, followed by an exquisite champagne breakfast
Arrival in Tanzania
On arrival at the airport you will be personally met and escorted by one of our guides to your accommodation. Here you will have the rest of the day at Leisure. Later in the evening you will meet our guide who will brief you on next day’s activities and tips for the Safari.
Day 1 Arusha - Tarangire National Park
After breakfast you are met by our professional tour guide/driver, who will deliver a short safari info briefing, after which we travel east to the Tarangire National Park. The park runs along the line of the Tarangire River and is mainly made up of low-lying hills on the Great Rift Valley floor. Its natural vegetation mainly consists of Acacia woodland and giant African Baobab trees, with huge swamp areas in the south. Both the river and the swamps act like a magnet for wild animals, during Tanzania's dry season. The Tarangire National Park is reputed to contain some of the largest elephant herds in Africa. We will enjoy a picnic lunch inside the park and do two exciting morning and afternoon game drives, along the Tarangire River. Late afternoon we depart for Mto wa mbu a small town which is a souvenir hunters paradise, harboring thousands souvenir salesmen - ready to pounce at your slightest invitation located near Manyara National park where we will end our first day safari adventure. Dinner and overnight as per standard and type of accommodation option requested
Day 2 Mto wa Mbu - Serengeti Plains
After breakfast we head towards the Serengeti National Park, via the beautiful high lying farmland of Karatu and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Leaving the highlands behind, we descend into the heart of wild Africa - the Serengeti National Park - with its endless plains, rolling into the distance as far as the eye can see. We head to the central park area, known as the Seronera area, one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park, featuring the Seronera River, which provides a valuable water source to this area and therefore attracts wildlife well representative of most of the Serengeti's species. We arrive in time for lunch and enjoy an afternoon game drive in the Serengeti national park. Dinner and overnight as per standard and type of accommodation option requested.
Day 3 Serengeti Plains and Hot Air Balloon
Probably the most beautiful balloon flight in the world and the ultimate Safari Experience. 5:00 am, Serengeti Balloon Safaris will collect you from your Central Serengeti, Western Corridor, or Serengeti South lodge or camp, and transfer you by Landrover/Landcruiser to the launch site. Here you will meet your pilot, receive a briefing and watch the inflation of your balloon.
At dawn we take off, rising as the sun rises and float whichever direction the winds of the morning take us. Your pilot can precisely control the altitude of your balloon: sometimes flying at treetop height, sometimes lower, offering a unique perspective and great photographic opportunities of the wildlife below. At other times our pilot may ascend to 1000 ft or more to see the enormity and wonderful panorama of the Serengeti. From time to time the pilot must put more heat into the balloon with the powerful whisper burners. In between these burns, there is silence apart from the natural sounds below.
The flight is for about one hour depending on conditions, and eventually you must land. You celebrate in the traditional manner with champagne (well, an excellent sparkling wine) before sitting down to a full English breakfast prepared and served in the bush in “Out of Africa” style with bone china, linen table cloth, King’s silver etc.
After breakfast you receive your Serengeti Balloon certificate and later meet up with your safari driver ready to continue your day’s activities, whereby you we will start game viewing drive along the Sogore River Circuit, which loops into the plains south of the Seronera River, and which is good for possible Lion, Thomson gazelle, Topi, ostrich and cheetah sightings. The Visitor Centre close to the Serengeti Seronera Lodge and public campsites is well worth a visit after the morning's game drive. This nicely designed Centre offers some interesting wildlife displays as well as a gift shop selling information leaflets and maps of the area. The Centre also has a shop where cold drinks and snacks can be purchased, as well as a picnic area and information trail up and around a nearby kopje. We will enjoy a relaxed picnic lunch at the Centre in the shade of the giant acacia trees. In the afternoon we will head to a Public Campsite for a hot lunch and a one hour rest. After this we will follow the Kopjes Circuit, which goes anti-clockwise around the Maasai Kopjes, which usually attract a number of lion and some formidably large cobras. Kopjes are weathered granite outcrops, scattered around the plains, most of which are miniature ecosystems, providing shade and drinking water in pools left in the rock after the rains. This makes the kopjes particularly good for spotting wildlife in the dry seasons - including lions, which like to lie in wait for animals coming to drink!. Dinner and overnight as per standard and type of accommodation option requested.
Day 4 - Serengeti Plains - Arusha
Today is our last day in the Serengeti National Park. We will once again visit some kopjes on our way out of the park and will do a morning game drive in the Simba Kopjes area. The kopjes are named after the lions, which frequently use these kopjes to just lie and bath in the sun. You may also see baboon, giraffe and some interesting birds in this area. Later in the afternoon we will head back to Arusha to end our Adventure. Dinner and overnight in Arusha as per standard and type of option requested.
GROUP SIZE |
BUDGET CAMPING PRICES PER PERSON |
LUXURY LODGE PRICES PER PERSON |
1 PERSON |
Contact us for details |
Contact us for details |
2 - 3 PERSON |
1925 USD |
2740 USD |
4 - 6 PERSON |
1510 USD |
2335 USD |
Included in this package
Please Note: Most dietary requirement can be catered for. Please inform us of any specific dietary requirements and these will be communicated to the Chef lodge who will prepare your meals during Safari
Not included in this package
- All park entry fees (VAT Inclusive)
- Balloon fees plus Government concession fees
- Transport with qualified driver/guide in 4×4 vehicles with viewing roof
- Accommodation full board while on Safari
- 3 meals per day while on safari ( breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- Bottle of drinking water while on safari
Please Note: Most dietary requirement can be catered for. Please inform us of any specific dietary requirements and these will be communicated to the Chef lodge who will prepare your meals during Safari
Not included in this package
- Tips for driver/guide (20USD per guide per day)
- All personal items
- Meals outside the regular itinerary
- Medical Evacuation costs and trip insurance
- International visa for Tanzania
- Airfares and airport taxes