11-Nights East Africa’s Great Migration - Tailormade Journeys

Beneath the watchful gaze of Mount Meru, Arusha bustles with the energy of a gateway city, a final embrace of urban life before venturing into Tanzania’s untamed wilderness.

Within Tarangire National Park, ancient baobabs stand sentinel over vast elephant herds. Immerse yourself in the wilds on arrival, setting out on your first game drive and pausing for a picturesque picnic lunch. On settling into your camp perched atop an escarpment, take in vistas across the perennial Tarangire River and valley below.

Custom 4x4 vehicles enhance a full day of game viewing of large herds of zebras and wildebeest, along with giraffes, lions and prolific birdlife. Beyond traditional game drives, guided walking safaris offer intimate encounters with the bush, while night game drives follow the steps of nocturnal animals.

Your journey continues from Tarangire to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a vast UNESCO World Heritage Site and haven for the Big Five — lions, leopards, rhinoceroses, elephants and Cape buffalo. En route, a tuk-tuk ride takes you through a bustling local market. After lunch at Gibb’s Farm — a working coffee plantation in the highlands — arrive at your charming Cape Dutch-style lodge.

Ngorongoro Crater — a vast caldera — descends thousands of feet to reveal a self-contained world teeming with African wildlife. Wildebeest, zebras, buffalo and gazelle graze on the plains, while waterbuck, bushbuck and eland find refuge in the forests. The crater is also home to a healthy elephant population, alongside black rhinos, hippos and flamingos. Later, visiting a traditional Maasai village lends a cultural dimension to the day.

Morning brings a short flight to storied Serengeti National Park, its sun-drenched grasslands echoing with thundering hooves and stealthy movements of apex predators. A&K arranges the most suitable camp or lodge for your stay, carefully considering your travel dates and the location of the annual Great Migration, when millions of wildebeest, zebras and gazelle journey across the Serengeti in pursuit of fresh grazing lands, facing predators like crocodiles, hyenas and big cats.

While the migration is a highlight from July and October, the Serengeti offers consistent wildlife viewing throughout the year. Lions, cheetahs and spotted hyenas are regularly observed hunting Cape buffalo, waterbuck and giraffes across the savanna.

The Serengeti’s diverse ecosystem — encompassing forests, wetlands and grasslands — provides a continuous backdrop for wildlife viewing. Here, the earth trembles beneath the rush of migrating herds and the air stills with the silent watch of predators under the vast African sky.

Cross the border into Kenya and fly to the vast Maasai Mara Game Reserve. Kenya’s finest wildlife spectacle offers exceptional game viewing throughout the year thanks to an unending landscape that’s home to approximately 450 bird species, 95 animal species and predators from leopards to lions.

The Maasai Mara unfolds, an expanse of open savanna, woodlands and tree-fringed rivers. Amid the stunning scenery, observe Maasai tribesmen as they traverse the plains or skillfully herd goats and cattle. The chance to visit a neighboring Maasai village offers a glimpse into their unique culture.

Witness another day of drama in the wild — perhaps a leopard retrieving its kill from the canopy of an acacia tree or a herd of elephants defending their young from opportunistic lions. For some tips on capturing this amazing panorama on film, drop by the Ishara Mara photography studio for inspiration and tips.