Hi. We are 3 women in our late 50s planning our first African Safari. We will be going to Tanzania in February. The tentative itinerary is:
Day 1 Arrival Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)
Arusha.
Accommodation: Mount Meru Game Lodge,
Day 2: (recover from Jet Lag)
Accommodation: Mount Meru Game Lodge
Day 3: Tarangire National Park , Oliver's Camp
Day 4: Tarangire / Lake Manyara National Park, Gibbs Farm
Day 5: Lake Manyara / Ngorongoro: : Ngorongoro Lemala Camp
Day 6: Ngorongoro / Serengeti National Park: : Bilila Lodge
Day 7: Central Serengeti: Bilila Lodge
Day 8 and 9: Southern Serengeti: Lake Masek Tented Camp
Day 10: Serengeti / Kilimanjaro / Departure (fly back from Serengeti to Arusha/JRO)
Any comment on this itinerary? If we would add one more day, where do you think we should add it?
Thank you!!!
Where would you add a day to my tentative Tanzania itinerary?
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It looks like you are pretty much changing accommodations every night (other than 2 nights Bilila Lodge) - that seems very rushed! Can you add a couple nights and stay longer at one of the camps? Two visits (1 afternoon, 1 morning) in the crater would be great. Another day in the Serengeti would be great. Instead of just recovering from jet lag on day 2 suggest visiting Arusha National Park - it's small but filled with animals, flamingoes on the lake, definitely worth seeing. You are probably arriving on an evening flight and will sleep well that first night. Hanging around the lodge all day would be less interesting than seeing ANP.
Agree with the above comment - although I read it that you have 2 nights at Billa and two nights at Lake Masek - right? I'd drop the second night getting over jet lag and add it and another night to existing two night accommodations or maybe add another 2 nights in one location. We were 3 nights in two camps in the Serengeti and that was ideal for us.
Oliver's at Tarangire is way south in the park and if only 1/nt and next morning heading out to Manyara, I'd do 2/nts Tarangire and skip Manyara park itself, but can stop at Mto-wu-Mbu for a walk-about this ethnically diverse community with lunch at Gibb's then onto the Crater and overnight on the rim where Lemala Camp is a great choice. This way you can do the next morning crater tour.
This opens up another day for safari at Ndutu or Central Serengeti, where it is a good idea to split the time in these areas (never any guarantee where the herds will be from day-to-day) Bilila Lodge a great choice especially since it's the only property that has a/c during the rather hot daytime temps when you might be during mid-day... also a pool.
Day 1 - Arv. Arusha - o/n
Day 2 - Arusha; option Arusha NP or visit N'gresi village - o/n
Day 3 - Tarangire - o/n Oliver's
Day 4 - Tarangire - o/n Oliver's
Day 5 - Via Manyara, stop at Mto-wu-Mbo (maybe visiit school/orphanage); lunch at Gibb's, onto Ngo - o/n Lemala Camp
Day 6 - Ngo; morning crater tour; onto Central Serengeti or Ndutu* - o/n Bilila or Lk. Masek
Day 7, 8, 9 & 10 - Central Serengeti/Ndutu - o/n
Day 11 - Fly to Arusha; dayroom; then homebound
*depending on availability and/or consecutive nights during this very very busy period.
Good luck!