Walking / Hikking Safari
A walking safari is the best way to get as close as possible to the wildlife you came to Africa to see. After seeing the beautiful animals, plants and trees up close and personal you’ll have a better understanding of how the ecosystem works. Bush walks available in some areas of the national parks and outside the park boundaries.
There are many different walks available, ranging from easy to strenuous. It is an unforgettable experience and is completely safe as you are accompanied by an experienced guide and park ranger. We remember our first time seeing game up close and on foot and nothing compares to it; a true bush experience.
Being in the bush, with all the sights, sounds and smells of Africa is something you can’t fully experience from inside a vehicle. When you walk through the land like this you are in the animals’ territory. Tarangire is famous for walking safaris but we can also organize this in ,Arusha National Park , Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti National Park near Sayari Tented Camp, Empaakai Creater and Lake Natron!
SUGGESTED ITINERARY IN NGORONGORO CRATER
Day 1: Arusha – Olmoti Crater – Nainokanoka; 2km/1.24miles: In the morning you will be picked up from your hotel and head to the village of Mto wa Mbu. Along the way, you can see the escarpment of the Great Rift Valley rising ahead. From a viewpoint, the Maasai plains stretch up to the horizon with Lake Manyara at your feet. After entering the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, the fantastic views continue along the crater road with a nearby campsite. The camp will be set up near the Maasai village of Nainokanoka. In the afternoon, you will climb the rim of Olmoti Crater. The reward of the climb is the great view that you get from the top of the crater edge. There is also a possibility to visit a small waterfall along the way.
Day 2: Nainokanoka – Bulati; 16km/9.94miles: In the morning, you will meet your Maasai guide. The guide is escorted by a couple of donkeys who will carry the luggage for the upcoming trek. The journey begins by passing many traditional Maasai bomas and their cattle. After a short distance, wild animals can be seen, including Thompson and Grant’s gazelles, zebras and wildebeest. Where there are many animals, hungry jackals are not far away and high in the sky majestic eagles are observing the situation. The campsite for the night will be reached after 16km, close to the Maasai village Bulati.
Day 3: Bulati – Empakai; 9km/5.6miles: After breakfast, the journey goes up a hill where you can take a panoramic view of the grass plains. The trek continues up and down through the bushy landscape which finally opens up to the active volcano, Oldonyo Lengai. The trek gives you great views of the majestic volcano as well as into the impressive Empakai Crater before reaching the campsite for the night. A well-maintained track goes to the crater bottom, of which one third is covered by the Empakai Lake. This alkaline lake is an important home to flamingos, which can be observed throughout the year. During the night you might hear the flamingo calls as they fly back to their breeding nests at Lake Manyara and Lake Natron.
Day 4: Empakai Crater – Acacia Camp; 13km/8miles: Today, the journey goes to the Maasai village Naiyobi. While following a good track, the village as well as Oldonyo Lengai can be seen from a distance. Just after lunch in Naiyobi, the trek leaves the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area and the landscape becomes drier and warmer. The camp will be set up at a forest with yellow acacia.
Day 5: Acacia Camp – Engare Sero – Arusha; 6km/3.73miles: The last stage of the journey is shorter and goes mainly downhill. The highlights of the trek are the great views of Oldonyo Lengai, Lake Natron and the Rift Valley. A big part of the rugged countryside is covered by the ashes of the last eruption in the year 2007, which add to the surreal picture of the landscape.
The trek goes deeper down into the dry and hot Rift Valley, where the dried out ashes can be viewed from up close. Just before lunchtime, you will reach the waiting jeep. Our driver will bring you to Lake Natron Lodge for a well-deserved cold drink or straight back to Arusha.