Horseback riding safari, pass farm and bushland and dry riverbeds with rough but beautiful vegetation on the way to Kukuletwa Hot Springs. Then view the Big Five on game drives in Northern Parks
Kukuletwa Hot Springs; The Kukuletwa Hot Springs have a history with foreigners going back to around end of 1800. Early explorers were impressed with the incredible bio-diversity of the area which included innumerable numbers of big game. Later the area became a popular hunting ground for wealthy Europeans. During the past few decades much of the game has migrated further south to the Maasai Steppe and the Blue Mountains. However the area is still a haven to animals such as lesser kudus, gazelles, crocodiles, baboons, Sykes and Vervet monkeys, banded mongooses, and the shy nocturnal animals like porcupines, aardvarks, striped hyenas, serval, genet and civet cats. The variety of colourful birds is also impressive. Possibly the best thing about this place is that it remains largely unknown to most tourists so we usually have it to ourselves!
Safari Game Drives; View the Big Five on game drives in our open-top safari vehicles in Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater – great for photography! Enjoy an African Sundowner: Experience authentic African safari “sundowners” at exclusive Tanzanian game reserves.
Note: We do not place groups together. This way you are ensured the full attention of our guide, but with the added knowledge of our guides’ experiences. It also means that we can start the tour on the day you prefer.
Day 1: – Arrive, Tanzania Welcome to Tanzania; arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer to Makoa Farm. You will arrive late afternoon on Makoa Farm, the starting point for the safari. The 358-acre coffee and horse farm is nestled into the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro. The house and rooms are situated to take in spectacular views of this impressive mountain, Africa’s highest peak.
In the afternoon we will introduce you to the horses, help you to choose one to match your skill and start on a ride so you can become familiar with horses, tack and riding style.
The ride follows the boundary of the farm through grass and bush land which is used for grazing horses and cattle. Wild animals also inhabit the area, and unlike on other farms, we welcome them. These include Sykes monkeys, yellow baboons, duikers, bushbucks, reedbucks and bush pigs as well as nocturnal animals like aardvarks, porcupines and jackals.
Day 2: - Ride to Hot Springs After breakfast we start our horseback riding safari, making the most of the cool morning hours. On our way we pass farm- and bushland and dry riverbeds with rough but beautiful vegetation. A long valley offers many good possibilities for canter. A picnic lunch is served along the way.
We reach Kukuletwa Hot Springs in the afternoon. This is an amazing place where a river literally bubbles out of the ground, under the roots of a giant fig tree. The local name for them translates to “Water that boils”, which perhaps explains how they became known as “hot” springs, even though the water is perfectly refreshing. A dip in the springs will wash the dust away and afterwards there is time for relaxing in the shade of huge, ancient fig trees.
Later, a sumptuous bush meal is served under the stars. Tonight you sleep surrounded by the unforgettable sounds of the African bush!
Day 3: – Kukuletwa Hot Springs Awake to the gentle cooing of the African dove, and to a cup of steaming tea or coffee served in your tent. Then we head out on horseback for an early-morning ride to explore an area further downstream around the Sanya River. The terrain here is perfect for invigorating long canters.
Afterwards a brunch and a long siesta with enough time for a refreshing plunge into the spring. Late afternoon we take a guided walking tour of this unusual ecosystem, comprised of numerous springs and small streams. As we retrace the footsteps of Dr. Livingstone, keep alert for exotic birds, different types of monkeys, and for crocodiles!
Enjoy the warm colors of sunset, with Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru silhouetted in the distance. We return to camp for dinner.
Day 4: - Return to Makoa-Farm After a last plunge in the spring and breakfast we turn our horses back towards Makoa-Farm. We will take another route, passing through areas shaded by indigenous palm trees and riverine forest. A picnic lunch is served in the deep valley of Kikafu River (if the water levels are not too high, otherwise circumventing it) After lunch break and maybe another dip into the Kikafu River we continue our ride and reach Makoa Farm in the late afternoon.
Refreshments are served on the veranda. With luck Kilimanjaro will emerge from the cloud to bask in the evening light
Day 5: - Makoa Farm to Tarangire National Park This morning after breakfast you depart Makoa Farm in safari vehicles for wildlife viewing. Your destination today is prehistoric-looking Tarangire National Park, where you’ll see the African wilderness as the early explorers did – without crowds! One of the best parks on the northern circuit to see elephants, Tarangire’s wildlife population includes herds of zebra, jackal, giraffe, gazelle, and buffalo. Arrive at your safari lodge in time for lunch and an afternoon game drive into a landscape dotted with baobab trees and umbrella-thorn acacias. Join us for a welcome reception and dinner at Tarangire Sopa lodge or similar tonight. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
Day 6: - Tarangire Game Drives Spend a full day in Tarangire National Park on morning and afternoon game drives that reveal an honest glimpse of an unspoiled Africa. Home to over 550 species of birds (one of the highest number of bird species of any world habitat), and thousands of game animals, Tarangire boasts one of the highest concentrations of African wildlife during the dry season. Your open-top safari vehicle provides you with intimate viewing of this natural wilderness, considered one of Africa’s finest. You will spend the night at Tarangire River Camp or similar (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
Day 7: - Lake Manyara National Park Observe gazelle, waterbuck, impala, leopard and other year-round inhabitants of Tarangire National Park on a morning game drive. Depart Tarangire and travel to Lake Manyara National Park, considered a birdwatcher’s delight for the pink flamingos and great birds of prey; it is world-renowned among ornithologists. On the way, stop at a local school, where you’ll have an opportunity to interact with students and their teachers. Arrive at your lodge, set on the Rift Valley escarpment overlooking the park and valley below. Look for tree-climbing lions on an exciting afternoon game drive. Overnight at Lake Manyara Serena Lodge or similar. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
Day 8: - Nature and Village Walk at Manyara - Ngorongoro Conservation Area Encounter Lake Manyara’s flora and fauna this morning on a nature walk throughout the tranquil grounds of your lodge, whose interesting architecture was inspired by the area’s renowned birdlife and the geometric patterns of traditional Masai encampments. Visit the village of Mto wa Mbu, set on the banks of the river of the same name, for an in-depth look at tribal life in the African bush; take a look inside a typical home. After lunch, travel to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, home to Ngorongoro Crater – one of the largest concentrations of permanent wildlife in Africa. Overnight at Ngorongoro Rhino Lodge. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
Day 9: - Ngorongoro Crater Experience the true spirit of Africa, the Africa of bygone days, when you explore wildlife-rich Ngorongoro Crater, long regarded as Africa’s “Garden of Eden.” Within the walls of the crater lie short grasslands, swamps, forests and a freshwater lake, inspiring continual migration of animals in and out of the crater. From the comfort of your four-wheel drive vehicle, you’ll have an opportunity to spot the Big Five – buffalo, elephant, leopard, the black maned lion and the rare black rhinoceros – as well as hyenas, baboons, and flamingos. Enjoy a delightful picnic lunch in the heart of this ancient volcanic crater; it is sure to be a memorable highlight of your safari. Overnight at Ngorongoro Rhino Lodge. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
Day 10: - Journey Home In the morning after breakfast transfer to Arusha, where your safari ends; a day room has been reserved for you at Serena Mountain Village, Arusha, set within the lovely gardens of a tree-shaded coffee plantation overlooking Lake Duluti. Join us for lunch at the hotel. After lunch transfer from Serena Mountain Village, Arusha, to Kilimanjaro International Airport. (Breakfast and Lunch)
Price: For 2 - 4 People 2,445 Euro per person sharing,
Price Includes: - Accommodation in the Makoa guest accommodations and on the Hot Springs in fly-camp (dome-tents) and at the lodges in National Parks on safari, - All meals, snacks, tea and coffee, non-alcoholic beverages - All activities and horse riding, horse including all equipment - English speaking guides - Wine with dinner at Makoa only - Transport on safari and all airport transfers using 4WD vehicle with pop up roof
Price Excludes:[ - International flights - Spirits, tips and gratuities - And all not mentioned on the itinerary above
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This is a fantastic tour and a "must do" for any first time visitor to Dar, as I was.
It helps you understand more about the people who live in Dar and makes what can seem like a complex and intimidating place, accessible, friendly and understandable.
My customized 13-day trip in Tanzania was absolutely amazing!
From breathtaking Ngorongoro hiking to a taste of Kilimanjaro and local village visits, it was truly a life-changing experience.
My driver and tour manager went out of their way to accommodate my whims and made sure that my stay in Tanzania was a pleasant one. Unfortunately I fractured my ankle during one of the hikes I took, but I was taken to the hospital immediately, and taken a great care of.
I would definitely recommend this operator to anyone who's looking for a tour that's much more than just game drives.'
We went on a two day walking – canoeing trip in Arusha National Park. The tour operator also made hotel arrangements for the first three days we were in Arusha.
They stayed in contact for 11 months via email. The person I was in contact with Elifasi and our guide, Apolo Kihwil, meet us at the airport took us to our hotel. On our rest day we visited a school at our request and not part of the paid itinerary this was on their time.
Our guide Apolo was the best we had on our entire trip. He was informative, friendly and had a great sense of humor, we were rewarded with a dream trip my favorite giraffe and several at a time the last bunch we counted eleven, baboons, wart hogs, black and white monkeys, hundreds of thousand of lesser and greater flamingos on big Momella Lake he provide delicious lunches and was infinitely patient while we took photographs.
I would not hesitate to use them on my next trip to Tanzania and would request Apolo as our guide.
We had a most wonderful holiday in Kenya and Tanzania.
They looked after us very well and we were very satisfied with their service. The service provided value for money. The only comment we would make is that the email from them gave us the impression that we would be staying in a lodge but when we arrived we were in a tent. We were satisfied with the tented accomodation, however it could have been made clearer in the original email that it was tented accomodation.
The staff were very kind and helpful.
Tour Operators Reply:
Thank you for the client's feedback and contructive comment/suggestion. We are glad that they were very satisfied with the service we provided to them, despite their impression that they would be staying in a lodge instead of tent.
As per the first enquiry which the clients sent into our company, she stated that she will prefer to stay in Camping “Accommodation Preference: Camping” and the price given to them was based on Camping accommodation, and these was stated in the itinerary that “Dinner and overnight at the camp”
However, there was typing error at the end of the itinerary which indicates Lodge accommodation instead of Camping accommodation.
We will try our level best to make sure that this mistake will not happen again.
After having a wonderful safari in southern Africa organised through your webiste, we decided to return again to Tanzania after 45 years.
We booked a 19 day safari to visit six game parks...Selous, Mikumi, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Tarangari.
Our guide/driver, Hurumu, met us at the Dar airport and drove us to a hotel for our day of jet lag recovery. We drove to Selous first. We're not strangers to East Africa, having first arrived in 1963. By far, Hurumu is the best guide that we've ever had. He was extremely knowledgeable of wildlife, has great game eyes, a good conversationalist, and was very caring for all our needs. He understood our physical age limitations (74) but was not at all solicitous. Cool water was always available. Hurumu had the ability to always get the Toyota into position for the best photograph.
We made our initial contact the operator in 2009. Elifasi, in the office, worked with me to create the itinerary. He also was most helpful. While at Selous we requested an itinerary change. Elifasi made the changes without a problem.
The entire safari was most enjoyable and problem free.
The best of Kenya & Tanzania and they made that experience a reality. They were always on time, concerned about our well being and would without any reservations recommend them! The scenery and game viewing were all memorable and expectations met. Organizing the tour was also without any hassle
I went solo, a 50 something white woman, and me and _______ (I forget his name), rode around for 5 hours. It was a unbelievable experience.
He was a wonderful guide, I called him the "Mayor" because everybody knew him! He was so popular everywhere we went that I felt completely comfortable, safe, and like an invited family friend.
He showed me 3 or 4 neighborhoods, I met coffee makers, chapati breakfast cooks (had breakfast there with a Masaai family who stopped by!), a traditional herbalist (where I learned the treatment for meconium aspiration, I'm a perinatal pathologist!), herbal pharmacist (where I saw that fenugreek seed is used to facilitate delivery with prolonged labor), local market, fabric seller, and had a delicious lunch at an outside Swahili restaurant. I played with kids, talked with everyone, and really got a great sense of the community.
My guide also is very active in local projects and inspired me to help with a bridge rebuilding project he is spear heading. The bicycle riding was easy and really the only way to get around in these neighborhoods. It was by far the best experience I had in Dar, and one of the best I have had in my many travels in East Africa!
We could not have asked for abetter way to end our incredible adventures in Tanzania. We saw everything and did everything we could have ever imagined. From the big game watching in the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Lake Manyara, to ascending the highly active volcano next to Lake Natron, it was all so unbelievably incredible. A total dream come true!
Our guide Huruma had he most expansive breadth of knowledge of the natural environment, he was a pleasure to talk to. He was also extremely flexible with us as lans often changed for various reasons, but ALWAYS for the better. Huruma made us feel safe and comfortable the whole time. Alex our cook as wonderful as well making sure we had the best quality meals possiblemade from the freshest ingredients.
Choosing a safari operator is tough, but I will just say that I will always recommend these guys. They are very professional and will do everything to make sure you have the best trip possible. Thanks again for our lifetime memories. We will be back, so you will hear from us again.
Thanks Elfasi for all your time, flexibility and support in orchestrating this dream trip.
