Tailor Made holidays to Tanzania
Run by the same safari operators as our 'Sporty Safari' and 'Honeymoon Safari' these very special trekking holidays are the perfect way to get off the beaten track and see more of the 'real' Tanzania. Away from the busy national parks and big hotels of the Northern Circuit, journey on foot with local Maasai guides and enjoy the verdant Ngorongoro Highlands, unspoilt crater lakes and follow in the footsteps of ancient humans in the region where the oldest bones of mankind have been found! Call us on 01728 748209 or complete the enquiry form or talk to us on Live Chat.
Starting in Arusha you will be driven to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area main gate (near Ngorongoro Crater) then on either to Olmoti Crater (another 1.5 hrs) or to Empakai Crater (another 45 mins again). Empakai is closer to Lake Natron, so start at Olmoti if you want a longer trek.
All accommodation is included, transfers from and back to Arusha, all meals from lunch on day 1 to lunch on the last day, private safari driver guide(s), private trekking guide(s) [1 guide per 4 clients], private safari transport in 4WD Land Cruiser(s), bottled mineral water (3 ltrs pp per day), all park fees, campsite fees, vehicle and entry fees and all taxes. If you wish to climb Lengai there are supplements for the mountain guides, radio comms, trekking poles, helmets, transfers etc.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area covers a huge range of mountains in the highlands of Northern Tanzania. There are endless trails and paths amongst these hills, which the Maasai people know inside out. Your treks will either start at Olmoti Crater near Nainokanoka, where you climb through forest to the shallow, grassy crater and visit the beautiful waterfall on the Munge River, or from Empakai Crater. This is a pristine forested crater with no roads or human inhabitants. Hike down from the east rim to the crater floor then an easy walk to the lake where you can sometimes see huge flocks of flamingos. Across to Lake Natron, you stop at Acacia Camp near Oldoinyo Lengai, the 'active' volcano then past it to Natron where your trek ends. During the day, Maasai and their donkeys will pack up your camp and carry it to the next stop, leaving you with your guides to follow at a trekking pace.
Prices vary depending on the time of year, size of group and itinerary. The below itinerary prices are based on two people sharing a private vehicle, the more people share, the price is less ....
Empakai to Natron 2 nights / 3 days (prices from £1295 pp 2 people travelling or £832 pp 4 people travelling)
Day 1 - Drive Arusha to Empakai with picnic lunch. Trek on Empaki Crater floor. Overnight Empakai special campsite
Day 2 - Trek to Elerai - donkeys transport camp, overnight Acacia Private bush campsite
Day 3 - Trek to the base of Lengai, met by vehicle, return to Arusha early evening.
Empakai to Naton 3 nights / 4 days (prices from £1440 pp 2 people travelling or £940 pp 4 people travelling)
Option 1 (start Empakai):
Day 1 - Drive Arusha to Empakai with picnic lunch. Trek on Empaki Crater floor. Overnight Empakai special campsite
Day 2 - Trek to Elerai - donkeys transport camp, overnight Acacia Private bush campsite
Day 3 - Trek to the base of Lengai, met by vehicle, transfer to private campsite. Visit lower waterfall for cooling off! Option for overnight clibm of Lengai (priced seperately). Overnight Lake Natron Private Campsite
Day 4 - Morning walk on Natron flats to see Flamingos. Drive back to Arusha, including picnic lunch.
Option 2 (start Olmoti)
Day 1 - Drive Arusha to Olmoti with picnic lunch, trek at Olmoti Crater, overnight Empakai special campsite
Day 2 - Full day trek in Empakai Crater to the floor with picnic, overnight Empakai special campsite
Day 3 - Trek to Elerai, donkeys transport camp. Overnight Acacia Private bush campsite
Day 4 - Trek to base of Lengai, met by vehicle and transfer back to Arusha.
Empakai to Natron 4 nights / 5 days
Prices from £1665 pp for 2 people sharing or £1075 pp for 4 people sharing
There are two variations on this option. One with start Empakai, one night, one night Acacia camp then 2 nights at Lake Natron private camp and one with 2 nights at Empakai, 1 night Acacia and 1 night Lake Natron.
Empakai to Natron 5 nights / 6 days
Prices from £1740 pp for 2 sharing or £1115 pp for 4 sharing
Day 1 - Drive Arusha to Olmoti with picnic lunch, trek at Olmoti Crater, overnight Empakai special campsite
Day 2 - Full day trek in Empakai Crater to the floor with picnic, overnight Empakai special campsite
Day 3 - Trek to Elerai, donkeys transport camp. Overnight Acacia Private bush campsite
Day 4 - Trek to base of Lengai, met by vehicle transfer to private campsite. Visit lower waterfall for cooling off! Option for overnight clibm of Lengai (priced seperately). Overnight Lake Natron Private Campsite
Day 5 - for those not climbing Lengai, hike up to waterfall source (large waterfalls) 4-6 hours total, with picnics. Return to camp in the afternoon. Early evening walk on Natron flats to see flamingos with sundowner drinks. Overnight Lake Natron Private Campsite
Day 6 - Morning walk on Natron flats. Drive back to Arusha, including picnic lunch.
Empakai Private Campsite and Lake Natron Private Campsite: Dome tent camp in the wilderness. Sleeping tents, dining tent and campfire provided! Chefs will cook all the food, there are hot showers and portable flush toilets. Tents have metal frame beds, with 4" covered mattress, clean sleeping bags and liners plus pillow and pillow case. Towels provided. wash stand outside each tent. Toilet and shower tents are at the back and shared by all safari guests. The shower is a canvas bag with valve and shower head.
Acacia private bush camp: a fly camp in the bush, using small 'mountain' tents with foam mattresses on the ground, dining tent chairs and tables, toilet tent(s) but no shower tents. Buckets of wash water will be provided.