27/01/2025
The Calving Of Wildebeest & Big Cats,
$1820 per person
5 Days
16+ Age
Migration-Safaris
Ndutu pulsates with limitless numbers of wildebeests and zebras as these are the calving fields that ultimately populate the migration. From December through April, the fresh grasses of Ndutu attract millions of herding grazers to give birth to their young, as many as 8,000 a day! Here the newborns take their first steps, issue their first cries and quickly learn and grow to keep up with the vast herds of wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles. Then, come spring, they move north toward still more fresh grasses in the unending cycles of the Great Migration.
Tour Plan
Day 1 | Arusha – Ndutu Area
Departure Arusha and we’ll take off for the very special Ndutu Area. The Ndutu region comprises a large area of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, over 8,000 sq. km (3,088 sq. mi), which includes the crater, plus Olduvai Gorge, and immense plains, forests, and mountains.There are always great troves of wildlife to discover at Ndutu whatever time of year you arrive. If you should be here from December through May, you’ll be immersed in a vital aspect of the Great Migration – that of the calving season, when thousands of newborns drop onto Ndutu’s rich green fields. We’ll go on our first of three days of game drives over these plains and into the forests looking for grazers like wildebeests, gazelle, giraffe, and zebra. And all the big cats as well. nestling in the idyllic Ngorongoro area near Lake Masek.
Stay at: KonTiki Ndutu Camp | Half Board Basis
Day 2 | Full Day At Ndutu Area
Today is the first of two full days of game drives on these grasslands and acacia forests. During the migration season, you won’t have to look long or hard to spot the uncountable wildebeests and their young populating these savannahs.The same is true for the big cats that prowl these fields – lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, caracal, serval, and African wildcats. They too are attracted to the vulnerable newborns as prey for themselves and for their own newly born young. What follows is a life-and-death struggle between the animal mothers protecting their young and the predators seeking their own survival. The emotions that can arise during this wildlife drama add to this unforgettable spectacle.
Stay at: KonTiki Ndutu Camp | Full Board Basis
Day 3 | Full Day At Ndutu Area
Even during the dry season, you can expect to find plenty of wildlife in the Ndutu region, as many animals make this their home here year-round, especially in the forests.
Along with the big cats, we will be looking for elephants, giraffes, antelope, hyenas, monkeys, baboons, and a startling canopy of birdlife. If you wish, we can leave our 4 x 4 Jeep for a guided walking safari and get a closer perspective on the land and its flora and fauna.
Stay at: KonTiki Ndutu Camp | Full Board Basis
Day 4 | Ndutu – Ngorongoro Crater
Now we’ll turn south to the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera. But on our way, we’ll stop at Olduvai Gorge, a dramatic ravine and a significant anthropological site. Here were discovered 3 million-year-old fossilized human remains and tools, an unmatched chronicle of our physical and cultural development. Then, we will soon arrive at the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater rim, taking in the vast lush bowl, carved into the earth below. This discrete habitat is alive with wildlife, though virtually cut off from the rest of Africa. We’ll carefully descend the steep crater walls in our 4 x 4, landing in a verdant world of over 25,000 animals. – lions, elephants, buffalo, hippos, and even pink flamingoes.
The day is ours to explore this special UNESCO World Heritage Site whose plains, woods, and marshes vibrate with the density of their wildlife. Toward late afternoon, we’ll head back up the crater wall in time to catch one of Ngorongoro’s signature blazing sunsets.
Stay at: Eileen’s Trees Inn | Full Board Basis
Day 5 | Lake Manyara – Arusha
Departure to Lake Manyara National Park for half day game drive, This park, nestled at the base of the western escarpment of the Great Rift Valley, is a captivating wildlife sanctuary in Tanzania. It is renowned for its vast, shallow soda lake, which covers two-thirds of the park’s area. After lunch you will start your journey back to Arusha Airport or Kilimanjaro Airport,
Meals: | Half Board Basis
