TANZANIA: 11 day Fly-in Birding and Wildlife Photography trip

You will arrive on your flight at Kilimanjaro International Airport where a staff member will meet you in the arrivals hall for your transfer to your accommodation in Arusha.

Accommodation: Arusha Planet Airport Lodge

It is a 3 hour drive to Tarangire where some great birds will be awaiting us. This park is known for its many Elephants and Baobab trees. We shall enjoy the afternoon and the following two days in the park. Big game will also be encountered as we bird. The local Acacia woodland is very attractive and full of birds. Highlight birds include Yellow-collared Lovebird, Von der Decken’s Hornbill, White-headed Buffalo-Weaver, Coqui Francolin, Pygmy Falcon, Slate-coloured Boubou, Yellow-necked Spurfowl, Vulturine Guineafowl, Red-bellied Parrot, Mottled Spinetail, Bare-faced Go-away Bird, Meyer’s Parrot, Northern White-crowned Shrike, Banded Parisoma, Miombo Wren-warbler, Red-and-yellow Barbet, Rufous-tailed Weaver, Long-tailed Fiscal, Northern Pied Babbler, Swahili Sparrow, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Ashy Starling and more. Mammals expected here include the African Elephant, Banded Mongoose, Cape Buffalo and Cheetah.

On our third and last day we do a full morning drive and transfer to Karatu in the afternoon.

Accommodation: Tarangire Sopa Lodge

It is a 45 min drive to the Ngorongoro Crater Nature Reserve. This is a large and scenic crater located at about 2000m above sea level. This crater is about 600m deep and has an amazing view both from the top and inside the crater. The crater is nestled in a pristine natural forest of indigenous trees. The crater is known as one of the wonders of Africa. Descending down to the crater floor takes you through great scenery and the local Euphorbia tree varieties. Herds of wild animals are plenty inside the crater as well as wonderful views of the crater walls. Lion, Cheetah, Savannah Elephants, Black Rhinos, Zebras and Wildebeests occur in the park. Birds include Hildebrandt’s Francolin, Shelley’s Francolin, Grey Crowned Crane, Pectoral-patch Cisticola, Lyne’s Cisticola, Yellow-throated Sandgrouse, Black-bellied Bustard, Kori Bustard, Secretarybird, Rosy-breasted Longclaw, Lesser Flamingo, Greater Flamingo, Chestnut-banded Plover and Rufous-tailed Weaver. We shall also bird the crater rim forest. Expected species include Hunter’s Cisticola, Golden winged Sunbird, Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Black-fronted Bush-Shrike, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Brown Woodland Warbler, Southern Citril, Thick-billed Seedeater, Brown Parisoma, Brown-backed Woodpecker, Waller’s Starling, White-headed Barbet, Schalow’s Turaco and more.

Accommodation: Marela Valley Lodge

Today we will have a short morning flight from Karatu into the Serengeti. We will spend three days in the park enjoying game drives as we transect this vast savannah, local wetlands and scrub lands to boost our species lists.

Highlight birds include Fischer’s Lovebird, Black Coucal, Steel-blue Whydah, Usambiro Barbet, Swahili Sparrow, Rufous Chatterer, Karamoja Apalis, Black-necked Weaver, Temminck’s Courser, Northern Red-billed Hornbill, Caspian Plover, White tailed Lark, Tanzania Red-billed Hornbill, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Grey-crested Helmet-shrike, Silverbird, Black-lored Babbler, Augur Buzzard, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, Rüppell's Vulture, White-bellied Canary, Usambiro Barbet, Purple Grenadier, Maasai Apalis, Grey-breasted Spurfowl and many more.

Mammals we can expect here include the Savannah Elephant, Serval, Maasai Giraffe, Lion, Leopard, assorted antelopes, Common Zebra and Cheetah.

On our last day we will have a morning drive before flying back to Arusha and your accommodation near the airport.

Accommodation: Hippo Trails Camp

Your transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport, for your return flight home or onwards to your next destination, is included