16-Day Mara River & Western Circuit Safari

Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by our representative and transferred to your Lodge in Arusha. Settle into your comfortable room and relax after your journey. In the evening, enjoy a delicious dinner at the lodge, preparing for the exciting adventure ahead.

After an early breakfast, you will be transferred to Arusha Airport for your flight to the Serengeti National Park. Upon landing, meet your safari guide and proceed to Savannah Mara River Camp, located near the Mara River. Begin your adventure with an afternoon game drive focusing on the Mara River area.

Embark on morning and afternoon game drives focusing on the Mara River area, where you may witness the dramatic wildebeest migrations as they brave the river crossings. Spot a variety of wildlife including lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, and potentially leopards and cheetahs.

Continue exploring the Serengeti with full-day game drives. Enjoy the breathtaking vistas of the Serengeti's endless plains dotted with acacia trees. Experience the diverse wildlife and witness predator-prey interactions in their natural habitat.

Your journey begins with a morning charter flight from the Kogatende Airstrip, leaving behind the Serengeti plains as you fly southwest over the Great Rift Valley. Upon landing at the remote Mahale Airstrip, you board a dhow for a scenic boat transfer along the clear waters of Lake Tanganyika to reach Mbali Mbali Mahale Lodge. After checking into your private beach tent, you can spend a relaxed afternoon watching forest birds and colobus monkeys before gathering around a lakeside campfire for sunset drinks and dinner.

You head deep into the forested slopes of the Mahale Mountains early this morning with expert trackers to search for the wild chimpanzees of the Mimikere community. Once found, you spend a captivating hour observing their social interactions, grooming habits, and playful behavior right from the forest path. The afternoon is yours to relax on the golden sands of Lake Tanganyika, swim in the crisp waters, or enjoy a peaceful kayak paddle along the shoreline.

Another full day in Mahale allows you to trek into a different sector of the mountain rainforest to encounter the chimpanzees once again and observe their changing daily dynamics. Your guide will highlight the diverse plant species, colorful butterflies, and unique forest birds that call this isolated habitat home. As the afternoon warms up, you can try your hand at freshwater fishing or head out on a relaxed sunset dhow cruise across the lake before your final night at the lodge.

You board a morning charter flight from Mahale and fly over the dramatic escarpments of the Western Rift Valley to land at the Ikuu Airstrip in Katavi National Park. You transfer directly to Mbali Mbali Katavi Lodge, a luxury tented camp tucked under a canopy of tamarind trees overlooking the vast Katisunga Plain. Later in the afternoon, you set out on your first game drive across the wild floodplains, spotting massive herds of Cape buffalo as dusk approaches.

This full day is dedicated to exploring the raw wilderness of Katavi along the seasonal Katuma River, where you will witness the park's famous concentrations of hippos and crocodiles jammed into dwindling mud pools. Your guide will track large prides of lions and lone leopards that patrol the edges of the plains, taking advantage of the intense wildlife activity around the remaining water sources. You return to camp for lunch during the heat of the day before heading back out for a late afternoon drive.

You spend another uninterrupted day uncovering the hidden corners of Katavi, perhaps stepping out on foot with an armed ranger for a morning walking safari to track animal prints up close. The afternoon game drive focuses on the open alluvial plains, giving you excellent opportunities to see massive elephant herds and rare antelope species moving through the miombo woodlands. You finish the day with sundowners out in the bush before returning to the comfort of Mbali Mbali Katavi Lodge.

You leave western Tanzania behind on a charter flight heading southeast to the dry, baobab-studded landscapes of Ruaha National Park. Upon arrival, you transfer to the exclusive EWA Private Mobile Camp, a boutique sanctuary set up entirely for you in a secluded, high-wildlife area of the park. After settling into your traditional safari tent, you can enjoy a late afternoon drive followed by drinks around a roaring campfire under the stars.

Today you can focus your tracking on Ruaha's apex predators, specifically searching the open savannas and rocky kopjes for cheetahs and endangered African wild dogs. The lack of other vehicles in this remote sector ensures an incredibly private viewing experience as you watch wildlife interact naturally. You return to EWA Private Mobile Camp in the evening to share stories by the fire and listen to the nighttime sounds of the bush.

Your exploration of Ruaha begins with an early morning drive along the Great Ruaha River, tracking the park's legendary lion prides that are known for hunting big game. You will navigate the riverbanks to observe elephants digging for water in the dry sand and look out for leopards resting in the branches of sausage trees. You return to the private camp for a relaxed lunch and an afternoon rest before heading out for a sunset drive.

You spend the day exploring the unique ecological crossroads of Ruaha, where East African and Southern African wildlife species overlap seamlessly. This gives you the rare chance to spot both Greater and Lesser Kudu, alongside majestic roan and sable antelopes moving through the bush. Your flexible schedule allows for a full-day game drive with a custom picnic lunch packed by your camp chef, letting you explore far into the park's interior.

Your final full day in Ruaha gives you the freedom to revisit your favorite wildlife loops or focus on birdwatching along the Mwagusi sand river, which attracts hundreds of diverse species. You can combine a morning game drive with a short guided bush walk to learn about the smaller details of the ecosystem, from tracking insects to identifying trees. You spend your last evening enjoying a candlelit dinner under the open sky at your private mobile camp.

After a final breakfast in camp, you transfer to the airstrip for your domestic flight out of Ruaha to Kilimanjaro International Airport. Upon landing, you check into a private day-use room at KIA Lodge, located just minutes from the terminal, where you can unpack, shower, and rest comfortably. You can spend your remaining hours swimming in the hilltop pool with views of Mount Kilimanjaro before walking or shuttling to the airport for your evening flight home