Hot Air Balloon Flight
Location: Serengeti and Tarangire
Duration: 4 hours
Add to: Any itinerary visiting either of these parks
A pre-dawn pick-up from your lodge or camp takes you to the balloon launch site. You will launch just as the sun starts to rise over the horizon, floating higher and higher over the beautiful landscape below. Enjoy the most spectacular bird’s eye view of the vistas and wildlife on the ground. After the flight, you will be served a full English breakfast in the bush. From there, jump back into your vehicle and continue with the day’s game drive.
Olduvai Gorge and Shifting Sands
Location: Between Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti
Duration: 2-3 hours
Add to: Any itinerary including a drive between Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti
Touted as one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world, the origin of early man, Olduvai Gorge is a fascinating stopover during your safari. Mary and Louis Leaky established and developed excavation and research programs here, where you can visit the small museum and the steep-sided ravine, an important part of human history.
From Olduvai Gorge, you can head to the mysterious ash dunes of Shifting Sands, crescent-shaped dunes formed from magnetized volcanic ash. When the winds blow, the dunes travel and estimated 17 meters / 55 feet per year.
Maasai
Location: Between Tarangire and Lake Manyara
Duration: 2-5 hours
Add to: Any itinerary
Visit a local Maasai community where you will have a grassroots cultural experience and a true look behind the scenes into Maasai culture. Take a medicine walk to learn about the different root and plant extracts still being used by the Maasai on a daily basis. Visit an Orpul area where young warriors learn an age-old tradition from the elders and the medicine man of the village. Visit a Maasai boma, the traditional home of the Maasai tribe. Learn about social/family structure, marriage, roles and responsibilities, daily life and customs and more.
Hadzabe
Location: Lake Eyasi, 70 km south of Ngorongoro Crater
Duration: 2-hour activity; requires an overnight
Add to: Any itinerary
Southwest of Ngorongoro Crater lies Lake Eyasi and the Yaeda Valley, home to the Hadzabe, traditional hunter-gatherers who have preserved their way of life for thousands of years. Your time with the Hadza will be an experience to remember, learning their bush skills, accompanying them on an early morning hunt and simply observing this beautifully rich way of life.
Lake Natron and Ol Doinyo Lengai
Location: 170 km north of Ngorongoro Crater
Duration: 1-2 days
Add to: Any itinerary
A soda lake at the base of the active Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano, Lake Natron is described as having a lunar-like beauty. It is the most important breeding site in the world for Lesser Flamingoes. Walks around the lake and to nearby streams and waterfalls make for a unique off-the-beaten-track adventure.
You may also choose to trek to the summit of Ol Doinyo Lengai, or Mountain of God in the local Maasai language. A sacred site to the Maasai people, standing at 2962 meters / 9,718 feet above sea level, you would begin this challenging trek around midnight, reaching the summit by dawn for beautiful 360-degree views.
Walking Safaris
Location: Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Highlands
Duration: Varies
Add to: Any itinerary
Getting you out of the car to stretch your legs, a bush walk is a great addition to any safari. Explore the wild on foot, discovering plants, small animals and birds that may be difficult to see from your safari vehicle. A ranger will accompany you as coming across some larger animals is a possibility.
Zipline Adventure
Location: Mto wa Mbu (near Lake Manyara)
Duration: 3-5 hours
Add to: Any itinerary
An adventure that is fun for the whole family. Experience the thrill of flying through the African sky, zipping between majestic baobab trees while taking in the stunning scenery of Tanzania. Enjoy a hot lunch in the bush, surrounded by local flora and fauna. From there you will hike to the nearby Lake Miwaleni and waterfall, lined with papyrus trees, with a chance to swim in the fresh water.
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