12-Nights Rwanda and Tanzania Wildlife Adventure - Tailormade Journeys — CALL

1 Arrive Arusha, Tanzania

In Tanzania, vast buffalo herds, elephants, giraffes, leopards, impala and the endangered Eastern black rhino can all be found. Arusha, the safari capital of Tanzania, is located in country’s northern highlands, beneath the twin peaks of Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro. It’s a land of exceptional topography as well, including the wildlife-rich Ngorongoro Crater.

Fly to Lake Manyara National Park for an afternoon game drive, searching for roving baboons, dik-diks that forage for food beneath acacia trees, and large herds of buffalo, wildebeest and zebras that gather on the grassy, sun-drenched plains. Along a narrow belt of acacia woodland, you may even spot the region’s storied tree-climbing lions, ascending branches for a cool breeze. Venture above the forest on suspension bridges that rise nearly 60 feet into the canopy. Platforms around towering tree trunks reveal the movements of monkeys, birds and butterflies, with glimpses of elephants below.

On your second day in the park, watch wildlife up close from in a safari vehicle designed to offer ideal viewing from every seat, during rousing morning and afternoon game drives. After dark, you may opt to set out on a night drive, when nocturnal species come to life and begin to hunt and forage. Close out your visit here with dinner under the stars, as the sounds of Africa serenade you.

Journey overland to the Ngorongoro Crater, the largest unbroken ancient caldera in the world and a likely place to view lions, elephants, hyenas and gazelles. After lunch at your lodge, explore the village of Mto wa Mbu by tuk-tuk, leaving the main road and receiving a proper introduction to village life, authentic and un-orchestrated.

Descend into the crater ahead of most visitors — thanks to your lodge’s ideal location on the crater’s rim — to view the resident wildlife at its most active time of day. Watch for buffalo and elephants as well as the countless other species that roam this 100-square-mile caldera. You may even sight flamingos (when in season) or rare black rhinos. Afterward, visit a Maasai village to gain a better understanding of the nomadic cattle herders’ daily lives and culture.

Fly to vast, wildlife-rich Serengeti National Park and venture through its spectacular mix of savanna grassland and volcanic hills to your lodge. Then set out on an afternoon game drive, watching for a diverse cast of untamed characters, including cheetahs, black rhinos, hyenas, hippos, crocodiles and any of the 500 bird species that call this sprawling wilderness home.

Roam through true safari country, searching for iconic species such as lions, leopards, Cape buffalo and elephants, as well as giraffes, gazelles and zebras. Along the rivers and rocky outcrops, you may also spot some of the Serengeti’s more diminutive denizens like leopard tortoises and rhinoceros beetles. For a change of pace, you can also arrange a walking safari or, for an additional cost, an early morning glide over the plains by hot air balloon.

Revel in another full day on safari in this spectacular setting where your driver and guide put you in the heart of the action at every turn. Keep your camera at the ready for a cheetah bolting after a Thompson’s gazelle, an elephant family wading into a watering hole or a flock of migratory birds taking wing at the sound of a lion’s roar.

After breakfast, fly to Rwanda, touching down in the vibrant city of Kigali. Set between steep valleys and thickly forested ridges, Kigali flourishes, an ever-building drumbeat of modern charm. A gateway to the national parks, there is much to discover here before escaping to the jungle.

Take a moment to reflect during a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial, which presents a deeply moving introduction to Rwanda’s tumultuous history and the resilience of its people. Exhibits and survivor testimonies provide insight into the events of 1994 and the nation’s enduring journey of remembrance and renewal. Continue to Volcanoes National Park and settle in at your new lodge.

Encounter one of the world's most magnificent mammals on a life-changing gorilla trekking experience in the Virunga Mountains. Accompanied by expert trackers, traverse the bamboo-covered slopes of the Volcanoes National Park to encounter its resident families of mountain gorillas, reveling in the unforgettable opportunity to observe these awe-inspiring animals up close, as they interact in their natural habitat. Watch as they forage, play or simply lounge amid the greenery, their affinity to humans apparent in every interaction and glance.

Once more set out on a trek to visit the mountain gorillas. You may also opt, for additional cost, to visit the research center established by anthropologist Dian Fossey in 1967 for a talk with a conservation expert. Alternately, trek to spot golden monkeys, active and playful creatures who live in bamboo trees at the base of the volcanoes.