Day 1: Arrival / Arusha

Idyllically situated amidst a rolling coffee plantation, Arusha Coffee Lodge offers a gentle introduction to Tanzania. You'll be met at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to the lodge by road, where each of the bungalows are set amongst the coffee vines. Monkeys swing through the surrounding greenery, while bush babies and tropical birds call from the treetops. Relax in your spacious en-suite room and savor the views from your private balcony. Then enjoy some of the freshest coffee on the planet, straight from the plantation to your cup

Day 2-4: Fly into the Serengeti National Park

Covering 5,700 square miles of open grassland, the Serengeti fully reflects its indigenous name. To the Maasai it is “Siringet,” or “where the land runs on forever.” The vast scale is difficult to appreciate from the ground. Even from the air the sheer size defies your eyes. After passing over the Great Rift Valley, your flight from Arusha will head over these expansive plains, before landing deep within the park's unique ecosystem. From above, it's sometimes possible to make out the huge herds, the grass dotted black by the almost two million wildebeest and zebra that form the Great Migration.

Upon landing you'll head straight for the safari vehicle and take the first of many unforgettable game drives. On the flight you'll have seen the Serengeti's size and beauty. On a game drive you'll start to experience the detail. A small herd of elephants roam along the track, a baby struggling to keep pace with the rest. Impala and waterbuck tentatively feed on the grass, their eyes and ears on full alert. They look startled, and closer inspection reveals a leopard that's dipped its neck beneath the landscape. And this could all be in the first ten minutes of the game drive. This itinerary is based on typical conditions for May to October and experiencing the true wonders of the Great Migration. Pictures and text can't do justice to its sheer scale. Two million mammals packed together is a sight that will never be forgotten. It almost looks like a photo. But look closer and you can pick out individual animals and interactions. Look closer still and a lion attacks from nowhere.

Every day in the Serengeti is filled with wildlife and the long list of viewable mammals easily stretches onto a few pages. It's a landscape defined by abundance. Lush grass brings a colorful collection of herbivores, from the proud horns of a hartebeest to the graceful skipping of Thompson's gazelle. They might look to be grazing alone. But throngs of predators are nearby. Lion prides are easiest to spot as they will happily lounge in the open. Yet there is always a meal left for the crocodiles, hyenas, cheetahs, and leopards. And let's not disregard the Serengeti's other residents, the often forgotten giraffes, warthogs, and hippos. This first game drive will ignite the imagination, bringing you close to most of the park's resident cast. Then as the sun sets, enjoy a cocktail by the campfire and a delicious meal at the Buffalo Luxury Camp

Day 5-6: Ngorongoro Crater

Continuing the safari experience you'll head into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Make sure you keep the safari truck’s windows closed at the entrance gate; cheeky baboons regularly jump through windows and ransack packed lunches. While the conservation area covers a similar size to the Serengeti, the action in Ngorongoro is centered on an inactive volcano floor. Ngorongoro Crater offers a phenomenal concentration of wildlife. Six distinct habitats attract their own variety of animals, while the steep crater walls keep all the action within a single 360º sweep of the eyes.

In Ngorongoro Crater the wildlife is so plentiful it's difficult to know which way to look. Sometimes the whole safari truck is gazing in a different direction, each person taking in a new sight. Sometimes the sheer abundance and diversity can be overwhelming. A full-day game drive helps you take things a little slower and appreciate everything that's on offer. In the early morning a blanket of mist often rises from the crater floor. Beneath it there are authentic hunting scenes, like a lion pride returning from a dawn attack on an unsuspecting zebra. As the sun burns through the cloud Ngorongoro reveals itself, the different ecosystems all ready for exploration.

The Ngorongoro Crater offers the Big Five, often all on a single game drive. Leopard, lion, elephant, and buffalo, should all be familiar after your time in the Serengeti. Ngorongoro's resident Black rhinos complete the set. And while there aren't huge elephant herds, this is the best place to spot the largest bull elephants. Despite their size, these older males have been cast out from the herd, and Ngorongoro Crater has turned into a bit of an elephant retirement sanctuary. Enjoy an afternoon game drive before relaxing in the privacy of Ngorongoro Crater Lodge.

Day 7: Lake Manyara National Park

Entering the Great Rift Valley you'll head towards the brilliantly pink Lake Manyara. A cacophony of birdsong welcomes you to Lake Manyara, hornbills leading a deafening chorus that help give the surrounding forest a mysterious feel. Dense trees make wildlife harder to spot. However, turn a corner and an elephant is within touching distance; turn another and gaze upwards to three giraffes. In the forest it's possible to get extremely close to everything, including baboons and tree-climbing lions.

Do lions really climb trees? Well, not in most of Africa. In Lake Manyara they've adapted to the ecosystem, stealthily lounging on high branches before pouncing on anything below. It takes a good set of eyes to spot them. Often it's their tail that gives them away, swinging like a metronome beneath the branch. Half camouflaged, they sleep with one eye open, always spotting you before you find them in the tree. When the forest rescinds, the lake expands and countless pink flamingos reveal the truth behind the lake's color. Hippos wade, gazelles sip tentatively by the shore, and you enjoy lunch at a viewpoint overlooking the lake. At first the lake might appear quiet. But by the time you finish lunch a whole procession of thirsty mammals will have slowly approached the water. And countless bird species will have stopped in the treetops to admire you. Check in at the luxurious Lake Manyara Tree Lodge.

Day 8-9: Tarangire National Park

Heading further south, the great Tarangire River begins to dominate the landscape. During the wet season it runs wild. In the dry season, animals know where to dig for underground streams in the parched riverbed. Like so many places, life here revolves around water, and you'll have the box seat at Swala Camp, overlooking the Gursi Swamp. Wildlife migrates for hundreds of miles, homing in on this swamp and providing spectacular game-viewing from the camp's verandahs. After the sun has slowly descended into the horizon, and the sky has turned unimaginable colors, the telltale shapes of wildlife drinking from the swamp continue into the night. Sometimes the animals get closer. In the depth of the night a nearby rustle suggests something is inspecting the camp. A delicious dinner is briefly interrupted as you watch an elephant roam past camp. Staff rangers escort you and keep an eye on anything that gets too close.

But before an evening admiring the Gursi Swamp, there is a full day in Tarangire to enjoy. Distinctive baobab trees dot the landscape, their prehistoric looking shape sneaking their way into most photos. Some rise, tall and true, their immense trunks keeping their leaves out of most animals’ reach. Others expand and flourish, standing proud amidst the grass and refusing to be uprooted by elephants. Giant herds of elephants, often 300 strong, roam through Tarangire. It's elephants that are the kings of this environment. Watch one-week old babies making their first trek. Laugh at youngsters playing in the water. Then laugh some more as they chase warthogs and impala away from the river. When different herds approach a waterhole there is a brief standoff, each considering their options. Will one herd maintain their position and ensure everyone has a drink? Or will they succumb to the other herd's size? It's these unique interactions that make Tarangire an unforgettable stop.

Day 10: Depart / Fare Thee Well

Today you'll slowly leave the wilderness behind and return to civilization. En route to Arusha you'll have the chance to stop at an artisan's market. This is a perfect opportunity to purchase locally produced handicrafts and curios including batik fabric, Maasai blankets, wood carvings, and tanzanite. You'll have day-use of a room at the tranquil KIA Lodge, before being transferred to Arusha International Airport for your flight home.