Tanzania and Madagascar Tour

Tanzania is home to the greatest spectacle on earth and Natural Tours provides you with a front-row seat to all the action. The annual wildebeest migration across the Serengeti plains on a Tanzania safari is the opportunity of a lifetime: you’ll witness millions of animals weave their way across the landscape.

But there’s more to this East African country. The word safari is Swahili for “journey”. A journey to Tanzania brings you to Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa, and unspoiled national parks that the “Big Five” (elephant, lion, leopard, rhinoceros, and buffalo) call home.

When you’re planning a Tanzania safari, it’s important to have knowledgeable local guides and a selection of customizable, curated tours as you surround yourself with the majestic beauty, varied landscapes, and robust wildlife. At Natural Tours and our partner which is a locally owned tour operator, we are perfectly equipped to bring you an unforgettable safari.

✶ Day 1 - Arusha to Arusha National Park
Pick up at 8:30 AM from your Hotel in Arusha & depart for Arusha National Park. Walking with an Armed Ranger, you will have picnic lunch and game drive in the Park. The park is at the base of Mount Meru, which is good for climbing. It has a range of habitats including forest – home to the black-and-white colobus monkey – and is excellent for birding. Several lakes often host flocks of flamingo. The park's appeal is mainly its scenery. The habitat diversity spans from montane (mountain) rain forest to moist savannah to alpine moorland. Post the game drive, you will head back to your camp/lodge where a delicious dinner awaits you.

✶ Day 2 - Arusha to Lake Manyara
Pick up at 8:30 AM from your hotel in Arusha and depart for Lake Manyara National Park with a picnic lunch for a full day game drive. As you enter the national park, lush forests of Acacia and Mahogany trees begin to set the mood for what is waiting ahead. The game drive will go on till evening with a small break for picnic lunch. During the game drive watch out for buffaloes, giraffes, impalas, baboons and the blue monkeys. Another spectacle of Lake Manyara National park is the tree climbing lions, however spotting them is a game of luck. In the right season, you can see the shoreline turning pink with millions of flamingos flocking there. Post the game drive, you will head back to your camp/lodge where a delicious dinner awaits you.

✶ Day 3 - Lake Manyara to Central Serengeti
After breakfast we head towards the Serengeti National Park, via the beautiful high lying farmland of Karatu and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Leaving the highlands behind, we descend into the heart of wild Africa - the Serengeti National Park - with its endless plains, rolling into the distance as far as the eye can see. We head to the central park area, known as the Seronera area, one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park, featuring the Seronera River, which provides a valuable water source to this area and therefore attracts wildlife well representative of most of the Serengeti's species. We arrive in time for lunch and enjoy an afternoon game drive in the Serengeti National Park.

✶ Day 4 - Central Serengeti
You can either have a relaxed breakfast and depart for full day game drives around 9:00 AM with packed lunch and return back to lodge late afternoon around 6:00 PM. Or you can depart at 6:00 AM on an early morning game drive. Later return to accommodation for breakfast and relax for a bit and depart on an afternoon game drive with packed lunch. You will explore the central portion of the Serengeti National Park today. The legendary Serengeti National Park is the most renowned safari destination for its incredible population of lions and leopards.

The central portion of the Serengeti - known as Seronera area is one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park. It features the Seronera River, which provides a valuable water source to this area and therefore attracts wildlife well representative of most of the Serengeti’s species. During the off season of the migration, one must really look out for the many lion pride that thrive in this region. The interactions and survival of these lion pride provide an excellent game viewing experience all year round. Along with a picnic lunch during the full day game drive, the day will come to a close by around 5PM. The long day comes to an end with a heavy dinner and a good night’s rest in your accommodation.

✶ Day 5 - Central Serengeti to NCA
After breakfast, you will have a morning game drive in Serengeti National Park. Later depart for Ngorongoro Conservation Area with picnic lunch. Ngorongoro Crater is the largest collapsed volcanic crater in the world and fourteen kilometers of isolated natural beauty. Ngorongoro Crater is surrounded by a ring of extinct volcanoes and the floor, dotted with watering holes, shelters some 30,000 animals. The eventful day comes to an end with a heavy dinner and a good night’s rest in your accommodation.

✶ Day 6 - Ngorongoro Crater Tour (5 hours) to Tarangire
After an early breakfast, descend to the crater floor for game drive(5 hours). You can expect to see lions, elephants, Zebras, Hippos, Flamingos, Jackals, Rhinos Antelopes and many birds. The birds seen here include eagle, vulture, and flamingos in the Crater Lake, stork, bats, giant vulture, sacred ibis, kori bustard, blacksmith plover, long necked heron and the cattle eagle. Post the picnic lunch at the beautiful Hippo pool, you will begin a steep ascend to the top exit of the crater. With a 2hr drive left to your accommodation in Karatu, the day will come to a close. Freshly made delicious dinner is kept ready for you at your chosen accommodation. All these days of the safari, will have you quite tired and a good rest is essential. The next day you will begin the last leg of your safari.

✶ Day 7 - Tarangire to Arusha
The final day of your safari will begin as usual by 8:00 AM after a luscious breakfast. The destination for today is Arusha to Tarangire National Park where you will have a half day game drive. Tanzania’s third largest National park is known for its majestic baobab trees that dot the landscape, dwarfing the animals that feed beneath them. The Tarangire River is the centerpiece of this park which is famous for some of the largest herds of elephants in Africa. Here you may see lion, leopard, cheetah, lesser kudu, buffalo, Oryx, eland, giraffe and zebra. By mid afternoon, you will branch out and head towards Arusha where you will be dropped off to your preferred location by about 6PM in the evening. With an incredible experience and loads of memories to cherish, this is the time you bid goodbye to your team.

And Take a flight to Nairobi where we will overnight before flying to the island of MADAGASCAR.

✶ Day 08 – Nairobi- Antananarivo
Take a flight to Antananarivo, the capital city of Madagascar where our guides will meet you and drop you to your hotel.

✶ Day 09 – Antananarivo-Andasibe national park
After breakfast we start our journey with a drive to Andasibe through the green and luxuriant vegetation of the east. This first step brings you to the humid part of the country with many primary forests and lakes. We will en route stop at Preyeras reptiles park to see several species of Madagascar Chameleons and other reptiles. After the visit of the reptiles park we will continue to Andasibe with another stop for lunch at the town of Moramanga. Along the way we will see Merina villages in the rocky mountains. Arrive at Andasibe in the afternoon and check-in to the hotel. Later this evening enjoy a night walk in the area of Andasibe to observe night active lemurs and other nocturnal animals. . Overnight at at Vakona forest lodge or similar(highend)-Feoniala hotel(basic)

✶ Day 10 – Andasibe National Park
A morning visit to the Special Reserve of Andasibe, to see the Indri Indri, the largest lemurs on the island. This 810 ha reserve is unique with its endemic fauna and flora. It contains a wide variety of orchids, canopy, and endemic animals like chameleons, tenrecs, and many birds. After the visit, walk through the orchid park to admire all the nice flowers. In the afternoon, we visit the Vakona lemur island, a private reserve offering up close photo opportunities with the many habituated lemurs who find refuge there. We overnight at the same hotel.

✶ Day 11 – Andasibe – Antsirabe (approx.drive.6 hours)
Andasibe - Antsirabe. Drive back to Tana, and head south to Antsirabe, across the highland landscape with its beautiful rice fields on stage. The spectacular eroded hills called ‘lavaka’ reminiscent of the Far East with its rice fields and green landscape with vegetables and fruit trees. After a lunch in the town of Ambatolampy,we are continuing our journey to Antsirabe. Antisirabe, aka ‘the place of salt’, is an elegant city well known as the centre of the beer industry, you can smell the Star Brewery as we enter the town!

Founded by the Norwegians in 1856, it is the only place which really feels and looks like a European city. It has a temperate climate and all fruits and vegetable, which grow in cooler climates, are found in Antsirabe. . Overnight at Couleur Café hotel(High end)-Hasina hotel(midrange)

✶ Day 12 – Antsirabe – Ranomafana National Park (approx drive 6 hours)
After breakfast, we drive to Ambositra, the centre of Madagascar's wood carving industry. We are still in the highland, which is characterized by its architecture: The houses are made with ornately carved wooden balconies and shutters with bright colors. Further on we pass the ‘le col de tapia’, a type of tree resistant to the bush fires of the area. The landscape is still dominated by rice fields, pine and eucalyptus trees and rocky mountains. Onward to stunning Ranomafana National Park. Overnight at Thermal hotel(midrange)-IHARY HOTEL(basic)

✶ Day 13 – Ranomafana National Park
Parc National de Ranomafana (approximately 40,000ha), with its rain forested hills and abundant wildlife, has long been considered one of Madagascar’s highlights, and is one of the most heavily visited of the country’s national parks. Its entrance lies about 7km from Ranomafana village. Altitudes in the park range from 800m to 1200m. In addition to its densely forested hills, Ranomafana’s terrain is characterised by numerous small streams, which plummet down to the beautiful Namorona River. Although much of the region has been logged, the easternmost part of the park retains relatively large areas of primary forest. We will go for walks in the National Park for several hours spotting some of the lemurs, chameleons and other animals. Overnight at Thermal hotel(midrange)-IHARY HOTEL(basic)

✶ Day 14 – Ranomafana – Fianarantsoa – Isalo
Leaving Ranomafana behind we head to Isalo. We stop first at Anja Park (approx. 3 hours ), a community run reserve situated in stunning scenery with great opportunities to see ring-tailed lemurs. Arrive in Isalo in the late afternoon (approx. 4 hours). Overnight at Isalo Ranch(midrange)-Isalo Rock lodge(luxury

✶ Day 15 – Isalo National Park
Today, we will visit and hike in Isalo National Park. The park covers an area of 81 540 ha comprising the entire stretch of the Isalo massif. This huge mountain is spectacular with its eroded sandstone mountain. Today walk to the ‘Natural swimming pool’. After a 10-minute drive from Ranohira village you'll walk about 1½ hours to reach the Natural Swimming Pool. Along the way, see vegetation like Uapaca Bojeri, Pachypodium Rosulatum or ‘elephant's foot’, Aloe Isaloensis, a native species of aloe and endemic to Isalo.

Walk through the eroded mountains where the Bara people place their dead before they can be interned into their final resting place. Start the climb and reach the massif, where we will have a spectacular view of the huge sandstone mountains with its beautiful colours and its strange and eroded forms creating many different images such as ‘the tortoise’, ‘the masks’ and ‘the crocodiles’. See small streams of water, and rivers which are marked by lines of brilliant green, generally made up of numerous Pandanus Pulcher and the delicate, slim-stemmed, feathery leaved palm Chrysalidocarpus Isaloensis. Along the way, for lemur lovers, there may be sifakas, brown lemurs and ringtailed lemurs, as well as fifty-five species of birds, lizards and snakes. Finally reaching the swimming pool, with its crystal clear water. A great reward after your trek. We will have lunch inside the park as we are hiring a cook to prepare lunch for us. Overnight at Isalo Ranch(midrange)-Isalo Rock lodge(luxury

✶ Day 16 – Isalo – Tulear – Ifaty
Leaving Isalo behind we head to Tulear. Travelling through the land of the Mahafaly people, we can stop to see the traditional tombs used for burying their dead. From Tulear we transfer to Ifaty on the coast (approx. 1 hour). The region around Ifaty is extremely dry and dominated by ‘spiny forest’ of cacti and other plants that thrive in arid environments. Our accommodation is situated idyllically on a gorgeous beach overlooking the Indian Ocean, where we can watch the local fishermen take boats out as the sun sets. This is a truly beautiful part of Madagascar and a great place to relax or explore. Overnight at Hotel Ifaty Beach Club. (highend)-Princesse du Lagon(midrange)-Maroloko(basic)

✶ Day 17 – Free day in Ifaty
Day at leisure. Ifaty, being a beachside town is an ideal place for diving, snorkelling and is also a popular destination for birdwatchers. This is a great opportunity to experience the Vezo Fishermen's life. Many excursions are possible. Visit the ‘Reserve Reniala , also known as Ifaty Spiny forest’, a local community  reserve where you can see two species of baobabs, spiny bush, reptiles like ‘Boa Madagascariensis, geckos and  Chameleons. Take a boat trip to see the whales. From July to mid September, whales come to the cool sea off Madagascar to give birth to their young. This is a spectacular experience and it is possible to see the whales up close by taking a boat trip. Situated in the largest lagoon of the country, Ifaty is also protected by a large coral reef, which makes it an ideal for diving and snorkeling. In the afternoon you can walk to the village of Mangily where you can visit a local school. Overnight at Hotel Ifaty Beach Club. (high-end)-Princesse du Lagon(midrange)-Maroloko(basic)

✶ Day 18 – Ifaty – Antananarivo
After breakfast, we are driving to the airport of Toliara for your flight back to Tana (Please note the tour price does not include cost of internal flight Tulear - Antananarivo).

✶ Meals
Day 1 - Lunch & Dinner
Day 2 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 3 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 4 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 5 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 6 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 7 - Breakfast & Lunch

✶ Drive Times
Day 1 - Arusha to Lake Manyara takes about 2.5 to 3 hours (114 km)
Day 2 - Lake Manyara to Central Serengeti takes about 4 to 4.5 hours (192 km)
Day 4 - Central Serengeti to NCA takes about 3 to 3.5 hours (151 km)
Day 5 - NCA to Tarangire takes about 1.5 to 2 hours (108 km)
Day 7 - Tarangire to Arusha takes about 2.5 to 3 hours (106 km)

Note : These are estimated drive times. Because of the traffic, location of the accommodations, and several other factors, actual drive times may vary. Driving distances are approximate and do not account for exact places.

✓ Park Fees (for Non-Residents).
✓ Concession/ Camping Fees.
✓ Daily game drives while on Safari.
✓ A professional driver/ guide.
✓ 4x4 Land Cruiser.
✓ All Taxes and VAT.
✓ Meals as per itinerary.
✓ Drinking water while on safari (2 litres per person per day).

✗ International flights.
✗ Airport Transfers (Unless mentioned otherwise).
✗ Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour (Unless mentioned otherwise).
✗ Tips.
✗ Personal Items (Souvenirs, Travel Insurance, Visa Fees, etc.).
✗ Government imposed increase of Taxes and or Park Fees.
✗ Any activities not mentioned in the itinerary.