3-Day wonderful Drive Safari Tarangire & Lake Natron
Tour highlights
Have a game drive in Tarangire, followed by a 2-day immersion in the rugged beauty of Lake Natron. Experience the best of the open road on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure into the Tanzanian wilderness. The journey in a 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof can be tailored to your liking as the options are endless. Starting and ending in Arusha, you can design your dream adventure or let one of our safari consultants create the perfect safari itinerary according to your specification.
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Itinerary idea in detail
Arusha is the safari capital of the country and a bustling ‘tourism-driven' city. You will be met by your driver-guide in Arusha or at Arusha airport and together, you will begin the transfer to Tarangire National Park to start your private safari game drive. The name of the park originates from the Tarangire River, which crosses the park and is the main source of fresh water for wildlife. This quiet park is famous for its elephant migration, birdlife and authentic safari atmosphere. You will enjoy a packed lunch at midday and at the end of the afternoon’s game drive, you will make your way to Africa Safari Lake Manyara. On arrival, you will have time to refresh before finishing the day with dinner under the stars and a good night’s sleep in one of our comfy canvas accommodations.
Main Destination: Tarangire National Park
This day brings you a road trip through northern Tanzania with the destination Lake Natron. You'll depart from Africa Safari Lake Manyara after breakfast. The drive can take up to 4 hours and it’s the perfect way to see different sides of Tanzania’s ever-changing landscapes. As you pass the Rift Valley and drive further towards Lake Natron, you will notice the lush green vegetation slowly exchanging for dry, arid and dusty landscapes. The occasional Maasai villages passed en route become dots in the distant scenery. The further north you reach, the more remains of old volcanoes rise around you. Among them is Ol Doinyo Lengai, meaning ‘Mountain of God’ in Maasai dialect. This volcano is one of the few that are still active. When you eventually reach Lake Natron, you might perhaps catch its smoke disappearing in the sky. The night is spent in a comfortable bed at Africa Safari Lake Natron.
Main Destination: Lake Natron
Accommodation: Africa Safari Lake Natron (Safari Luxury Glamping)
Mid-range tented camp located in or near Lake Natron
This morning, put on your walking shoes as a Maasai tribesman guides you on a walk around the shores of Lake Natron in search of the lesser flamingo. Lake Natron is the most important and regular breeding site for lesser flamingos in East Africa and during the breeding season, Lake Natron hosts up to 2.5 million flamingos. The majority of egg-laying and hatching takes place from September to April although the peak occurs between October & (early) December. The long-legged waterfowl may flourish here, but to most other living creatures including small birds, these conditions make survival extremely challenging. However, the Lake Flats do provide a variety of habitats for birds that flourish in the alkali oasis. In the mid-morning, check out and with a packed lunch, you'll begin the journey back to where it all started. Your heart and camera filled with memories of your African safari adventure.
Main Destination:
Lake Natron
Accommodation:
No accommodation
Meals & Drinks:
- Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
INCLUDES
- Park fees (For non-residents)
- All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
- All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
- All Taxes/VAT
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
- Drinking water (On all days)
EXCLUDES
- International flights (From/to home)
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- Tips (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
- Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
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Words From Our Happy Clients
EXCELLENT Based on 107 reviews Posted on NaserVerified Safari of lifetime I booked 3 nights in Ndutu to see the great migration and the tour was a safari of lifetime , everything was very well organised , the guide Daniel was very helpful and informative and the boss Jacob was very helpful and very friendly he arrange everything and everything was very excellent , i highly recommend in this companyPosted on Claire BVerified Amazing Safari experience From start to finish, we had a fantastic experience. Everything was meticulously planned and we were communicated with at about every detail. Everyone that we encountered from the taxi drivers to the boat driver was lovely, very friendly and would do anything to make us happy. The flights were exciting, I've never been on a small plane before but we loved it. The safari itself was a once in a lifetime experience and Mr Famous and Elizabeth made it extremely special. We saw all of the animals, had a lovely breakfast and lunch out in the bush and even got to take a call of nature in the most natural place on earth! The safari lodges were beautiful and very comfortable, we didnt want to leave! Thomas and the other staff were very friendly and the food was delicious. We really enjoyed our safari walk around the bush and learnt so much about maasai life. The river boat safari was also a lot of fun and all of our guides were very knowledgeable. I highly recommend this excursion, it was the highlight of our trip to Zanzibar and we felt like VIPs. Thank you, Smile with us Tours.Posted on Joe MVerified Stefan in Mikumi Stefan in Mikumi was phenomenal. In one day we got close ups on all the best animals - lions, baboons, giraffes, antelopes, vervets, southern ground Hornbill and the rest. He really knew his stuff. Would recommend to anyone. A very reliable pick.Posted on Carl-Johan dVerified Safari at Mikumi National Park My friend and I went on a one day safari trip i Mikumi National Park. Our guide Stephano Boniphace was assigned to us and he took on his job very well! Stephano is very well educated and has a very profound attitude towards his job and with great pride he took us on a safari trip we will never forget! Stephano is very kind, caring and speaks with a very calm voice about everything and literally this guy knows EVERYTHING!!! It doesn’t matter if he is talking about small birds and leaves on the threes or elephants and lions, Stephano delivers his knowledge in an easy understandable way and he makes ANYTHING interesting!!! I highly recommend Stephano as a guide to anyone and if he gets a chance to get promoted I would say that that would be right man at the right place!Posted on AndyMBarberVerified Hands down the best tour! Absolutely incredible experience with Stephano from Smile With Us Tours on our 3-day safari, especially our unforgettable day in Mikumi National Park! Stephano is hands-down one of the best guides we’ve ever had—knowledgeable, calm under pressure, and full of passion for wildlife and Tanzanian culture. Despite it being rainy season—which always brings a few surprises—he handled every challenge with total professionalism and an easygoing attitude that kept the day flowing smoothly. We were thrilled to spot 3 of the Big Five (elephants, buffalo, and lions!) amidst the lush green scenery of Mikumi. The park itself is a hidden gem, especially during the wet season when the landscape bursts into vibrant life. Herds of zebra and wildebeest grazed the plains, giraffes moved elegantly through the trees, and hippos wallowed happily in flooded pools. After our game drive, Stephano took us on a fascinating visit to a Maasai village—a truly eye-opening cultural experience. The warmth and hospitality of the Maasai people, their traditions, and their songs and dances added such depth to our trip. It was humbling and unforgettable. We ended the day at Camp Bastian, a charming eco-lodge tucked into the forest with great food, friendly staff, and a relaxing atmosphere to unwind after an action-packed day. This safari was the perfect mix of adventure, nature, and culture, all made possible by Stephano’s expert guiding. Smile With Us Tours exceeded all expectations—we couldn’t recommend them more highly.Posted on Andreas DVerified Wunderschöne und spannende Safari Hervorragend organisiert, außerordentlich kompetente und super sympathische Guides! Sehr schöne Unterkünfte. Die Reise war ein großartiges Erlebnis!Posted on andrea sVerified Highly recommended Fantastic experience! The guys picked us up at our hotel and took us to the airport. From there we landed directly inside Nyerere Park. We visited the park both in the morning and in the evening. They offered us an excellent lunch in total relaxation. Really Super recommendedPosted on Jim JVerified Taking the road less travel to experience Tanzania wildlife reserves as you would have 75 years ago I worked directly with Smile with Us Tours in Africa to book a 9-day safari in southern Tanzania to the lesser visited parks--Nyerere, Mikumi, Udzungwa Mountains, and Ruaha National Parks. I was assigned to the travel program as curator of education at a top US zoo, so I knew wildlife safari operations and possibilities. I purposely chose these lesser visited parks as I wanted to experience African ecosystems and wildlife without the crowds and swarms of vehicles--I wasn't disappointed as three days we only encountered two to four other vehicles! We saw a plethora of wildlife, including birds and the landscape was beautiful and the ecosystem was intact. Smile with Us Tours in Africa worked with me to customize their 8-day fly by safari and even arranged a visit to a site they had never gone to before. They listened and added a variety of activities, 2-night drives, a walking safari with rangers, and two cultural experiences with the Maasai. The daily itinerary was full, but our driver/guide shortened a couple of days so we could relax at our "camps". The three camps where we stayed at were very nice and the staff worked diligently to take care of our needs and desires. Smile with Us Tours offered the option to upgrade our camps if we wished. The food was varied and offered a variety of local and continental dishes. There were always choices and plenty of vegetables and fruits. Our driver/guide went out of his way to listen to us and work to meet our wishes and expectations (as much as possible). He worked 12-14 hours each day and provided us with some extra experiences and tastes that were not part of the itinerary. It was nice to have additional guides join us and help lead the safari drives, boat trip, night drives, hikes and walking safari. Our driver/guide recognized that he needed to improve on his English comprehension, but overall, he very good as a leader and his personality was fun loving, yet serious and concerned that we had a great experience. The land cruiser was adequate, but showed some wear and tear as the roads were rough on a vehicle. There was plenty of room in the vehicle and the roof raised to allow all of us good viewing of the wildlife we encountered. We had a couple of minor maintenance issues, but they were remedied quickly or taken to the "shop" after we were dropped off at camp. All in all, great value for the 9-day safari and I would recommend you book with Smile with Us Tours in Africa.Posted on rabia_hVerified Bumpy rides but all good fun we did 2 day safari day one was Tarangire national park we had 1 night stay at farm of dreams lodge and second day we did norongoro creater it was such a surreal experience. Defo one ticked off the bucket list, our driver was great very informative and great company, food and drink was included but what I can say is the standard of food could be better, and the cars could be more modern but apart from that it was great, I would say bring your own snacks and bring warm clothing for the mornings, they are bitter cold, we had booked the whole package with smile with us so they arranged transport to and from the airportPosted on Lee AVerified The best!! From the absolute start we were treated exceptionally. Our driver Abduhl was very prompt and couldn’t have been nicer The flight over was amazing and once we arrived at the park the same treatment resumed Our guide Kennedy and our driver Dula were an amazing duo! We managed to spot so many animals and Kennedy was on hand to give us information about them. His knowledge of the whole savanna was incredible. I’d give this tour 100 stars if I could