The Ndutu Calving Season Safari kicks off in the morning, when you are collected from your Arusha hotel, lodge or other accommodation. Your professional safari guide greets you for a short briefing.rt briefing, then set off through the beautiful landscapes of northern Tanzania.

Your next destination is Lake Manyara National Park, small but wonderfully varied, beneath the dramatic Rift Valley escarpment. Your game drive here passes through groundwater forest, open grassland, acacia woodland and the seasonal lake shore.

On your Lake Manyara safari you might see big herds of elephants, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest and giraffes. Baboons, warthogs, hippos and many birds live in the park too. Lake Manyara is best known for its tree-climbing lions, although sightings cannot be promised, since the animals are entirely wild and roam freely.

After the final game drive of the day, you carry on towards the Karatu area close to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where you check in to your lodge, relax and have dinner before the busy days ahead in Ndutu.

Accommodation: Ngorongoro Farm House
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Following an early breakfast you depart Karatu for the Ndutu area, in the southern Serengeti ecosystem, which is where your Ndutu Great Migration Safari really gets going today.

As you approach Ndutu, the view widens into open plains dotted with acacias and seasonal lakes. During calving season, these mineral-rich grasslands attract enormous numbers of wildebeest and other grazers, while your skilled guide tracks animal movements and picks routes to match the conditions of the day.

All day long, keep watch for:

• Huge herds of wildebeest gathering together
• Newborn wildebeest calves
• Zebras travelling alongside the migration
• Thomson's and Grant's gazelles
• Predators stalking prey or dozing close to the herds
• Cheetahs surveying the plains for prey
• Spotted hyenas
• Jackals
• Elephants and giraffes
• Birds of prey and other bird species

Few sights during the Ndutu calving season are as memorable as a newborn wildebeest taking its first wobbly steps. All those young animals also bring intense predator activity, making this one of the most exciting periods for wildlife viewing in Tanzania.

A picnic lunch in the wilderness comes next, followed by more of the afternoon game drive. As the sun starts to sink, you drive to camp for dinner and the night.

Accommodation: Safari Haven
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

The whole of today is given over to Ndutu during the Great Migration calving season.

Get up early and have breakfast before heading out on a morning game drive. Dawn is a great time on the plains, being cooler and with predators more active. Your guide begins by looking for the areas where the migration is gathered.

Rainfall, fresh grass and water decide where the herds go, so no two Ndutu safaris are alike. You could see wildebeest mothers guarding newborn calves and huge herds crossing the plains, with zebras grazing among them while predators watch closely.

The Predator Experience

Ndutu is especially thrilling during calving, as newborn animals give predators their chance. Your safari guide may help you find:

• Lions: Frequently spotted lounging close to the herds or stalking prey.
• Cheetahs: Often hunt vulnerable young animals on the open plains.
• Spotted hyenas: Very adaptable hunters, frequently on the move around the migration.
• Jackals: Commonly found moving around areas where young animals congregate.

Wildlife encounters can never be promised, but a full day in Ndutu greatly improves your odds of witnessing these natural interactions.

A picnic lunch is served at a chosen spot at midday, after which your afternoon game drive resumes. You return to camp later for dinner and an evening beneath the African sky.

Accommodation: Safari Haven
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Rise early for your last game drive in the Ndutu migration area. This morning you get one more opportunity to photograph the Great Migration and watch the animals before you leave the southern Serengeti.

With your game drive finished, you set off for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The journey itself is part of the fun, with the scenery changing from open plains to green highlands. Depending on your itinerary and conditions, your guide may also stop for photographs and wildlife viewing en route.

By afternoon you arrive around Karatu and settle into your lodge. The remaining hours are yours to unwind, stroll the grounds and prepare for tomorrow's safari in Ngorongoro Crater.

Accommodation: Ngorongoro Farm House
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Rise early for one of the high points of your Tanzania safari: a Ngorongoro Crater game drive. Breakfast is followed by the drive to the crater and a descent of about 600 metres to its floor. The Ngorongoro Crater is a spectacular natural amphitheatre ringed by steep walls, and it shelters a remarkable density of animals.

On your crater safari, keep watch for:

• Lions
• African elephants
• Cape buffaloes
• Zebras
• Wildebeest
• Hippos
• Hyenas
• Thomson's gazelles
• Grant's gazelles
• Flamingos and other waterbirds
• Black rhinoceros, if you are lucky

As you drive, your professional guide chooses the best routes based on fresh sightings and present conditions. You then have a picnic lunch on the crater floor before beginning the ascent out.

As you exit the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the drive heads back to Arusha, reaching it in late afternoon or early evening. Your guide takes you to your hotel, the airport or another agreed point in Arusha, which ends your Ndutu Calving Season Safari – Great Migration & Wildlife.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch