A conservation based safari in Northern Tanzania

This itinerary explores Northern Tanzania on a safari through Tarangire National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, combining wildlife viewing with time spent on conservation and community projects.

It’s designed for those who want a deeper understanding of the places they travel through. Alongside time in camp and on safari, there are opportunities to spend time with the people working across these landscapes, offering a closer look at Nomad’s approach to enhancing lives.

2 nights Kuro, Tarangire 
2 nights Entamanu, Ngorongoro 
2 nights Kusini, Serengeti 
2 nights Lamai, Serengeti
 

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Days 1 - 3

Kuro, Tarangire

Kuro sits lightly among a grove of trees on the banks of the Tarangire River, in a quieter corner of Tarangire National Park. Tucked away and close to the movement of wildlife, it’s a place where the boundary between camp and bush feels almost invisible.

Mornings begin early, walking straight out of camp to follow the tracks and signs left behind during the night along the river. There’s a freedom to exploring on foot here, noticing the smaller details before heading out later by vehicle to cover more ground and follow whatever the day brings.

From Kuro, you’re in one of the most wildlife-rich parts of Tarangire, particularly during the drier months when animals gather along the river. Large herds of elephant and buffalo move through the area, with lion often found resting in the shade, and over 550 species of birds recorded in the park.

Day 1

Kuro Dogs

The Kuru Dogs programme is headed by longtime canine training expert, Will Powell. Powell has worked with dogs for more than 20 years, first training canines to detect explosives and landmines, before turning his attention to the conservation arena. Kuru Dogs is on a mission to address the challenges faced by African law enforcement in detecting and seizing smuggled wildlife products.

Day 1

Kafika House

This is a home in Arusha that enables children from all over Tanzania, to receive corrective, orthopaedic, plastic or neuro surgery for disabilities such as a cleft pallet and club foot, as well as rehabilitative post-op care. We link up with Kafika House by running outreach programs in communities near our camps, helping raise awareness on health problems suffered by many children in secret. Sadly many children with disfigurements are hidden from society by their families. We help bring them out into the open and direct them to Kafika House to receive treatment.

Day 2

Kuro Villiage Visit

Elephants and other wild animals are magnificent, but they can also be problematic and dangerous. Communities near the park often struggle with wildlife – elephants raid crops, and predators attack livestock. To help, we run community projects that reduce these challenges and support local people. Take a trip to the local village to see our elephant watch towers, and talk to the farmers to learn more about the struggles they experience. We aim to use our business and your safaris to plug some of these gaps, and just by visiting the village you help make a difference.

Day 3

Meal-a-day programme and school visit

Pass by a village school, and learn about what a big difference feeding programs can make for education and conservation in these corridor communities. 

Day 3

Cultural Tour & Village Walk

Get an inside look at the homes and exquisite crafts of Mto wa Mbu’s many tribes. You will get a chance to meet locals and learn about banana beer, Makonde wood carvings, and the tribe painting techniques, kisu and tingatinga. A stroll through the village provides a great introduction to everyday life in Africa. Enjoy a delicious home cooked meal in a local moma’s home. Over lunch, a guide will provide a history of the region and the many local tribes. You can expect to leave with a full stomach, many great stories, and new friends.

Days 3 - 5

Entamanu Ngorongoro

Entamanu sits on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, positioned for early access down onto the crater floor. It’s a simple, well-placed camp with wide views across the highlands.

Mornings often begin with an early descent into the crater, where wildlife is concentrated across the floor, including large herds of buffalo, lion and, at times, black rhino. Later in the day, time is spent back on the rim, where walking with Nomad guides, an armed scout and Maasai offers a slower way to explore the area.

From Entamanu, you explore both the crater floor and the wider Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where wildlife and Maasai communities live alongside one another.

Day 4

Kope Lion

Across much of Africa, lions are in dramatic decline. KopeLion works with local Maasai and other pastoralists to foster human-lion coexistence in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and protect corridors of lion movement between the Crater and the Serengeti. KopeLion adopt a very successful model of using local ‘Ilchokuti’ (lion guardians) in the area to help address and mitigate conflicts between pastoralists and lions.

Drive from the crater to the Serengeti

One of the most beautiful drives in Tanzania. You will descend with your guide from the Ngorongoro highlands, the vastness of the Serengeti plains opens up before you and you get a real appreciation of the scale of this iconic wilderness. Depending on your preference it is also possible to fly this route.

Days 5 - 7

Kusini Serengeti

Kusini sits in the southern Serengeti, in an area of open plains, wide skies and very few other vehicles. It’s a quiet, remote setting that feels far from the busier parts of the park.

Days here are shaped by the movement of wildlife across the plains. During the calving season, this can include large numbers of wildebeest, along with predators moving through the area. At other times of year, the pace of exploring and the sense of space define your time here.

From camp, you head out across the plains with your guide, returning as the light softens in the evening. Time back in camp is unhurried, with the focus on where you are and what’s around you.

Day 6

Serengeti Cheetah Project

As dusk settles over Kusini, join the Serengeti Cheetah Project (SCP) in camp for a one-hour conversation that opens a window into the lives of the plains’ fastest hunter. Since 1975, the SCP has curated the world’s most comprehensive record of wild cheetahs on the Serengeti, identifying individuals by their unique spot patterns and following family lines across generations. Hear how this long-term dataset is used to estimate yearly population size, what it tells us about survival and movement, and how sightings from guides and travellers - through the Cheetah Watch campaign - feed directly into ongoing research and conservation.

Day 7

Visit the Hope Centre near the Serengeti

Hope Centre is a ‘safe house’ offering refuge to young girls fleeing from Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriage, in a village just outside of the Serengeti National Park. Most of the girls only stay for a month or so, while the Hope Centre teamwork to reunite them with their parents, but a handful stay on permanently. All the girls continue with their education during their stay, and for the older ones they learn vocational skills.

Day 7 - 9

Lamai Serengeti

Tucked away in the far northern reaches of the Serengeti, Lamai stands as an oasis of quiet sophistication amidst a landscape of endless wonder. This intimate eco-lodge, perched atop a prime kopje overlooking the vast grasslands towards the Masai Mara.

From your private veranda, the Serengeti unfolds before you in all its glory. Lamai's true claim to fame lies in its unparalleled leopard sightings. The lodge's strategic location, coupled with the guides' knowledge of the area, means that a majority of guests depart with the thrill of having spotted these elusive spotted cats, blending seamlessly into the dappled shadows one moment, then effortlessly poised in plain view the next.

Day 8

Serengeti community project visit

Elephants and other wild animals are magnificent, but they can also be problematic and dangerous. Communities near the park often struggle with wildlife – elephants raid crops, and predators attack livestock. To help, we run community projects that reduce these challenges and support local people.

Fly from the Serengeti to Arusha

Your time in Northern Tanzania draws to a close as you fly back to Arusha.

You’ve travelled through Tarangire, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, and spent time with those working across these landscapes. It’s a perspective that adds meaning to the journey and stays with you long after you return home.

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Reviews

S. Korioth

Review for entamanu

Stunning Place

Absolutely stunning place! Even in rainy season it was beautiful

D. De Luca

Review for entamanu

Lovely Cosy Cabins

Lovely cosy cabins on the ridge of the Ngorongoro crater, delicious food and excellent service, nice walks around.

J. Zebrack

Review for serengeti safari camp

Magical Stay in Ngoro

A magical stay in Ngoro Province surrounded by wildlife and beautiful scenery. Everything exceeded expectations. One of my favorite vacations ever. We were able to spot all of the wildlife on our wish list.

G. Frosberg

Review for lamai

Safari Experience Enhanced

Lamai supports and enhances the safari experience to the highest level.

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