Meals and group areas are well-lit by camping tube lights when the vehicle is nearby, or by kerosene lamps in campsites where this option might not be possible. Be sure to pack a small hand or head-torch for finding your way around your tent at night.

Our guides and camp assistants are all fully-trained professionals who will prioritise your comfort and safety, as well as striving to ensure optimal game-viewing opportunities throughout your journey with us.

We have included all park entry and camping fees, and, of course, all your meals on safari in the package price quoted below.

Meals consist of a cooked breakfast or brunch, light lunch and a three-course dinner. We regret that we are unable to provide drinking water and/or other beverages except tea and coffee, but your guide will show you where best to purchase these prior to departure and at convenient points along the way.

We request that clients erect their own tents on arrival at camp and dismantle their tents on departure - this is very simple and takes about five minutes. Your guide will show you how this is done and the balance of the chores will be taken care of by the camp assistant(s).

It is important to note that we offer a quality camping product and not a luxury mobile camp. The package price here is for accommodation in the public campsites of Tanzania's National Parks and despite our best efforts Wild Frontiers Tanzania has very little control over the quality and standards of ablution facilities at these campsites. At certain times of the year water is scarce and campsites very busy, so the cleanliness of the facilities are quite often compromised by these factors. With this in mind, please be aware that the toilets in public campsites are long-drop style without flush, and so can seem rather unpleasant/unhygienic by first world standards.

If this idea does not appeal to you, may we suggest that you consider upgrading to our semi-luxury Authentic Safari using private campsites where you will be the exclusive guests in a specially selected bush area with no other vehicles or campers, and we will be able to provide you with your own bush toilets, carry extra water for washing and extra crew members assist the guide and camp assistant/ cook. These trips also include a supply vehicle and an array of other extras for greater comfort and ease of travel. Please enquire for a comparative quotation on this option.

Includes: Airfare Johannesburg-Kilimanjaro-Johannesburg on Air Tanzania, road transportation, accommodation as specified, breakfast only in Arusha, all meals on safari, game viewing as indicated, services of a driver/guide and cook/assistant.

Excludes: Visas, travel insurance, health requirements, gratuities, drinks, all items of a personal nature and any service not specified.

Optional: Private transfer from Arusha to Kilimanjaro Airport on Day 8 (instead of shuttle bus): for an additional fee per person (based on 4 persons travelling). Balloon safaris run from the Serengeti may be added to your camping trip - it MUST be booked in advance at an additional fee per person.

NB on safari towels are NOT provided. Pillows and sleeping bags are provided for each guest. If you bring an additional pillow, please ensure it is a small lightweight one (like the airline pillows) as space is at an optimum on a camping safari.

Please note: All prices are subject to change due to airfare increases or any other unforeseen circumstance.

Health Requirements - Yellow Fever inoculations are necessary. This must be done no later than 10 days prior to departure. Anti-malaria tablets are also necessary. Please enquire for details of travel clinics operating in your area.

Visas - South African passport holders require a visa for Tanzania. This can be obtained through ourselves or directly with the Tanzania High Commission in Pretoria. Other nationalities - please check with us or the Tanzania High Commission. It is also possible to obtain a visa on arrival.

Travel insurance - We strongly recommend that you take out Travel Insurance for the duration of your holiday. Please contact us for further details.

ITINERARY:

Day 1 - Depart Johannesburg on Air Tanzania flight to Dar es Salaam. Immediate onward connection to Kilimanjaro, arriving Kilimanjaro at around 20h00. On arrival you will be met and transferred to KIA Lodge a few minutes drive from the airport. Overnight on a bed and breakfast basis.

Day 2 - Your driver will come to greet you at your hotel at 07h30 and conduct a trip briefing. After the briefing your crew will assist you in purchasing water, other beverages or items of a personal nature and help you, if necessary, to exchange money at a bureau de change. We depart Arusha around 10h00 and passing by Lake Manyara, weave our way upwards into the densely forest slopes of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, pausing to admire the splendid view of the crater floor 600 m below at Heroes Point, before driving on to our campsite on the rim of the Ngorongoro caldera. If we arrive and set up camp in good time, you may like to consider an early evening/ sunset visit to a Maasai village boma where you can spend some time learning about the culture, traditions and beliefs of this ancient, noble warrior tribe. This visit is at an additional cost, and should be discussed with the guide and paid directly to the guide. We will return to camp for a hearty bush dinner under the stars. Overnight at the campsite on the crater rim.

Day 3 - Today we will descend the steep walls of the crater to admire the microcosms of life within it. We will have a picnic lunch on the floor of the crater at a pleasant lakeside location where we can stretch our legs and soak up the magnificent scenery. The crater rim can be very cold at night and cloaked in mist in the early mornings. It can also be quite bleak and windy (July and August). You will need a heavy jumper, several layers or a warm jacket here. Overnight at campsite on the crater rim.

Day 4 - Today we break camp and embark on a game drive into the great Serengeti plains. Before crossing from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area into the Serengeti National Park we should take the opportunity to visit the Olduvai Gorge Museum where we may attend a short talk on the archaeological importance of Olduvai and the work of Mary and Louis Leakey in excavating the area and discovering some of Africa's most important hominid fossils. Overnight Serengeti, Seronera (central) zone.

Day 5 - Morning and afternoon game-drives in the central Seronera zone of Serengeti National Park. Overnight Serengeti, Seronera (central) zone.

Day 6 - We enjoy a final early morning game drive in the Serengeti before departing back towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. We need to get up very early and start breaking camp in order to make good time for the long drive back to the Manyara region. By late afternoon, we return to the Lake Manyara area and the bustling little town of Mto wa Mbu (pronounced as one word mtowambu) for our last night of safari. After many hot and dusty days of travel encountering quite basic facilities within the parks, here we find hot showers and cold drinks in abundance for our last night on safari. There may be cultural entertainment such as tribal dancing or acrobats at the campsite or neighbouring establishments should you wish to attend. This village is said to be the only place in Tanzania where representatives of 120 Tanzanian tribes can be found. On arrival this afternoon there may be time for a Cultural Walk around the area. A number of different itineraries are available but some are seasonal or rather lengthy so please check with your guide as to which might be most suitable for your group. Walks include excursions to the Miwaleni waterfalls and on to a papyrus lake where the Rangi tribes-people collect basket and mat-weaving raw materials, and also to the homesteads of the Sandawe hunter-gatherers. Another walk takes you up Balaa Hill with superb views over the village and lake and over the Chagga farms and Maasai bomas of the surrounding areas. *Please note that the Cultural Walk is not included in your tour price and should be paid directly to the cultural guide; budget around USD 5-10 per person. Or you may simply choose to enjoy a relaxed (unaccompanied) walk at your own pace in and around Mto wa Mbu itself, interacting with local people and perusing souvenirs and curios. Overnight Mto wa Mbu campsite.

Day 7 - This morning we depart for an early morning game drive in Lake Manyara National Park, returning to the camp for a light brunch before heading back to Arusha. We hope to arrive back in Arusha in the early afternoon and you may like to take a look around the souvenir bazaars of Arusha before your guide bids you farewell at your lodge. Overnight at the Outpost Lodge, or similar, on a bed and breakfast basis.

Day 8 - Early morning transfer to the Air Tanzania office for the shuttle bus to the airport. Depart Kilimanjaro for Dar es Salaam. Immediate onward connecting flight from Dar es Salaam to Johannesburg arriving at around midday.