Photo by: Kathy Adams Clark
Location: Tanzania
PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR

Tanzania Photo Safari

Sign up early - Limited singles available at listed rate

  • Two evenings in Arusha providing everyone with a portion of the day to rest and photographic opportunities.
  • Intensive game viewing at Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, and Tarangire National Parks.
  • Only 4 or 5 participants per vehicle (7 passenger stretch Land Cruisers) and limited to 12 participants, to ensure the optimum photographic experience.
  • Time to absorb and photograph the wonder of it all. Most safari operator’s rush from place to place, we take our time, watching and waiting for wildlife or just the right light.
  • Lodging consists of luxury tented camps and lodges, chosen for your photographic opportunities, and migration.
Region

Africa

Destination

Tanzania

Dates

May 16-30, 2024

Duration

14 days

$10995

per person, double occupancy*

*U.S. dollars based upon minimum of 8 participants. There is a small group surcharge of $500 if 6-7 participants. We try to accommodate travelers who request single accommodations, as well as travelers who are looking for a roommate. If a single room is requested (subject to availability), or if we are unable to find a suitable roommate, there is a single room surcharge of $695.

Tour Overview

This is Africa as you’ve always imagined it to be: the magic of a Serengeti sunset, the teeming wildlife of Ngorongoro Crater. A safari to Tanzania is a special adventure into the premier game-viewing country of Africa. Tanzania’s great game parks and reserves are unsurpassed anywhere in the world. We’ll see all of the major plains animals, zebras, giraffes, impalas, gazelles, and other herbivores. There will be baboons and monkeys, herds of elephant and buffalo, and some of the most wonderful...

This is Africa as you’ve always imagined it to be: the magic of a Serengeti sunset, the teeming wildlife of Ngorongoro Crater. A safari to Tanzania is a special adventure into the premier game-viewing country of Africa. Tanzania’s great game parks and reserves are unsurpassed anywhere in the world. We’ll see all of the major plains animals, zebras, giraffes, impalas, gazelles, and other herbivores. There will be baboons and monkeys, herds of elephant and buffalo, and some of the most wonderful bird life you will ever see.

We have planned this safari during this period for a special reason — the Serengeti migration, the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth. Our trip is timed to coincide with the annual migration of thousands of animals through the central & southern corridor, and with luck we will witness the herds as they travel across the region to the Maasai Mara in Kenya. This safari gives you an in-depth view of the natural history of East Africa, with a special emphasis on wildlife and birdlife photography. It also encompasses a private interactive visit to an amazing school and Maasai Choir.

    Special Features of This Safari

  • Game Drives for Photographers and Naturalists
  • Early mornings and late afternoons, for the best wildlife photography and light. Long days in the field. Excellent driver-guides who are sensitive to the needs of photo groups.
  • Only four or five participants per seven passengers stretch vehicle — a real luxury, but essential for photographers. We have instituted this policy to help lower our carbon footprint and for the past five years our participants have been in full support. (The safari vehicles we use are roomy 7 passenger “stretch” 4WD Land Rovers and Land Cruisers, chosen for their ruggedness and reliability.
  • Kathy Adams Clark offers her photographic expertise and leadership.
  • Accommodations will be modern, deluxe lodges that are in harmony with their environment and are constructed of local materials. You will also stay in a luxury tented camps, immersing you in the sights and sounds of Africa. Food at all locations is well prepared and delicious.
  • Extensive readings and travel information will be supplied when you enroll.
Photo Leader

Kathy Adams Clark

The trip was awesome. Much more than I had anticipated, every day was a unique experience. I couldn’t believe the huge amount of animals we saw, also how close they were to our landrovers. The lodges were great; but I especially enjoyed the tent camps.

— C. Sackett

Everything was so well done and organized. The abundance and variety of the wildlife was the hightlight

— J. Harland

Tour Itinerary

May 16-17: Home-Arusha Tanzania

It is necessary to connect with a Delta/KLM flight from Amsterdam to Arusha, Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO), landing the evening of May 17. On arrival, you will be met at the airport, assisted through customs, and the group will then be taken to the hotel. OVERNIGHT ARUSHA

You will need to obtain a travel visa to Tanzania, instructions for ordering online will be sent in your packet of pre-departure materials or electronically as the tour approaches.

May 18: Arusha

You have an extra evening today at your Arusha accommodations to get over jet lag before beginning your wildlife safari. Relax at the hotel this morning, after lunch your driver guides will take you to the lovely Arusha National Park on the outskirts of Arusha (if anyone need the entire day at rest, you can rejoin the group for dinner at the hotel). (all meals)

May 19-20: Tarangire National Park

Today drive to Tarangire National Park, with game drives along the way. The next day we will have a full day of game driving and bird sighting in Tarangire National Park. The park remains excellent for elephants, giraffe, and birds. Three thousand migratory elephants join the existing resident herds, attracted initially by the tall grasses growing after the short rain season. The park is one of the most scenic in Tanzania with huge baobab trees. OVERNIGHT TARANGIRE (all meals)

May 21-22: Ngorongoro Crater

After breakfast depart for Ngorongoro Crater, one of the most famous wildlife viewing areas in the world. Drive directly to your accommodations, check in and have lunch. The lodge constructed of local materials is hidden within the forests of the rim of the crater. It offers a stunning view of the crater, with close proximity to the access road for the descent. You will then descend to the crater floor enjoying the rest of the day there. Flamingos inhabit an alkaline lake, the edge of the lake attracts an array of birds including kori bustard, yellow-billed stork, ostrich, and sacred ibis to name just a few.

The next day spend the entire day exploring the crater, leaving early in the morning, well before most tour vehicles depart. Descend from the rim, at about 7,600 feet in elevation, to the floor of the crater some 2,000 feet below. This 102-square-mile crater is the largest unflooded, unbroken caldera in the world. Within its perimeter are thousands of wildebeest, black rhino, cheetah, gazelle, giraffe, and a high density of lions, hyenas, and other predators. (Recommended reading: The Innocent Killers by Jane and Hugo Van Lawick-Goodall).

Enjoy a picnic lunch to maximize your time in the field and returning as late as possible in order to get the last golden rays of light. OVERNIGHT CRATER (all meals)

May 23: Southern Serengeti

Depart after an early breakfast, driving to the Serengeti. Spend the rest of the day exploring the southern Serengeti Plains on both sides of the NCA/Serengeti border. Off road game drives are allowed by the government in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which your driver guides will take advantage of. Cats remain in the territory and this is a good area especially for cheetah. Bird life around Lake Ndutu and the Ndutu woodlands and marshes should have a high yield. OVERNIGHT SOUTHERN SERENGETI (all meals)

May 24-26: Central Serengeti

After an early breakfast drive through the Gol Kopjes to Sametu Camp in the central Serengeti. At this time of year, the herd usually begins to prepare for the wildebeest rut of May and June. These are some of the most amazing herd sightings as the male and female herds come together for breeding but form massive numbers of harems as the males attempt to collect their breeding group but other males constantly challenge them for breeding rights. Our focus for these three days will be on savannah bird species, the large wildebeest herds, and the big cats.

The Serengeti is one of the most famous wildlife areas in the world. Animal herds follow the rains and feed on the new grass so what we will actually see depends upon the weather pattern. If past years are any indication, we have positioned ourselves to be in the right location at the right time. OVERNIGHT SERENGETI (all meals)

May 27-28: Crater Highlands

A leisurely drive out of the Serengeti takes you through the Crater Highlands to your lovely lodge on the escarpment of Lake Manyara. This property has been designed to encompass the beautiful views of the surrounding area and lake. Arrive in the late afternoon with time to enjoy the forest setting and opportunities to photograph on the property. The next day the group has the option to game drive to nearby Lake Manyara National Park or to remain at your lodge. OVERNIGHT KARATU (all meals)

May 29: Arusha

Enjoy your last morning on the beautiful grounds of your lodge. After having lunch, return to Arusha for shopping at the African Gallery. Continue directly to Kilimanjaro International Airport to check in for your flight home. (breakfast, lunch)

May 30: Amsterdam - Home

We arrive in Amsterdam this morning and have a short layover before connecting with the flight back home. (meals on plane)