Altitude Acclimatisation Safari

Leaving Arusha, we drive past Lake Manyara and up the escarpment of the Great Rift Valley (taking a moment to consider the stunning views of the Lake and surrounding wilderness), then on to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Soon the crater rim is reached, from where you will have your first, amazing view down into the crater. The Crater, considered by many to be one of the Wonders of the world, is a spectacular self-enclosed eco-system and a home for over 20,000 animals. It is also one of the world’s largest calderas (collapsed volcanoes) with a diameter of 18 km, and a depth of over 600m.

Game viewing in the crater is fantastic, with numerous species present, including the big cats, elephant, buffalo, hippo, rhino and also a rich array of birds, including huge flamingo flocks.

After the afternoon game drive in the Crater, continue to Ngorongoro Farm House for dinner and overnight.

Ngorongoro Farm House
Ngorongoro Farm House is an exclusive lodge situated 5 kilometres from the Ngorongoro Lolduare gate, making it an ideal base from which to explore the famous crater and the surrounding crater highlands.

Part of a 500 acre coffee farm, Ngorongoro Farm House offers cosy accommodation in spacious, self-contained cottages, scattered around beautiful gardens. Built in an attractive colonial style, the main building houses a lounge, restaurant and a large viewing deck that looks out towards Oldeani Volcano.

The full trek to the top will take you to 3,132ms. This is a demanding day of walking (around 6 hours up and down) and steep in places. To start - you walk through a belt of acacia trees, then come out onto moorland before crossing beautiful high altitude woodlands. It will take around 2 to 3 hours to reach the actual peak with the last 200ms being steep. From the high slopes of Lemagurut, you can look east across Ngorongoro and the whole Crater Highlands range, to the distant volcanoes on the Rift Valley floor.

This is a preparation and altitude acclimatisation trek for Kilimanjaro. So we recommend you do not over-stretch yourself and you should only ascend as high as you feel comfortable.

In the evening, drive back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Lake Manyara is one of Tanzania’s most popular national parks, and although it covers only a small area, it has an impressive biological diversity that reflects its varied terrain. Here, substantial tracts of groundwater forest with giant fig and mahogany trees alternate with acacia woodland and open grassland. Lake Manyara’s hippo pool is famous, as are its tree-climbing lions. Like Ngorongoro, Manyara is noted for its wealth of bird life, with the Lake often visited by thousands of flamingos.

Elephant families and giraffes are usually abundant, and so too are warthogs and baboons. After watching so many larger mammals from a distance, watching the baboons up close, as they interact with one another, can be fascinating!

Mid-afternoon, after exploring Lake Manyara, it’s time to return to Arusha and check in to your mountain hotel – ready to begin your Kilimanjaro climb the next day, already well-acclimatised to the altitude!