Anniversary Celebrations:

East Africa offers a vast array of destinations, perfect for celebrating that milestone anniversary with your loved ones.  A privately booked trip of a lifetime in our beautiful country may be just the way to commemorate your life together – whether that is a solo trip with your spouse or extended to include important friends and family members. Itineraries can be adapted to your personal interests or you can choose one of these preplanned packages aimed at relaxation, exploration and togetherness.  We can arrange for a special celebration at dinner and sundowner cocktails with an amazing view to make your anniversary memorable.

Luxury Tented Mobile Camps

Luxury tented camps are an incredible way to experience the African bush – allowing you to stay as close to nature as possible while providing the luxuries of a hotel or lodge. These camps are located within the nature reserves and are relocated throughout the season to follow the migration, maximizing your chance to be close to the action. This is not camping in the traditional sense! Yes, you are sleeping under canvas and the rooms are not air conditioned, but all other basic luxuries exist. Tents are roomy and on elevated platforms – there are comfortable beds and beautiful linens, other furniture such as desks and trunks, a separate bathroom with running water, flushing toilets, warm showers and variable degrees of electricity (often run off a generator which is available at certain hours).  It tends to cool down after sunset so nights are comfortable most of the time, precluding the need for air conditioning. Because staying in a luxury tented mobile camp keeps you close to the action, nights are filled with the sounds of animals nearby which often leads to interesting conversations the next morning regarding ‘did you hear that noise last night?’.  But don’t worry – these camps are safe! Camps are designed to blend into the landscape and humans are not natural prey to the predators.  You are always escorted after dark by trained camp staff and since camps are located within the reserve, there is not free access to the sites by others in the region.

Serengeti Migrations

The Great Migration in the Serengeti is considered one of the 7 natural wonders of Africa and is truly a sight to behold.  The annual migration of animals within Tanzania’s Serengeti and Kenya’s Maasai Mara ecosystem, involves an estimate 1.7 million wildebeest as well as 300,00 zebra, 400,000 Thompson gazelle, 12,000 eland amongst other game animals. The migration can be experienced all year long, but the location will vary depending upon time of year.  Between July-October, it is spectacular to view the crossing of the Mara River in the northern plains, where these animals risk their lives crossing Nile crocodile infested waters to gain access to greener pastures.  In January to early March, a safari focused in the southern plains affords witness of the calving season, when mass birthing of both wildebeest, zebra and other migration animals occurs.

7 day Safari with focus on wildebeest calving

The months of January, February and March as the best time to visit Tanzania in order to witness the mass calving of wildebeest on the plains of the Southern Sergengeti – known as Ndutu.  Located in the Ngorongoro conservation area, the Ndutu region has rich soil complete with all the minerals needs for mild production.  The Great Migration of Wildebeest ends up in Ndutu every year wherein the wildebeest give birth in synchrony in these plains.

Sample Itinerary:

Day 0 – Arrival Kilimanjaro International Airport – overnight in Arusha town

Day 1-3: Fly from Arusha Airport directed to Ndutu Airstrip – be met by our guides in the open vehicle at the airstrip and start your wildlife safari right away.  Don’t be surprised if you see herds of wildebeest or zebra on approach to the airstrip.  Overnight at a migration camp in Ndutu.

Day 4: Depart Ndutu and game drive enroute to Central Serengeti to view a different landscape and animals on safari.  Here the granite outcroppings, known as kopje, reign supreme and seeing a big cat on the kopje is a treat in itself.

Day 5: Continue a full day in Central Serengeti.

Day 6: Explore the Ngorongoro Highlands – perhaps at stop at Ol Duvai Gorge to learn about anthropology is in order.  Or visit a Maasai tribe to learn more about their culture.  Overnight on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater with spectacular views of one of the wonders of Africa.

Day 7:  Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a half day of game viewing inside the crater.  When you are ready we will ascend the crater wall and return back to Arusha for transfer to your outbound flight or a relaxing night in town.

8 days safari with Mara River crossing

The Great Migration of wildebeest is a yearly cycle of movement within the Serengeti Ecosystem.  The Mara River crossing is thought to be one of the more breath-taking aspects of the migration and can be witnessed in the Northern Sergengeti from last June until October.  You don’t want to miss this treacherous crossing where vast numbers of wildebeest, zebra and their young cross these water in search of rain and green pastures.  Lying in wait are the Nile crocodiles who too need some nourishment after a period of scarce food.

Sample Itinerary:

Day 0: Arrive Kilimanjaro International Airport, overnight in Arusha

Day 1: Fly from Arusha Airstrip to Kogatende Airstrip, the gateway to the Northern Sergengeti.  You will be met at the airstrip by our driver guides and cars for safari enroute to the accomodation of your choosing in the north.

Day 2-4:  Spend each day with morning and evening game drives exploring the Mara River and the vast ecosystem that is the Northern Serengeti.  We are certain you will witness the amassing of animals for the river crossing as well as many predators which concentrated in the region when the migration moves through.

Day 5: Depart the North and game drive enroute to the Central Serengeti.  We are such the landscape will vary and the animals seen will amaze you.

Day 6-7:  Spend 1. 5 days in the Central Sergengeti on game drive.  On Day 7 – wish the Serengeti goodbye as you enter the Ngorongoro highlands enroute to the Ngorongoro Crater.

Day 8:  Full day game drive in the Ngorogroro Crater.  Here we will visit a UNESCO world heritage site, the so called ‘garden of eden for animals”, in the largest intact volcanic caldera in the world.  We can spend as much time you want in the Crater soaking up the last days on safari in the place where the game is the most concentrated year round.  Overnight in Karatu town.

Day 9:  Depart Karatu after a day in town relaxing, shopping and leisure.  Return to Arusha town for transfer to your international flight home or another night in Arusha town.

9 day Photographic Safari

At Off the Beaten Path we know photographers.  We know that they are happy to spend days on end in the same locations once they have found to the perfect spot with the perfect subject.  As such we like to concentrate our time in one to two locations, rather than changing camps every single night.

Our car, which has been specially modified with the photographer in mind, offers the best low angle vantage you can obtain from inside a safari car.

Day 0: Arrive to Kilimanjaro International Airport

Day 1: Fly from Arusha Airstrip to your destination – waste no time in the process

Day 2-5:  Staying in one location we will take advantage of the large variety of animals and landscapes in this location – whether it be Ndutu in the early part of the year or Northern Serengeti in the latter part of the year – time is well spent staying in one location and exploring that location deeply.

Days 6-9:  Moving on we will visit a second location.  The Namiri Plain in Central Serengeti can be a photographers dream with vast plains and ample time to view and photograph the big cats that reside in the plains.  On the last day book a return flight from the airstrip to Arusha with onward transfer for your international flight.