Wildebeest Calving Season Safari

After breakfast at the lodge, it’s time to depart Arusha and drive towards Tarangire National Park, with is the sixth largest national park in Tanzania. It’s one of Northern Tanzania’s underrated gems, with huge herds of elephants, not to mention large numbers of wildebeest, zebra and giraffe. Enjoy the stunning views across the Tarangire River during a picnic lunch while watching the wildlife coming to refuel. 

After breakfast at your lodge, continue driving to the Ndutu Ngorongoro Conservation Area. It borders the southern Serengeti and is one of the best places to experience the wildebeest migration between December and April. February is the peak of the calving season, with predators never far away from the vulnerable newborn wildebeest as they take their first steps.

Spend another morning exploring the Ndutu Ngorongoro Conservation Area before continuing to the Serengeti National Park where you’ll spend the next couple of nights. With the help of your guide, spot some of the myriad species that call the Serengeti “home” while following in the footsteps of the wildebeest migration. The short grassy plains make it easy to spot the wildebeest and their newborns as they gather to feed on the fresh new growth, which is rich in iron and zinc.  

After breakfast at your camp, spend another full day following the wildebeest migration and witnessing its newborns or see an adrenalin-pumping “kill” by lurking lions. As the day progresses, watch as the herds move to nearby territory in what is an unforgettable natural spectacle. 

Begin the day with a morning game drive before making a short stop at the Olduvai Gorge, which is considered one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world. Learn about the hominid discoveries that have been made here and the insights they’ve offered about human evolution.   Then continue to the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s renowned for its natural beauty. Descend into the crater to spot some of its myriad wildlife, with the towering walls of this volcanic caldera acting as a natural enclosure. Spend the afternoon exploring its dense forests, sprawling grasslands and large soda lake before returning to the crater rim and your accommodation for the night. 

Embark in the early morning hours for another game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater, which is often referred to as “Africa’s Garden of Eden”. Keep your eyes peeled for the Big Five along the crater floor, with large herds of zebras, antelopes and buffalo calling it “home”. In the late afternoon, you’ll depart the crater and head back to your accommodation for overnight