Migration Mara River Crossing
14 days—Great Serengeti Migration – Mara River Crossing - Photo Safari & Photography Workshop – July 22 - Aug 4
$7860-9660 USD
pp
Safari summary
After getting our feet on the ground and stopping at Tarangire National Park to view the huge elephant herds on the way, we will spend a day exploring the ‘Eden of Africa’ – Ngorongoro Crater. From there we will venture to the middle of the Serengeti where we will spend a couple days in a Cowger Custom Photo Camp in the area with the highest concentration of big cats in the entire ecosystem. This camp is chosen because of location along the Seronera River that is a permanent water source for wildlife and the permanent cat territories. We then travel northeast for a couple nights at Buffalo Luxury Camp from where we go off road to seek out wild dogs and visit a Maasai village. Thereafter we make our way to the wilderness piece of the Serengeti above the Mara River, south of the Kenyan border known as the Mara Wedge. It is in this most remote wilderness of the ecosystem that the migration moves this time of year across the Mara River heading north. We will camp in a luxury Cowger Custom Photo Camp from where we will hear the lions roar at night and within minutes of where the wildebeests dodge the huge crocs as they cross the Mara River. We will fly back to Arusha and be transferred to our day room before heading out on the return flights.
About this tour
| Tour type | Set-date, set-itinerary, group | |
| Main focus | Game drives | |
| Activity level | Easy activity | |
| Best months | July, August | |
| Countries | ||
| Parks |
Fine details
Safari highlights
- Night game drives
- Photography safari—with professional guide
Itinerary
Day 1
Day 1 Departure on overnight flight
Day 2
Kilimanjaro
Day 2 (July 23) Arrive Kilimanjaro Airport. Our hosts will meet us outside customs and transport us to the Mt. Meru Game Lodge. The lodge is located on 33 acres of mature, well-manicured gardens bounded on one side by the rushing waters of the Usa River and on the other by the animal sanctuary where resident animals and birds live in peace. The lodge consists of 17 double rooms with verandahs. This location provides a great way to decompress from the long flights.
Day 3
Tarangire
Day 3 Our only optional sleep in morning, after a lovely breakfast on the veranda, at 9 AM we will visit the orphanage project being supported by Acacia Photography travelers. and then off on safari. First stop on the way is a grocery store where you may purchase your choice of beverages / snacks for your room and in the car. We will take a picnic lunch and head to Tarangire National Park for an afternoon game drive. Tarangire lies in the Great Rift Valley and is known as a magnet for large herds of elephants, and a wide variety of other wildlife as well. Overnight at the Tarangire Safari Lodge. Game viewing from the veranda can be excellent, with large herds of elephant, giraffe & other animals coming down to the river to drink. The grounds are also highly attractive for birders, not only for the remarkably habituated hornbills, buffalo-weavers & starlings that parade around the common areas, but also for the host of smaller birds that are resident in the acacia scrub.
Day 4
Ngorongoro Crater | Tarangire
Day 4 Optional sunrise photo workshop to capture wildlife and/or baobab trees at dawn followed by morning and early afternoon game drives in Tarangire. We then proceed for dinner and overnight to the beautiful Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge which sits on the highest rim (7800 ft) of the Ngorongoro Crater. All of the rooms in this world class location have breathtaking views into the crater floor 2000 feet below. The lobby and dining areas are a stunning combination of modern and ethnic décor.
Day 5
Ngorongoro Crater
Day 5 We will depart before dawn for our descent into the amazing World Heritage site of the Ngorongoro Crater (Africa’s Eden). More than 25,000 large mammals (including black rhinoceros) and all the carnivores call the floor of the crater home. The crater floor sits inside the largest (16 miles in diameter) continuous rim caldera in the world, and it creates its own ecosystem. We will have lunch on the crater floor and return to the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge just in time to see the sunset.
Day 6
Serengeti
Day 6 & 7 After breakfast we will look for game as we drive to one of the most significant origin of man archeological sites in the world. At Olduvai Gorge, the Leakeys uncovered traces of man’s predecessors from 3.5 million years ago. After a lecture and viewing the museum, we will spend the afternoon game viewing as we wind our way into the Serengeti National Park. Overnight at a Cowger Custom Photo Camp by Intimate Places Camping in the middle of the most dense cat population in Africa. This camp is chosen because of location along the Seronera River that is a permanent water source for wildlife and the permanent cat territories. Each car has the option of going out all day for game viewing with a picnic lunch, or returning to the lodge for a few hours of R&R in the middle of the day. The vehicles do not need to stay together.
Day 8
Serengeti
Day 8&9 After breakfast we depart on a slow safari drive to the luxurious Buffalo Luxury Camp, The camp is a permanent tented lodge featuring 15 suite tents and 5 smaller chalet tents, as well as a main lodge for dining and relaxation. The lodge and all accommodations are located near the hills of northern Loliondo, at an altitude of 6,000 feet and offering stunning views into the Lobo Valley and all the way towards the Western Corridor. Due to the fact that the property is on the perimeter of the Serengeti, activities such as night drives, bush walking, meaningful cultural interaction with Maasai and off-road game driving are possible.
Day 10
Serengeti
Day 10, 11, 12 Game drive to the Mara Wedge (the small triangle of wilderness north of the Mara River in the Serengeti). and our Cowger Custom Photo Camp by Intimate Places Camping amid the migration along the banks of the Mara River. Daily safari drives among the largest concentration of the ‘Mega Migration’ at this time of year and hopefully witness a river crossing of wildebeests and/or zebras.
Day 13
Arusha
Day 13 (Aug 3) After a morning game drive we will fly back to Arusha for lunch and our day room at the Mt. Meru Game Lodge until 5:30 PM when we leave for the airport for the return flight. The flight from the Mara Wedge to Arusha is in a passenger plane that seats 22 and has 2 engines and 2 pilots.
Day 14
Kilimanjaro
Day 14 Arrive Home PRICE $7860* per person The non refundable deposit for this trip is $2500. Optional hot air balloon is $550 per person. Accommodations are two person to a room. If you will be traveling alone and would like a private room there will be a supplementary charge of $1800. Please note: We will attempt to adhere to this itinerary as much as possible. However, certain conditions (climatic, environmental, cultural, or wildlife migrations) may necessitate changes in the itinerary. * Price subject to change. After receipt of deposit, the price will not be changed except for new taxes or fees levied by the Tanzanian government. INCLUDED What’s Included? - All Game Park fees - All accommodations, based on double occupancy - All meals including of restaurant staff tips - All beverages while at Cowger Custom Photo Camps - Services of naturalist guides and drivers - Land transportation in 4×4 safari Land Cruisers. Each person has a row to themselves and an empty seat for photographic equipment. The vehicles also have charging outlets, and refrigerators - Airport transfers to and from hotels - Bottled water at all times and beer in the cars for lunch and late afternoon. NOT INCLUDED What is Not Included? - International airfare to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) - Fees for passport, visas, immunizations, and insurance - Optional hot air balloon flight of $550 - Alcoholic beverages - Additional tips for staff such as guides and for drink service - Laundry, phone and other items of a personal nature - Cost of hospitalization and medical evacuation if needed BOOK NOW Call 248-828-0666 or email info@CowgerSafaris.com to reserve your spot. For air tickets and insurance we recommend Travel by Pathfinders in Birmingham, Michigan. Their number is (248) 649-1234 and email is karen@travelbypathfinders.com
Here are the latest tours by William Cowger Photo Safaris.
Cleanliness of vehicle
Meet and greet team
Quality of itinerary
Responsiveness of staff