9
daysHerdTracker February Calving Season in Tanzania
Travelling to Tanzania during the calving season is a sight to behold and something unique to the region
Approximately 8,000 wildebeest are born every day during the peak calving season from early January to late February. The calving season also introduces a host of predators looking to make a quick meal of the vulnerable calves. It's during this time when the southern Serengeti and western Ngorongoro Crater host the highest concentration of predators in Africa at a given time.
Lion, hyena and cheetah show up in large numbers to patrol the grasses, waiting for the perfect time to make a kill. But an easy kill isn’t always guaranteed. Female wildebeest instinctively know to head to the short grass plains so that they can see approaching predators. There they form a barricade around birthing mothers to protect them and the young when they are the most vulnerable, during birth - ensuring the majority of the young survive.
Nature is bound to take its course as survival of the fittest comes to the fore, watch as the wildlife action unfolds before your eyes.
International flights not included.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Dec
Costing tip: When comparing with other companies, remember most of them only show the low season rate. How pricing works >
What to Expect on This Safari
This popular itinerary can be customised to match your budget and travel dates by adding/removing a few days or selecting different lodges
day
1
Arrival in Arusha
On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be met and transferred to the Legendary Lodge, which will be your home for one night with all your meals included.
The lodge offers luxury accommodation set in a lush garden with a unique blend of colonial heritage, surrounded by a working coffee farm. These garden cottages offer views of the imposing Mount Meru and are only minutes away from the city of Arusha. Enjoy a day trip to the nearby national parks and coffee tours.
Meals: Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
Transport: Included
day
2 to 3
The perfect start - Tarangire National park
You'll drive to Tarangire National Park, where you'll reside for the next two days of your safari. Nestled in a remote pocket of Tarangire National Park, Sanctuary Swala Camp is situated under a canopy of large acacia trees at the edge of a wetland, overlooking the rolling savannah beyond.
Swala offers you private game viewing, wilderness luxury and a truly wild slice of Africa. In fact, elephants are almost always present in and around the lodge. Swala seems to be a ‘hangout’ for a bachelor herd of males and females sometimes passing through to give birth nearby. Enjoy guided game drives and nature walks that will give you the opportunity to spot large herds of elephant, migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, hartebeest, kudu and oryx, with predators in tow.
Highlights include seeing Tarangire’s pythons make their way up the trees, as well as lion and the leopard which prefer to lounge in the branches where the fruit of the sausage tree disguises the twitch of a tail.
Meals: All meals and local drinks
Transport: Included
day
4 to 5
Once-in-a-lifetime experience
At roughly 3,000 feet above sea level, Entamanu Ngorongoro gracefully presides over Tanzania’s most famous landmark and the world’s largest intact caldera, Ngorongoro Crater. Located in a remote part of the crater’s rim, Entamanu is a place where you can observe the elements and watch over an ever-changing landscape of dormant volcanic hills, distant Lakes and endless plains.
You are guaranteed to see a large concentration of game. These extensive open plains are home to herds of buffalo, Thomson’s gazelle, Grant’s gazelle and tsessebe. You’ll also find East Africa’s best population of black rhino and large herds of zebra and wildebeest. Spot breeding herds of elephant passing through the Ngorongoro Crater, as you look over a scattering of old bulls - including some of the biggest 'tuskers' left live in Africa today.
Meals: All meals and local drinks
Transport: Included
day
6 to 8
The calving season, it is hard to imagine
You’ll spend your last three nights on the plains following the migratory herds as they move across the plains of Siringitu in Maasai.
The natural instinct that drives the annual migration of more than a million wildebeest and zebra is so powerful that neither drought nor crocodile-infested rivers can halt them.
Witness this spectacle on a luxurious safari in the care of your guide and enjoy daily game drives where the majesty and drama of the savannah unfold before your eyes. Explore nature walks that offer a more intimate view of the wilderness while cultural tours to local Maasai villages are highly recommended. Other activities you’ll be able to explore include, hot air ballooning, spending a full day at Lake Victoria, Olduvai Gorge and a Shifting Sand tour.
Meals: All meals and local drinks
Transport: Included
day
9
End of adventure!
You’ll be transferred to Ndutu Airstrip for your flight back to Kilimanjaro Airport. Note: this tour only operates from December to March.
