The Machame-Mweka Route (also known as the Whiskey Route) is the 2nd most popular route to the summit (Uhuru Peak) of Kilimanjaro (Kibo).
It is a beautiful route passing through the rain forest , the dry and dusty Shira Plateau, the Barranco area with its senecios and "Breakfast Wall", the exquisite Karanga Valley with its water streams and finally the rocky and inhospitable Barafu - last stop before you make your midnight dash for the top of Kibo.
Itinerary
You will be meet by our head guide after breakfast at your hotel, for in depth safari briefing before you depart with picnic lunches and your private safari adventure begins, today you will venture out to Tarangire National Park in your private 4WD vehicle. Your safari driver guide, will be your companion and at your service throughout your entire trip and will provide you with all the information and assistance that you need during your stay in this magical part of East Africa.
Tarangire National Park is the classic Africa of lore with shimmering acacia stands, old Baobab trees, Masai People and herds of elephants. In the dry-season from July to October, Tarangire National Park surpasses the Serengeti in terms of animal concentration as big herds begin to congregate around the permanent water of Tarangire River. It is not uncommon to see herds of 50+ elephant as well as every other mammal species including the rare Kudu and Oryx. The park is also noted for its prolific bird life and the occasional sighting of cheetah and the rare African Hunting Dog. You will depart the park around 17:00 and drive to Ngorongoro farm house for dinner and overnight stay. Website: www.tanganyikawildernesscamps.com
Depart very early in the morning (park gates open at 06.00am) and descend the steep walls of the crater for day crater tour. We will try to be the first vehicle in the crater this morning! Your driver guide will pack picnic to be enjoyed in the crater when you build up an appetite. This is the best time to spot black Rhinos as they can usually be seen in the early morning departing Lerai Forest for grazing. Lerai is a Maasai word referring to the tall yellow barked acacias that dominate the forest. Keep a look out for black Rhinos and also the massive bull elephants. We will then take a break at Ngoitokitok springs where you can stretch your safari legs and listen to the grunt of the local Hippos and admire the profusion of bird life.
The Ngorongoro crater is a World Heritage Site and better know and the 'Eight Wonder of the World'. It is the world's largest intact volcanic caldera. The 2000 feet high walls of the approximately 10 mile wide crater a natural amphitheatre for the densest population of large animals anywhere on the planet. The rich soils and abundant, year round water provide an ideal habitat for a variety of approximately 22,000 large animals. Herbivores that you will likely encounter include Elephant, Black Rhino, Hippo, Buffalo, Eland, Zebra, Wildebeest, Hartebeest, Waterbuck, Warthog, Grant's Gazelle and Thomson's Gazelle. Giraffe, Impala and Topi are strangely absent from the crater floor.
Primates include Baboons and Vervet Monkeys. Carnivores that you will likely encounter include Lion, Cheetah, Hyena and Jackal. Leopards, Servals, Bat Eared Foxes and Ratels are also resident within the crater but much more elusive. The Ngorongoro Crater is the only spot in Africa where one can see all three species of Jackals including the black-backed Jackal, Golden Jackal and side stripped Jackal. Jackal pairs mate for life and are capable hunters taking a variety of prey items including insects, birds, rodents and gazelle fawns though they are also opportunistic scavengers. In the late afternoon you will start driving to Serengeti National Park and arrive at your camp just before dusk. Dinner and overnight at Kati Kati Camp. Website: www.tanganyikawildernesscamps.com
You will have a full day game drive in the Serengeti. The Serengeti National Park quite simply offers the finest wildlife viewing anywhere in Africa. Unrivaled concentrations of wildlife, stunning beautiful landscapes and vast pristine areas make the Serengeti our pick, for the best National Park in the whole of Africa. The Serengeti ecosystem supports not only the largest herds of migrating ungulate but also the highest concentrations of large carnivores in the world.
At a quick glance, the numbers are astonishing. Estimates put the Wildebeest at about 1.7 million, Zebras at 250,000 and Thomson's Gazelles at about 440,000. Hyenas are the most numerous of the large carnivores at about 9,000, Lions at 2800, Leopards at 1000 and Cheetahs at about 500. The Ecosystem supports an incredible diversity of large mammals including Elephants, Hippo, Rhino, Giraffe, Buffalo, Warthog, 19 species of Antelope, 3 species of primates and server species of lesser known carnivores including the Jackal, Bat Eared Fox, Honey Badger, Genet and Mongoose, plus 200 species of birds. All meals and overnight at Kati Kati Camp.
After breakfast at your camp, you will drive back to Arusha with picnic lunch and on this day you will have an opportunity to shopping and visit the local markets. Day use will be reserved for you to freshen up before transfer to Kilimanjaro airport for your flight back home.