11-Nights Untamed Tanzania

Arusha

Arusha is the safari capital of East Africa, a bustling, vibrant town with the streets filled with 4X4 game viewing vehicles criss-crossing the potholed roads. Maasai warriors in full regalia stroll the streets, mingling with tourists in crisp khaki, fresh off the plane from Europe or the United States.

Katavi National Park

Situated in the remote Western Rift Valley between lakes Rukwa and Tanganyika about 870 mi/1,400 km west of Dar es Salaam, the 2,750-sq-mi/4,500-sq-km Katavi is Tanzania's third-largest national park and possibly its most remote. Its isolation, difficult access routes and lack of facilities mean that it receives few tourists.

During the dry season (May-November) game viewing is superb and includes impressive concentrations of elephant, buffalo, giraffe and hippo, along with a high density of lions. For all practical purposes, Katavi is accessible by air only, and the handful of small tented camps that scatter the park are generally visited in conjunction with a few days' chimp-tracking in the nearby (but equally difficult to reach) Mahale Mountains. It's not a cheap option, but for those who can afford it, it offers unspoiled wildlife viewing far off the beaten track.

Mahale Mountains National Park

Mahale Mountains National Park is home to some of Africa’s last remaining wild chimpanzees. Located in western Tanzania and named after the Mahale Mountain range, the area was originally inhabited by the Batongwe and Holoholo people. It was only in 1985 when the Mahale Wildlife Research Center was established to continue the discoveries of Mahale’s natural environment. Its main residents are different species of monkeys, forest birds and alpine bamboos. Visitors can snorkel Lake Tanganyika, track chimpanzees for approximately 2 days or hike “Nkungwe” the Park’s highest point.

Serengeti

Today, the Serengeti National Park helps protect the greatest and most varied collection of terrestrial wildlife on earth, and one of the last great migratory systems still intact. The Serengeti is the jewel in the crown of Tanzania's protected areas and has come to symbolize paradise. The region encompasses Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Maswa Game Reserve, the Loliondo, Grumeti and Ikorongo Controlled Areas and Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Two World Heritage Sites and two Biosphere Reserves have been established within the region. It's unique ecosystem has inspired writers and filmakers as well as numerous photographers and scientists. The essential features of climate, vegetation and fauna have barely changed in the past million years. Some patterns of life, death, adaptation and migration are as old as the hills themselves.