Itinerant hike to discover the Tanzanian wilderness from the lowland coastal Savannah and mangrove forests, and finishing on the magical beaches of the Indian Ocean crossing the Masai steppes of Simanjo and Kitwai, Tarangire animal migration reserves.
Bivouacs in the middle of nowhere to meet local people and well-deserved comfort accommodation. Biking on tracks frequented by wildlife and visiting the Tarangire animal park by 4×4.
Days: 11 days, 10 Nights
Destinations: Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Lake Chala, Same, Lushoto, Simanjiro ( Masai Steppe ), Tarangire, Lake Natron.
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This day we start our tour from your hotel/Lion HQ toward west side of mountain Kilimanjaro via Mererani we see the Tanzanite mining areas and also pass through Chemka hot spring for swimming and hot Lunch, we then ride toward West Kilimanjaro were we sleep at Simba Farm Lodge, here we came across with cold weather and nice farm food. The road are Mixed terrain and also some parts dusty/Mud depending on the sessions of the year and some off-road are difficult.
After having a nice breakfast with the sound of Baboons and birds songs we head south to the Pare Mountains. We take a winding gravel road that is easy to ride. After a lunch break we continue on a gravel road to Lake Jipe, on the border with Kenya. We make our way uphill to the Pare Mountains with a beautiful view of the small towns and villages scattered over the hills. Some parts ridding up and down the mountains may be difficult but fun, then we proceed downhill on dirt roads with many sharp turns until we reach the hotel.
Stony, sandy and hilly trails along amazing views await us today. After breakfast, we will explore the eastern Pare mountain range, where we will descend to the southern ranges and find no more paved roads. Our route leads through untouched savannah to Lake Kalimawe, which is surrounded by small villages and rice plantations. Our ride continues into the Mkomazi National Park area. After lunch we start exploring the Usambara Mountains, the small villages of Mnazi and Mlalo and the palm forests. The zigzag road takes us upwards into the Usambara Mountains at Mtae (Mambo village) to over 2300m above sea level. Here we enjoy our reward of unique views of this region. This is an exhausting day and we will all be tired at the end of this adventure and certainly deserve a cold beer and a rest.
People seeking pure, authentic cultural experiences get their kicks today as we visit The Maasai Steppe Conservancy. It lies between the Tarangire National Park and the Simanjiro Plains within the Northern Safari Circuit. Safaris in the Maasai Steppe offer a wonderful and diverse experience you won’t forget any time soon. This area is vital and ecologically important for the wildlife and people of northern Tanzania. Nearly 92% of this critical ecosystem is designated as Maasai land, where livestock production is the main source of income. Maintaining healthy grazing areas for their cattle is crucial for both the Maasai and the wildlife dependents in this arid environment. Our downhill zigzagging leads us over some gravel and partly tarred road surfaces.
Today you have the unique opportunity to experience and explore the Tarangire and Manyara ecosystems. The Maasai steppe provides a permanent moving sanctuary around the grasslands between Tarangire National Park and the village. A visit to this area is a must for anyone interested in the evolution and origins of mankind, as well as explaining the Rift Valley and the bigger picture of Africa. It is a complete semi-desert experience you won’t forget. We stay overnight in a beautiful tented camp.
We leave the motorbikes behind today to go on a 4×4 safari in Tarangire National Park. Founded in 1970 from former hunting grounds, this national park is home to the largest population of wild animals outside the Serengeti. Around 2,600 km² of wilderness awaits us as this is one of the five largest parks in Tanzania. This area offers an abundance of prey for predators all year round. What we find here is a large population of mainland antelopes like the tufted-eared spike buck and graceful giraffe gazelles. But Tarangire National Park is also known as the park of elephants, with herds of up to 300elephants pawing around. Imagine that!
Today it gets rocky, dusty and sandy, as we ride165 km east on winding gravel surfaces and out into the savannah landscape of the Maasai plains. We make our way to the Great Rift Valley, at the foot of which stands the mighty Ol Donyo Lengai volcano. The Ol Donyo Lengai is an active volcano that last erupted in 2007 -2008. The Maasai see it as the seat of their god “Ngai”. The almost-perfect cone of this big boy rises above an area of astonishing barren beauty. At the foot of the mountain is an area of stony desert. Here we will find the cones of small extinct volcanoes and Lake Natron, a huge soda lake that stretches to the Kenyan border. Flamingos come here to breed, and in the late midday sun the colorful flamingo colonies make a spectacular sight, adding a splash of colour on the shimmering water.
You will wake up refreshed after a night under the incomparable beauty of the African starry sky. After a hearty breakfast, you can go for a hike to explore the gorge where our camp is located, ride to the hot springs or to the shores of the lake to see the flamingos up close. We return to Arusha this day, and will take at least 6 hours to ride there. We then return the rental bikes and enjoy a farewell dinner together.
This epic motorcycle tour has come to an end. You will be transferred to the airport or you could extend the trip with a safari round trip to Serengeti and Ngorogoro or Zanzibar.
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