6-Day Comfort Safari in Tanzania: My Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Tarangire Experience

Dreaming of the East African plains? I’d say, for a week recently, that’s precisely where I found myself, on a six-day “comfort” safari hitting Tanzania’s heavy-hitter parks: Tarangire, the Serengeti, and the Ngorongoro Crater. Now, safaris, they’re almost something you save up for and plan. So, after plenty of internet searching and reading other travelers’ stories, I decided to put down the money. I felt it was worth sharing my take on whether this particular tour delivered the adventure promised and, very, very slightly more crucially, whether it offered good value. What follows is, maybe, a bit more than a simple review; hopefully, it’s an honest glimpse into what you get when you sign up for such a trip.

Why I Chose This Safari

So, you could ask, with a whole load of tour options floating around, why go for the “6-Day Comfort Safari”? Well, for starters, I just didn’t fancy the super budget backpacker type deal and I did rather value a sense of space and a private bathroom after a day bouncing along on those roads. So, “comfort” appealed! It just struck a decent balance between price and some measure of well-being. What’s very, very good is that the itinerary looked just about perfect for packing a heap of game viewing into just under a week. Tarangire’s elephants? The Serengeti’s endless plains? The wildlife soup in the Ngorongoro Crater? It seemed like the absolute jackpot for first-time safari goers like me, or, at least, someone hoping to make the most of pretty limited vacation time. One thing that did help me decide was the included lodging sounded pretty decent, definitely a step up from camping, or, at least, I sincerely hoped so. Reviews seemed positive, and, frankly, I needed the reassurance!

Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to Tarangire

Touchdown at Kilimanjaro Airport, and there was, perhaps rather pleasingly, a friendly face holding a sign with my name. So far, very good! That’s one potential stressor taken away. The drive to Tarangire, that’s about two-three hours or so. What you’ll very, very swiftly find, is that the Tanzanian roads? They’re not quite autobahn. It does offer a chance, as a matter of fact, to catch those first glimpses of Tanzanian life. It’s just something to brace yourself for, too. Upon arrival at the lodge – in this instance, it was a pleasing place with views for days and, crucially, a cold drink to greet me. As I was saying, first impressions do really matter. Later that same day, we took an afternoon game drive in Tarangire. This park, that’s almost like elephant central! I must have seen loads; big ones, tiny babies, whole families just doing their thing around the rivers. That first sunset, with elephants silhouetted against it? Just a total knockout and probably one of the strongest memories of the trip. Dinner back at the lodge, the food wasn’t exactly gourmet, yet it was very welcome after a long day and it allowed for a sociable chat with my fellow travelers.

Day 2: Tarangire Exploration

An entire day to explore Tarangire and, really, I couldn’t have asked for more! So, the park’s terrain is more or less pretty diverse, not just open grassland. We did drive past some areas packed with baobab trees, which are sort of like upside-down trees and are really interesting. They’re incredibly bizarre. As well as elephants, we saw giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, plus so many bird species I couldn’t even begin to name. Actually, our guide, he knew them all! That sort of expertise makes such a great change. Lunch was just something basic packed by the lodge, yet it’s nice to get out of the truck and eat in the bush – a bit of an experience. We did an evening game drive, you see different animals come out as it cools, and a great opportunity to see predators begin to emerge, almost hunting. The lodge was a really good location, it was lovely just watching night fall with all the African sounds happening all around. This is what most people dream about, maybe.

Day 3: Serengeti Bound

Leaving Tarangire for the Serengeti – it is that moment where things stepped up a notch. The drive takes most of the day, there were a few hours on moderately decent tarmac before switching to dirt tracks which, let me tell you, that does involve a lot of shaking around. Yet, that’s a small price, for a number of things to keep in mind. The journey includes a stop at the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Is that good? It provides an almost stunning viewpoint overlooking the crater. So, a definite photo op, as a matter of fact. We also passed through a Masai village. Now, some people might find this a bit touristy and contrived, and maybe in a way it sort of is, or, it does gives you at least a quick insight into the culture. It does feel like it brings a bit of extra authenticity, almost a point. Getting into the Serengeti felt rather momentous; you almost could feel the sheer scale of the place. That evening, we arrived at our accommodation – in this case, a kind of tented camp. You might find that this is actually far more luxurious than it sounds. Certainly a step up from my actual camping experiences. It was comfy beds, an attached bathroom, and a very strange feeling of being “out there”.

Day 4: Serengeti Game Drives

Game drives in the Serengeti and wow, I now know what people go on about! Morning and afternoon, out looking for animals, and believe me, they’re almost all out there. Lions, leopards, cheetahs (that’s very good, that!), elephants, giraffes, gazillions of zebras and wildebeest, plus endless birdlife. This park felt, and, this probably may sound clichéd, yet properly teeming with life. So, the guide really knew his stuff and was amazing at spotting animals from miles away. We followed a pride of lions stalking a herd of wildebeest – just the type of behavior you see on TV, yet incredibly gripping when you see it right in front of you. So, lunch was another packed affair, generally under the shade of an acacia tree, and back to camp in the evening. One thing which you will notice – nights in the Serengeti, the noises of animals all around are awesome!

Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater

It feels very quick to go, driving towards the Ngorongoro Crater. You almost start by descending into the crater and the scenery, my friends, is awesome. Almost mind blowing, if that means something? The crater is sort of like a giant bowl teeming with wildlife. The amazing thing is the concentration of animals in that relatively small area. In a few hours, you can genuinely tick off seeing pretty much everything: lions, elephants, rhinos (we did get a glimpse of one!), buffalo, hippos, flamingos, everything and everything! It just felt like nature’s showcase, a slightly crazy demonstration of diversity. As you can imagine, lunch was taken by a hippo pool – maybe a little careful is key, here! Then, in the afternoon, we headed up and out of the crater and transferred to yet another, different lodge, on the crater rim. The views here were truly out of this location; I really mean it when I mention, awesome!

Day 6: Departure

Okay, safari’s finished, time to go. That involves a drive back to Arusha for your flight home, and this takes pretty much all morning. One slight thing I might consider doing if you can justify it, is to arrange a flight from a local airstrip back to Arusha, since that just saves a lot of travel time. Then, there’s the usual thing about going through the airport security dance, so be ready for it. Looking back, those six days flew by. Now, I can understand, seeing so much stuff does. It has kind of exceeded all expectations.

The Accommodation

The “comfort” tag attached to this safari, is one thing that needs addressing. Actually, that isn’t some clever bit of marketing fluff. The lodges and tented camps used were all pretty decent. Maybe, don’t expect super-luxurious, but you will be surprised. They all offered something comfortable and pleasant with their own unique charm and appeal. Actually, what makes all the change, the lodges had superb locations. Having a drink as you gaze out over the landscape after a day out bumping around in the truck is pretty much appreciated.

What I Loved

The sheer amount of wildlife I spotted. Every day felt special in a manner of speaking, with fantastic viewings.
The guide’s experience. Honestly, this did almost make the experience a heck of a lot better.
The variation in the parks. Tarangire’s elephants are a highlight, the Serengeti, for almost those limitless views and then the crater is an absolute concentration.
The ‘Comfort’ element of the accommodation. Coming back to somewhere nice after an amazing day is nice.

Things to Note

Those drives. Get ready for some bumpy rides; the roads aren’t the best, yet it is part of the overall adventure.
Early starts. Get ready for some super early wake-up calls, yet I suppose the animals are best seen at dawn and dusk.
Pack appropriately. Layers are all what is called for, it can be really chilly in the mornings yet boil a few hours later.

Is This Safari Worth It?

So, is it a good experience? This “comfort” safari offered an amazing snapshot of Tanzania’s parks. If six days are all you can spare, or, especially if you want to cram it all in on your first time in the bush, then really I’d say yes, actually it’s definitely worth considering. This offers amazing game viewing, combined with a reasonably comfortable experience at a reasonable price. Perhaps, you might just as well treat yourself! So, maybe it would offer an absolutely amazing time to remember.

#TanzaniaSafari #Serengeti #Ngorongoro #Tarangire #WildlifePhotography #AfricaTravel