DUMA - SOPA LODGES

NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA
TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK

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On arrival into Kilimanjaro International you are met by our local on-site English speaking representative and transferred to your accommodation

Located in the northern highlands of Tanzania, beneath the twin peaks of Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro, Arusha is the safari capital of the country. Guests embarking on the popular northern safari circuit all stop in the ‘Geneva of Africa’ to prepare for their journeys into the African bush. From its two-lane streets, the dramatic crater of Mt. Meru stands over the town like a majestic sentinel, its crater strewn with thick clouds, its slopes dark with verdant forest. Arusha’s ideal location near the major national parks and its highland setting make it a peaceful idyll of relaxation before the start of an exciting safari

Built by the Germans as a centre of colonial administration in the early 20th century, Arusha was a sleepy town with a garrison stationed at the old boma and a few shops around a grassy roundabout. From its backwater status amidst the farmlands and plantations of northern Tanzania, today Arusha is one of the country’s most prosperous towns

Secreted in the depths of a tree-shaded coffee plantation, wreathed in multi-colored tresses of tumbling bougainvillea, cooled by mountain streams, and strung like a necklace around the shores of an idyllic wooded lake, Serena Mountain Village offers a haven of calm and serenity just outside the hustle and bustle of Arusha, Tanzania’s premier ‘Safari Town’

Nestling in the heart of a coffee plantation on the shores of Lake Duluti, Serena Mountain Village is the perfect place to relax before or after experiencing the adventure of a Tanzania Safari

The public areas are entirely new with the main building housing the reception, lounge, library, restaurant, shop, and business centre. The main building is designed as a country manor house with a colonial theme to it. The main lounge and bar area are fully carpeted with two working fireplaces and all designed to make guests feel like they are staying at a home rather than a hotel. Some exquisite pieces of furniture and artwork adorn the property to ensure true authenticity to the colonial theme

The stone-built rooms are housed in a half-moon of traditional ‘rondavel’ circular dwellings with views over a bougainvillea-cloaked slope descending to the shores of Lake Duluti. Each ‘rondavel’, neatly thatched in ‘Makuti’ stems and lined with close-weave basketwork, has been arranged to cluster in a village-style grouping around the shade of an ancient forest tree whilst the lavishly ‘Makonde’ carved doors radiate off the cool of a central flowered courtyard

Charmingly appointed with spacious bathrooms, individual verandas and curved French windows giving views onto the tranquil lakeside beauty, the rooms have been decorated in a traditional safari style and feature net-draped beds, soft lamps, intricately carved furniture and pastel-patterned drapes. At leisure, guests can take in a stroll around the flowered gardens, watch flights of snow-white egret returning to their forest roosts, explore the lake by canoe or follow the nature trail that loops around the lake and into the groves of neighboring coffee estates

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You enjoy a morning nature walk around Lake Duluti followed by lunch

This afternoon, you depart from Arusha and pass through the Maasai Steppe filled with many picturesque African villages as well as maize, coffee and banana plantations as you head toward Lake Manyara National Park. At the town of Makayuni, you turn North West and continue the journey up through the scenic Baobab tree strewn escarpment that brings you to your Safari Lodge perched on the edge of the Rift Valley with stunning views over the distant Lake Manyara

At only 127 square miles, much of which is taken up by the lake, Lake Manyara National Park is one of the northern circuit’s smallest parks. However, its diminutive size is well compensated for by its fascinating ecosystem and abundance of wildlife and birds

The lake itself is home to several groups of hippopotamus and species of birds including pelicans and storks. The number of trees in the park’s forest area, fed by underground springs is home to a variety of monkeys and large troupes of baboons

Larger mammals including elephants, Cape buffalo, and giraffe can be spotted in the park. Manyara also has a reputation for tree climbing lions. In truth, all lions climb trees and there is a chance to spot them in any of the parks. At the foot of the Rift Valley escarpment, the wall forms a dramatic backdrop and border line to the park

Standing high on the bluff of a dramatic ochre and terracotta streaked cliff above the flamingo-frosted expanse of Lake Manyara’s gleaming alkaline waters, the Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge commands panoramic views across the volcano-studded floor of the Great Rift Valley

Designed to reflect the brilliance of Lake Manyara’s unique birdlife, the Lodge draws on an inspirational architectural motif that melds swooping avian curves with the gentle concentric patterns of traditional Maasai ‘Bomas’ (encampments) whilst the vibrantly colored frescoes lining the walls are designed to depict the colorful intricacy of bird migratory patterns

The ambiance of the Lodge is a fusion of lakeside tranquility, towering volcanic splendor and adventure-packed sporting activity

The circular, closely-thatched rooms echo the traditional Maasai 'Boma' style of construction whilst featuring a vibrant interior design concept that reflects the Maasai people's abiding love of brilliant scarlet-and-indigo checked 'Shukas' (cloaks) and bright yellow, white, blue and orange beadwork. Each room has a private veranda and breathtaking views of the shimmering reaches of the flamingo-frosted lake

With Lake Manyara in your wake, your journey continues North West across the stunning hilly countryside of the highlands filled with wheat and coffee plantations into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area where you enjoy your first glimpse of the Ngorongoro Crater

Beyond the crater lies the vast plains of the Serengeti National Park, one of the most sought after destinations in the world

The road is long – the reward immeasurable!

Perhaps the best known name in wildlife parks, Serengeti National Park is located along Tanzania’s north-eastern border with Kenya. At 5,700 square miles, it is currently the largest national park in Tanzania and along with Kenya’s Maasai Mara and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area comprises one of the largest wildlife ecosystems in Africa

The Great Migration of more than 1.6 million wildebeest is perhaps the most dramatic feature of this park. The herds enter at the park’s eastern edge around mid-January and begin calving in the south of the park in mid-February. In April and May, they begin moving northward and large groups split off heading to the west whilst others continue to move north. June and July find the herds spread along the centre of the Serengeti from Seronera westward into Grumeti. In late July and through August the herds begin to come back together, crossing the Grumeti River and Mara River and usually the migration will move to Kenya’s Maasai Mara by September

The Serengeti is much more than the migration. The resident game is extensive with a variety ranging from the hyrax to the elephant. There are more than 3,000 lions in Serengeti as well as leopards, cheetah and some of the other smaller cats. Grumeti River is best known for the giant crocodiles that are believed to date back to the age of the dinosaurs

Birders are thrilled at the site of more than 500 species of birds to be spotted. These range from the majestic eagles to the tiny bee-eaters

Nestled in the acacia woodland on the edge of the escarpment overlooking the plains of the south-western Serengeti National Park, one of the most famous parks in the world, and host to the largest and most spectacular annual migration of the wildebeest you’ll find the Serengeti Sopa Safari Lodge

Set in the Nyarboro Hills overlooking the Serengeti plains the lodge is airy and spacious and painted with rich earth colors reflecting the tones of the surrounding area

The lobby is furnished with large comfortable chairs made out of driftwood, huge cushions and colorful throw pillows. A low wooden beam ceiling spans pillars which are shaped like huge pots stacked together. Beautiful metallic wall lamps with soft lighting complete the overall, warm and intimate effect

Each of the 69 standard fully carpeted  en-suite guest rooms, all with 2 queen size beds, are  tastefully furnished with local fabrics and pictures. On entering the room is a lounge area with a mini bar whilst in the front is a verandah with 2 comfortable chairs and coffee table facing glass windows which unashamedly expose the vast Serengeti plains which extend as far as the naked eye can see

The open dining area is spacious and airy with natural light emanating from the floor to ceiling windows. This artistically decorated area boasts magnificent views of the Serengeti plains offset with the nuances of wrought iron chairs and wooden table tops. The interior is rich mud red in color with grottoes featuring local artifacts found in the region. Behind the buffet area is a shimmering blue placement, like a glass mosaic, adding on to the theme

Tanzania's Serengeti National Park is the perfect place to enjoy an early morning Balloon Flight (not included in Safari price)

Prearranging your early morning Balloon Flight prior to your departure is of primary importance!

From only $499.00 per person, the Balloons carry up to 24-passengers per flight including the Captain. This is not an ‘intimate’ experience

Seeing the east African plains from the ground is one thing . . . from the air, they’re breathtaking!

You can familiarize yourself with an early morning Balloon Flight by clicking here for more information

After breakfast you depart for the Ngorongoro Crater viewing game across the vast Serengeti plains and stopping off at Olduvai Gorge en route. The Olduvai Gorge acquired its name from the Sansevieria bush that grows profusely in the area, named Olduvai by the Maasai

The Gorge is about 31 miles long and in some places about 295 feet deep, and is located in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area between the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater.  It was first discovered by a German entomologist named Professor Kattwinkel, who instigated an expedition just before the First World War. Later, the exploration was continued by Dr. Louis Leakey and his wife, who in 1959 found humanoid remains of Zinjanthropus, later renamed Australapithicus Boisei, an early form of man

You will have time to walk through the simple small museum at the Olduvai Gorge, where you can view copy displays of some of the finds as well as pictures of what life was like for the gorge’s earliest inhabitants

After a picnic lunch you continue to your lodge set high atop the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater has long been referred to as the “Eighth Wonder of the Natural World”. The area was formed over centuries of volcanic activity dating back more than twenty-five million years. This activity developed after shifts in tectonic plates created a rupture and split in the land that is now the Great Rift

There are several extinct volcanoes in the Conservation Area, but perhaps the best known of them is the Ngorongoro Crater. At 102 square miles on the floor, it is the world’s largest intact and unflooded caldera. The view from the 8,000 feet rim is breathtaking

At the crater’s floor, some 2,000 feet below, more than 30,000 resident animals carry on the daily struggle of survival. Here, the big five are easily spotted with leopards protecting their kills in trees and massive rhinoceros in search of fresh grass. Cape buffalo are easily spotted with oxpeckers perched on their backs

Lake Magadi, the Swahili word for “soda lake”, is at the centre of the crater. It often provides home to thousands of lesser flamingos as well as a variety of other waterfowl. There are also a few hippo pools where the massive hippopotamus spend their time relaxing and keeping cool. Huge bull elephants come to the crater’s floor in search of minerals from the soda lake. The females and young remain behind on the rim

The management plan for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area allows for the use of the land by both the wildlife and the indigenous Maasai and other tribesmen that have resided in the area for generations. Visitors often awake to the sound of bells on cattle as they are led by Maasai warriors down the wall of the crater to the floor below. Here the cattle find minerals not available in the grazing areas on the rim

The Conservation Area is also home to Olduvai Gorge. Known as “The Cradle of Mankind”, the gorge is the site of the famous archaeological work of the Leakey family including the discovery of Zinjanthropus Bosei or “Nutcracker Man”

More adventurous travelers can trek to smaller craters such as Olmoti and Empakai. Some also choose to descend to Lake Natron, passing the still active Ol Donyo L’Engai. In the northern area of the Conservation Area along the border with the Serengeti is Lake Ndutu. This popular soda lake is home to a number of waterfowl including flamingos and is along the wildebeest migration route

The Ngorongoro Sopa Safari Lodge is located on Lemala Hill on the uppermost eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, making this the only tourist development on the eastern rim of the crater.  The views into the crater floor from here are spectacular and the sunsets magnificent. A major advantage of staying at the Ngorongoro Sopa Safari Lodge is that guests commence their Ngorongoro Crater Safari within 5-minutes of leaving the lodge arriving into the Crater well before other visitors as the park gate is very close to the lodge

The lodge is tastefully decorated, spacious and all of the guest rooms are modern, comfortable and equipped with everything one would expect from a lodge of this class. All of the 91 twin en-suite guest rooms are very spacious and each has two queen sized beds and a separate dressing area. Additionally, each room has a glass fronted verandah from where guests enjoy a private uninterrupted view of the Ngorongoro Crater

At an altitude of 7,792 feet, the lodge experiences cool and even cold weather, especially during the winter months of June and July when temperatures can get as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit. However, guests enjoy sunshine during most of the year and should take care when sunbathing by the pool due to the altitude

The cuisine and service here is stylish with meals being a massif collection of delicious international and local Tanzanian dishes

After a hearty breakfast at your lodge, you head south east toward Lake Manyara, Mto wa Mbu village and further beyond to the Tarangire National Park

Through the highlands of the Karatu District you’ll view scenic wheat plains and coffee plantations before journeying down the spectacular escarpment from where your turn south on to the main Arusha – Dodoma road and into the Tarangire National Park

At 1,004 square miles, Tarangire National Park provides variety and excitement. The landscape is dotted with unique baobab trees which have the appearance that they were planted with the roots on top. The trunks of these massive trees often show the scars of damage done by elephants that dig into them with their tusks for the minerals inside. Some of the resulting holes can become large enough for a man to step inside

Tarangire is a dry weather park, best visited between June and February. However, game viewing is good throughout the year. The most prominent animal in Tarangire is the elephant. Large herds roam the park in search of fresh grass. As there is such an abundance of grass, the herds are confident of finding food even in the driest months

The Tarangire River dissects the park and along it, a variety of animals can be found searching for fresh water. Of particular interest are the rock pythons that can be found lazing in the sun, digesting a recent kill. These large, non-venomous constrictors are among the largest snakes in Africa but the least threatening to man

A number of the smaller and less common antelopes can be found in this park along with the usual selection of gazelles and impala. These include the fringe-eared Oryx and unusual long-necked gerenuk

Tarangire National Park is popular with birders and features more than 550 species. Visitors spend days observing hundreds of birds including the spectacular Bateleur eagle or the red-and-yellow Barbet

Hidden from view between the kopjes lies the Tarangire Sopa Safari Lodge, surrounded by ancient eerie-looking baobab trees!  It is the home of the greatest concentration of elephants in Africa, and other game including the elusive leopard. Over 400 bird species can be spotted here as well. With water constantly available in the area, the greenery is lush providing a wonderful contrast to the burnt red colored earth

The welcoming area is and airy with marble floors from which sliding glass doors open out to a verandah where one can relax and enjoy the panoramic view. The ceiling has a wooden finishing, and the décor with plants in strategic places, gives the lobby a feeling of total relaxation, much needed after the long and dusty drive to the lodge

75 spacious guest rooms, all with a private lounge area featuring a well stocked mini bar are fully carpeted and each has 2 queen-size beds covered by mosquito netting. Ceiling fans keep the rooms cool and sliding glass doors open out onto a balcony which afford guests a magnificent view of the rolling landscape teaming with free roaming wildlife

Located between the lobby and the dining room, comfortable seating is available for guests relaxation and a large spacious light and airy dining room offers outside seating ideal for BBQ’s and ‘Theme Dinners’

You depart from Tarangire National Park after breakfast this morning and return to Arusha where you arrive in time for lunch

Reenergized once more, you are transferred back to Kilimanjaro International for your homeward bound flight filled with intoxicating memories and experiences that are guaranteed to remain with you for a lifetime

Today would be the perfect opportunity to enhance Your African Experience

If you have the time, we have the place! Today, you find yourself geographically located to continue in many directions to enjoy another safari, a relaxing beach vacation or spa break, a Zanzibar cultural infusion, a mountain hike or a climb to the Roof of Africa! You can head north to fascinating Egypt or south to the majestic Victoria Falls. With smart planning, you can create your perfect African Experience. Talk with us about the many options at your disposal that will enhance Your African Experience to suit your individual style and personality!

We can help!

We know that there is so much information coming at you from so many sources, but one phone call to one of our highly skilled African Safari Planners will immediately set your mind at rest and bring about a sense of calm that you have indeed made the right, informed choice of how to invest your time and your hard-earned Dollars!

2AFRIKA will make every effort to operate its entire officially endorsed collection of African safari, tour, resort, spa and relaxing beach vacations as described on our website. However, we reserve the right to alter or curtail any itinerary, substitute sightseeing, safari lodges, hotels, spas and resorts, and/or conveyances as deemed necessary. Whilst not expected, prices on our website are subject to change without notice due to unexpected significant external factors beyond our control. All prices are based on the availability of services and prevailing rates of exchange at the time that you make your reservation

Yellow Fever is endemic to the general region of Tanzania and it is important that you have a preventative inoculation against Yellow Fever and carry your certificate with you. It is likely to be checked on arrival into all entry points even if you are not arriving directly from a Yellow Fever endemic area

As Tanzania is among countries which are at risk of being infected by Yellow Fever, Health Officials have been instructed to deal with the control and prevention of Yellow Fever for international passengers coming from infected countries and other emerging and re-emerging international noticeable diseases

We strongly recommend that our East African bound passengers be inoculated against Yellow Fever to prevent any misunderstandings or confusion upon arrival into Tanzania. Passengers arriving at any Tanzania point of entry without a Yellow Fever certificate will be inoculated on-site at the cost of US$50.00 per person. On arrival into Tanzania, passengers will need to report to the Health Desk prior to the Immigration Desk and no passport will be accepted at the Immigration Desk without a stamp from the Department of Health

This information is current as of January 25, 2008

Those who choose to travel to Africa are inspired explorers who truly seek the culture and spirit of the places they visit. At 2AFRIKA, we combine skilled techniques to create the essence and cultural traditions of rich African locales to create soulful experiences. Choose your destination and let us create your personal African preference, which will soulfully induce you to surrender to a powerful 'memory-of-place'. Our African safari, tour, resort, spa and relaxing beach vacations are authentic experiences each specifically designed to elevate you to your optimal performance and to restore your mind and spirit to peace, awareness, and purpose!

Per person sharing:

$2,449 + $195 tax

Single Traveler:

Per person sharing:

$2,249 + $195 tax

Single Traveler:

Per person sharing:

$2,449 + $195 tax

Single Traveler:

Per person sharing:

$2,249 + $195 tax

Single Traveler:

Per person sharing:

$1,799 + $195 tax

Single Traveler:

Per person sharing:

$2,449 + $195 tax

Single Traveler:

Per person sharing:

$2,249 + $195 tax

Single Traveler: