Guides
Your safari vacation will be led by your own driver-guide, who has a wealth of experience in the Tanzanian bush. He will have a good level of English and will happily share his knowledge of wildlife with you.
Safari lodges
Throughout your safari you will stay in the international-style chain of Sopa and Serena lodges, all of which have between 66 and 75 en-suite bedrooms. Each has a great location, good food and service, and very comfortable rooms. The lodges often have a real buzz to them, especially when they are full, but they do lack a little of the intimacy of a tented camp so are perhaps not quite so suited to solo travellers.
Your first stop is the Tarangire Sopa Lodge, which is located on the eastern side of the Tarangire River. It is a large lodge with 75 rooms all of which are spacious and well appointed. Then move on to Lake Manyara Serena Lodge, which has a great location right on the edge of the Rift Valley Escarpment.
In central Serengeti, the Serengeti Sopa's rooms are lined up in a two-storey row, all facing down across the Serengeti Plains. There is a lovely swimming pool here, as well as a large restaurant and bar, internet room and curio shop.
The last lodge visited is the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge which sits right on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater and only 2km from the eastern descent road to the Crater floor. The rooms are a little dated, but each is huge and has the advantage of a stunning view over the Crater floor. Facilities here include a restaurant and bar, each with an open fireplace to ward off cold evenings, a TV room and a curio shop.
Bathroom facilities
The bathroom facilities at each lodge are very much what you would expect from any international-style hotel. Each room has an en suite bathroom, with flush toilet and a shower with hot and cold water.
Meals
Breakfasts at each lodge usually consist of fresh fruit, cereals, fresh toast and a cooked option with eggs of your choice. Tea, coffee and fresh fruit juice are also on offer. For lunch you will often have a packed picnic which allows you to spend the day travelling from one area to another, or to head out on a full day's safari without having to return to your lodge. On the odd day where you do arrive at a lodge in time for lunch you can expect a small starter such as soup, a main of green salads, pasta salads, cold meats and bread, followed by a light dessert. Dinner is also a three-course meal and might include a few choices for each course, or occasionally it might be a self-service buffet. Due to the sheer number of people in the restaurants, the food often has that reheated taste, but it is quite appetising and there is always more than enough!
Vehicles
The vehicles used on these safaris are custom-made 4WD Land Cruisers. The pop-top roof allows for unobstructed game viewing and also provides some welcome shade. These cars have been stretched to offer more leg room and space for additional comfort. Each traveller is guaranteed a window seat.
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