Zara Tours leads treks up the Shira route. The Shira Route traverses the large Shira Plateau to join the Machame Route. The Shira Plateau west of Kibo is the remains of Kilimanjaro's first volcano. Mawenzi erupted second, and finally, supported by its neighbors, Kibo rose to its great height between Shira and Mawenzi. Older and more eroded than Mawenzi, the Shira Plateau's ridges and moorland comprise one of Kilimanjaro's most scenic areas. The drive to Shira offers magnificent views of the Great Rift Valley, Mount Meru, and Longido, and the plateau's parasitic cones extend north of the road, rising from from plain to plateau. The vegetation changes along the route are striking. The plateau is grassland, heath, and moor, with senecios up to 10 meters high in valleys near the cone. You can see Elands on the plateau, and you may see signs of buffaloes, leopards, and other animals. The Shira Cone rises 200 meters above the plateau, and west of the cone is Shira Ridge, a steep rough rise reaching almost 400 meters above the plateau. The southern ridge of the Shira Plateau has two dramatic peaks called Cathedral and the Needle. The road to Shira is only accessible by 4-wheel-drive vehicles and can become impassable during wet periods. The Shira Route traverses the plateau to join the Machame Route.
Lake Manyara, Lake Eyasi, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater are rich in wildlife and absolute highlights of each safari in Africa. At Lake Eyasi you have the chance to encounter the Hadzabe tribe bushmen, one of the last tribe of hunter-gatherers on our globe. They are often willing for visitors to come and see their simple bush homes where the tree canopy alone or a cave provides them with shelter.
Besides eploring Lake Manyara National Park, located in the midst of the EastAfrican Great Rift Valley, the vast savannas of the world-famousSerengeti, natural wonder Ngorongoro Crater, and the "Cradle of mankind" Olduvai Gorge, this safari will bring you to Lake Victoria.
Lake Victoria is the world's second largest fresh water lake and Africa's largest lake. The lake is on the Kenya-Uganda-Tanzania border with 95% of it lying In Tanzania. Lake Victoria National Park is a beautiful peaceful bushland fringed by the lake's water and reeve. More than 190 species of birds have been recorded in the park including the rare White Bellied Sea Eagle and the endangered Little Tern. The park also supports a large population of Eastern Grey Kangaroos and Black Wallabies.
The Usambara Mountains are a mountain range in North-East Tanzania, approximately 70 miles (110 km) long and ranging from 20 to 40 miles (30-60 km) in width. Mountains in the range rise as high as 8,000 ft (2,440 m).
The Usambaras are covered in the tropical forest and are considered tremendously significant ecologically, there are many protected zones throughout the range. Several species are endemic to the Usambara forests, including the Naduk eagle owl, Usambara alethe, the Usambara weaver and Calodendrum eickii. Animals commonly seen include several forest bird species, reptiles, butterflies, and black and white colobus monkeys.
This 9 days safari itinerary includes hiking in the Usambara Mountains, meeting with indigenous communities, visit of Irente Farm with its breathtaking views of the Maasai plains, and passing the alkaline Lake Jipe, along some of Tanzanias prime National Parks such as Lake Manyara,Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti and Olduvai Gorge.
Copyright © 2005-2013 Adventure Office. All Rights Reserved.