Safari in Tanzania & Beach Holiday in Zanzibar(15 days/12 nights)

Day 1: Flight to Tanzania

You will depart from home airport Tanzania bound with connections and stopovers depending on your flight choice.

Day 2: Highview Coffee Lodge

The plane lands at Kilimanjaro airport, close to Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro, which rises a majestic 5,895 metres from the savannah. The snow-capped peak is in sharp contrast to the fact that you are now in Africa.

Your driver/guide will be waiting at the airport and your hotel transfer begins. Ahead of you lies an exciting sightseeing tour covering more than 200 km, before you arrive at Highview Coffee Lodge. The tour takes you past the villages of Chini, Kisongo, Makuyuni, Mto Wa Mbu, and Karatu.

If time allows, the afternoon can be spent relaxing at the hotel or visiting Karatu and the local market for a local feel.

Please note: Highview Coffee Lodge in Karatu, will be your stay overnight. The hotel is just a short drive away from the Tarangire National Park where you will spend most of your following day.

Overnight stay at Coffee lodge.

Day 3: Tarangire National Park

Today, we head to the Tarangire National Park, which is the sixth largest national park in Tanzania. The park is named after the Tarangire river, which flows through the park. In dry seasons, the river is the animals’ only source of water.

The landscape and vegetation are incredibly varied. The hilly landscape has nine different growth zones, and you experience a savannah filled with majestic baobab and acacia trees, almost taking all the attention away from the many animals.

The diverse vegetation attracts a great many wild animals. The park is particularly famous for its large number of elephants. One of the largest concentrations of elephants in the world is found here, and it is not uncommon to see herds of several hundred. Gnus and zebras are also found in large numbers, and kudu, impala and gazelles thrive here. The abundant prey here attracts lions, leopards and hyenas, and if you’re really lucky, you might also see a wild dog.

In the afternoon, you head back to Highview Coffee Lodge to relax.

Overnight Highview Coffee Lodge

Day 4: Via Ngorongoro Conservation Area to Serengeti National Park

After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we head through Ngorongoro’s hilly plateaus, where the red-clad Masai live in round huts, and their cattle graze between the zebras, gnus and giraffes of the savannah. Along the way, there is time to enjoy a packed lunch.

Via Nabi Hill Gate, the route heads north-west across the endless plains of the Serengeti, where animals galore await you; millions of gnus and zebras, thousands of antelopes and buffaloes, hundreds of lions, elephants, leopards, hippos, crocodiles, and thousands of birds. Serengeti offers one of the most amazing and unique wildlife and outdoor experiences on the planet.

Overnight at Serengeti safari Lodge .

Day 5: Safari in the Serengeti National Park

Full day safari in Serengeti, looking for the “Big Five”: lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffaloes. You have the whole day to enjoy the wildlife of the stunning Serengeti.

The ecosystem here in the park is considered to be one of the oldest in the world, and you’d be hard pressed not to feel both humbled and astonished when sitting in your land cruiser, absorbing all that you see before you. Outside the drought period, you will also see a large number of Thompson’s gazelles, buffaloes, topi, Grant’s gazelles, eland antelopes, warthogs, eagles, ostriches, etc., in addition to the animals already mentioned. Today, you will probably also see and smell the hippos wallowing in the hippo pools. A hot lunch is served at Serengeti Wild Camp or Serengeti Wildebeest Camp.
A fantastic day, just waiting to be experienced and enjoyed!

Why not experience the Serengeti as the sun rises – from a hot air balloon?

Overnight at Serengeti Safari Lodge

Day 6: Via Serengeti to the Masai village in Ngorongoro

New experiences await you when the safari heads south-east in Serengeti. A picnic lunch is enjoyed in the open at noon.

The tour then heads into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where you visit the red-clad Masai in a local village, where you can experience how life is lived in a Masai village and look at their handicraft, which is mainly bead work. They are keen to sell, but remember to “haggle”!

Overnight stay at Ngongoro Safari Lodge.

Day 7: The Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro crater is the largest inactive volcano crater. The volcano erupted some 2–3 million years ago and folded in on itself, leaving a gigantic hole, which is today home to 30,000 animals and 350 different species of birds, all of which have access to water all year round.

Once past the entrance to Ngorongoro, you pass through a lush area of rainforest before the descent along the inside of the crater begins. After an exciting drive down, you arrive at the 260 km 2 crater floor. The rim of the crater towers 600 meters above you. You might be at the bottom of the crater, but you are actually high up, because the rim of the crater is 2,200 metres above sea level.

The day is spent in the crater – and there is plenty to look at! Lions, gazelles, elephants, gnus, and zebras in their droves. If you are really lucky, you might see the endangered black rhinoceros, which is almost extinct in Africa due to poaching. In Ngorongoro, they are protected by the armed rangers.

Lunch is enjoyed in stunning surroundings on the floor of the crater, and at the end of the day you will be driven back to your hotel.

Overnight stay at Ngongoro Safari Lodge.

Day 8: Lake Manyara National Park

After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we head to Lake Manyara. This is one of Tanzania’s smallest national parks, covering an area of 330 km 2, 200 km 2 of which is the lake.

The area between the lake and the 600-meter-high Rift Valley slopes in the west offers open grasslands, a jungle-like forest , nd swamps.

Lake Manyara is a paradise for large herds of elephants, buffaloes and baboons, and with more than 400 bird species registered there. You might also be lucky enough to spot the famous tree-climbing lions here.

After this final safari experience, you are driven to the airport, where you round off the safari with an excellent hot lunch in a genuine safari tent before flying on to the exotic island of Zanzibar.

Overnight stay at Ocean Paradise Beach Resort

Days 9-13: Relaxation and experiences on Zanzibar

The days are spent at your leisure.

Located in the Indian Ocean, Zanzibar consists of the main islands of Unguja (unofficially known as Zanzibar) and Pemba, as well as myriad small islands. When it comes to nature and culture, the island of Zanzibar is truly spoilt: white sandy beaches, azure sea and a stunning coral reef. A hot, sunny climate all year round is conducive to relaxation and a beach holiday.

The island’s dramatic history includes Arab sultans, Portuguese seafarers, slave trade and European explorers, all of which have left their mark on the island. And it is also here that you will find one of Africa’s most exciting cities, packed with beautiful Arabic architecture. Not forgetting the delicious Swahili cuisine and friendly people.

While in Zanzibar you can opt to relax in the hotel or check out the below list of things to do in Zanzibar;

• Stone Town walking tour
• Spice tour
• Full day Traditional Dhow Cruise
• Zanzibar cultural tour
• Visit Prison Island
• Rainforest and red monkeys

Overnight stay at Ocean Paradise Beach Resort

You can request for upgrades the below hotels;

• Blue Bay Beach Resort
• Z-hotel Zanzibar
• Riu Palace Zanzibar
• Dream of Zanzibar
• Karafuu Beach Resort

Day 14: The journey home begins

You are picked up at the hotel and driven to the airport, when your journey home starts. You will fly to the UK with connecting flights along the way.

Day 15: Arrival back home

You arrive in the UK after a wonderful trip.

• Flights from the UK to Kilimanjaro incl. transfer
• Local English speaking guide/driver
• 6 nights’ accommodation in Tanzania incl. full board
• Tarangire National Park – Over several hundred elephants
• Serengeti National Park – Search for ”The Big 5”
• Visit to the Masai village
• Ngorongoro Crater – Paradise to around 30,000 animals
• Lake Manyara National Park- Home to tree climbing lions and large herds of elephants
• Window seat in a four-wheel drive vehicle and a free bottle of water during safari tours
• Park fees
• Flights from Tanzania to Zanzibar incl. transfer
• 6 nights’ accommodation in Zanzibar at Ocean Paradise Beach Resort**** incl. half board
• Possibility to extend the beach holiday in Zanzibar
• Flights from Zanzibar to the UK incl. transfer
• ATOL certificate
• Emergency hotline staffed 24/7 throughout your trip
• Departure guarantee – the tour will take place regardless of the number of participants