Tour itinerary
Day 1
Overnight flight to Tanzania.
Day 2
After your flight, you transfer to your first night’s accommodation and check in. Set at an altitude of 1390m, Arusha is surrounded by fertile land. Arusha was once the headquarters of the East African community in the days when Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda were members of a communications and customs union and remains one of Tanzania’s most attractive and lively towns. Driving time approx. 1 hour. Lodge - 1 night (Swimming pool) (D)
Ilboro Safari Lodge – situated in a residential part of Arusha, Ilboro Safari Lodge offers family bungalows set in a large garden. The lodge has a big swimming pool as well as bar and restaurant facilities.
Day 3
This morning you cross the Great Rift Valley, one of the most dramatic features on earth. Stretching from the Dead Sea in Jordan to Mozambique in the south, it is up to 100km wide in places and hosts an enormous diversity of wildlife. Your journey takes you through the lands of the Masai - probably the best known tribe in Africa - and on to Lake Manyara National Park. Once inside the park keep your eyes peeled for its major attraction - the tree-climbing lions, although there is no guarantee! There are plenty of other things to see - elephant, hippo, plain’s game as well as a huge variety of bird life, both resident and migratory. Driving time approx. 2 ½ - 3 hours. Hotel – 1 night (Swimming pool) (BLD)
Lake Manyara Hotel – situated in a spectacular location, right at the edge of the Western Escarpment of the Rift Valley providing you with amazing views across the lake. The hotel‘s swimming pool offers you unimpeded views as you relax in cool waters.
Day 4
This morning you make your way to the Serengeti, the most famous of Tanzania's national parks. Established in 1951, it is well known for the annual migration that takes place across the savannah plains (migration begins in the south from December to March and arrives at Ndutu from April to June); thousands and thousands of animals are on the move as far as the eye can see. En route you’ll stop at Olduvai Gorge; this famous archaeological site is where some of the oldest humanoid skeletons have been discovered - visit the small museum exhibiting many of the fossils and relics from the area. You continue towards the park gates. Even before reaching our lodgings for the night you are certain to make many sightings of large animals. Most of the next three days are spent exploring the sweeping grass plains, rocky outcrops (kopjes) and sparsely wooded river valleys of this incomparable park, where lion, cheetah, leopard, wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, gazelle and perhaps even wild dog can be seen. Driving time to Serengeti approx. 4 1/2 hours, plus game drive en route to night stop. Lodge – 1 night (BLD)
Seronera Wildlife Lodge – located in the migratory route, this lodge gives you front seat views of the wildebeest migration. Several waterholes attract other game day and night and provide you with ample close-up game wildlife encounters.
Day 5
Usually you search for game in the early morning and return for breakfast before setting off again for the remainder of the day. You take a leisurely lunch in one of the park’s designated stopping areas, outside of which it is not permitted to leave your vehicle. The exact route today depends largely on where the best wildlife sightings are thought to be, though later in the afternoon you head out of the western edge of the park to your night’s accommodation - a comfortable tented lodge within the Ikoma Wildlife area just 3km from the Serengeti Park Gate. Tented Camp – 1 night (BLD)
Ikoma Bush Camp – There are 10 fixed tents each with comfy beds and clean linen and all having attached bathrooms with hot showers and flush toilets. Meals and drinks are served in a thatched dining and bar area. Electricity is supplied by 12V solar power.
Day 6
The Ikoma Wildlife Area is home to many animals and, being just outside the national park, optional early morning walking safaris are permitted when accompanied by an armed guide. The included tour continues by safari vehicle through the national park. Lodge – 1 night (Swimming pool) (BLD)
Lobo Wildlife Lodge – wrapped around a rocky outcrop, all rooms look out onto the plains of the Serengeti. Rooms are comfortable with en suite facilities. There is an on site swimming pool. (BLD)
Day 7
After a morning game drive you’ll depart for Ngorongoro Crater (an early morning alternative would be to take an optional hot air balloon flight - ideal to appreciate the immense plains and hopefully spot herds of grazing antelope or wildebeest), spotting game en route as you leave the plains of Serengeti behind you. There may also be time for an optional stop at a local Masai village to witness something of their traditional way of life. You will arrive around mid-afternoon and spend the night on the rim of the crater, from where vantage points offer magnificent views over and down into the caldera. Nights here can be particularly cold. Lodge – 2 nights (BLD)
Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge – situated right at the rim of the crater, on a clear day you can get spectacular views all the way to the bottom of the 610m deep crater.
Day 8
Ngorongoro Crater is one of the most picturesque settings for observing wildlife and with about 30,000 resident animals, there is excellent game viewing here all year round. The photographic opportunities are unrivalled! You descend into the crater in 4WD vehicles, accompanied by a local driver/guide(s). Encounters with animals are frequent in this Garden of Eden and there is a wide variety of game to be seen. Lake Magadi, the soda lake at the floor of the crater, is home to thousands of flamingos and nearby there is a pool where splashing hippo laze in the sunshine, watched by a profusion of water birds. This is also one of the best places to see the endangered black rhino. Leaving the crater you follow the road climbing steadily up its precipitous inner edge.
(BLD)
Day 9
Today you cross the open plains and retrace your steps to Arusha. The trip ends here for Land Only clients. In the evening clients travelling on our group flights transfer to airport and fly to London.
Driving time to Arusha approx. 2 ½ hours, Arusha – Airport approx. 1 hour
(B)
Day 10
An early morning arrival
Day 10-16
Day 1-8: As per itinerary above
Day 9: You travel to Arusha with the group. In the afternoon you fly from Arusha airport to Zanzibar, the ‘spice island’ and check into your hotel. Hotel - 2 nights (B)
Day 10: Today is left free for you to explore the area at your own pace. Zanzibar’s Stone Town is a fascinating place to wander around; every twist and turn of the crumbling alleyways presents you with something of interest. From the Beit-el-Ajaib, or House of Wonders, formerly the Sultan’s palace, to the striking structures of the Arab fort and St. Joseph’s Cathedral, the town has an air of intrigue and history. The town has a multitude of mosques - 50 in all - as well as reminders of Zanzibar’s more sinister past as a large slave centre. There are also hints of a British presence - the National Museum houses artefacts from the British colonial period and Livingstone’s base for his last expedition has been preserved. (B)
Day 11-14: This morning you head to your beach resort, set on the shoreline of the sparkling Indian Ocean. You have four free days to do as you please on this island, renowned for its beautiful beaches. White coral-sand shores are protected by the offshore coral reef and offer excellent fishing and snorkelling. The reefs are peppered with colourful sponges, sea slugs and a wealth of fish - from small anemone to clouds of damselfish. Dolphins are often seen along this coastline. A half-day spice tour (optional) is a good way to see the island's lush interior or perhaps try some deep sea fishing. Hotel - 4 nights (Bx4, Dx4)
Day 15: Today you transfer to Zanzibar Airport where the trip ends for Land Only clients. Those travelling on our group flights board their flights back to the mainland for an onward flight to London. (B)
Day 16: Arrive in London