Day 1: Arusha

Arrival at Kilimanjaro airport and welcome by our hostess. Transfer to Arusha, dinner and overnight at the Mountain Village Serena Lodge, nestled in a coffee plantation on the side of a huge lake (or a lodge of similar standard if not available*). 

Day 2: Tarangire National Park

After breakfast drive to Tarangire and game drive at the National Park. During the dry season, the Tarangire River shrivels to a shadow of its wet season self. But still it is choked with wildlife. Thirsty animals have wandered hundreds of parched kilometres knowing that here, always, there is water. Herds of up to 300 elephants scratch the dry river bed for underground streams, while migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, hartebeest and eland crowd the shrinking lagoons. It’s the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem. We will have a picnic lunch in the park, and then continue the wildlife observations in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight will be at the Tarangire Treetops Camp (or a camp of similar standard if not available*). The Treetops Camp is famous for its stunningly original giant en-suite tree houses which are all equipped with private verandas that have sweeping views over the surrounding bush. 

Day 3: Lake Manyara National Park 

After an early tea or coffee we depart for an early morning game drive in the Tarangire. We return to the lodge at around 9 o’clock for a full breakfast. After this, we drive to the Kirurumu Tented Lodge to have lunch. After lunch, the game drive explores the Lake Manyara National Park. Stretching for 50 km along the base of the rusty-gold 600-metre high Rift Valley escarpment, Lake Manyara is a scenic gem, with a setting extolled by Ernest Hemingway as “the loveliest I had seen in Africa”. From the entrance gate, the road winds through an expanse of lush jungle-like groundwater forest where hundred-strong baboon troops lounge nonchalantly along the roadside, blue monkeys scamper nimbly between the ancient mahogany trees, dainty bushbuck tread warily through the shadows, and outsized forest hornbills honk cacophonously in the high canopy. After the game drive we return to the Kirumumu Tented Lodge to have dinner and overnight (or to a camp of similar standard if not availabe*). 

Day 4: Ngorongoro Conservation Area 

After breakfast we drive to the Ngorongoro Crater. You can decide whether you want to have a picnic lunch inside of the Crater, which allows for a full-day game drive in the crater, or if you want to have a full lunch at the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge on the crater’s rim and then descend into the crater for game viewing in the afternoon only. The crater (610 metres deep and 260 km squared) is a microcosm of East African scenery and game. Scenic grandeur and stunning views are the hallmark of this wonder of the world. There are 25,000 larger animals within the crater itself, mostly Zebra and wildebeest. However, this is undoubtedly the best place to see black rhino in Tanzania as well as prides of lion that include the magnificent black-maned males. There are lots of colourful flamingoes and a variety of other water birds around the soda lake on the crater floor. The crater is home to more than 100 species of birds which cannot be found in the Serengeti. Dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, a very luxurious safari lodge (or lodge of similar standard if not available*).

Day 5: Serengeti National Park

After breakfast we depart for the Serengeti National Park. We arrive at the Serengeti for a lunch at the Serengeti Serena Lodge (or other lodge of similar standard if not available). After lunch, we will do a game drive in Tanzania’s oldest and most popular national park. The Serengeti is famed for its annual migration, when some six million hooves pound the open plains, as more than 200,000 zebra and 300,000 gazelles join the wildebeest’s trek for fresh grazing. Yet even when the migration is quiet, the Serengeti offers arguably the most scintillating game-viewing in Africa. We will have dinner and overnight at the Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge (or similar lodge if not available*). 

Day 6: Serengeti National Park – West 

After breakfast drive to the Western Serengeti National Park. You can spend the whole day with game drives in the Serengeti National Park and have all meals at the Mbalageti Serengeti Camp (or other camp of similar standard if not available).

As an alternative to the game drives in conventional vehicles, we can offer as a supplement hot-air ballooning over the Serengeti plains. The flights depart at dawn over the plains and take passengers close over the awakening herds of wildebeest and zebra, gazelle and giraffe. The extra altitude allows guests to witness the striking stretches of plains punctuated only by kopjes. Up in the sky, you have Africa all to yourself.

Overnighting will be at the Mbalageti Serengeti Camp (or other camp of similar standard if not available*).

Day 7: Serengeti National Park – West

Whole day of game drives in the Serengeti National Park (3 game drives). All meals and overnight at Mbalageti Serengeti Camp (or other camp of similar standard if not available*).

Day 8: Zanzibar Island

After breakfast we transfer you to the Seronera airstrip for departure to Zanzibar. Our driver will welcome you at Zanzibar Airport and transfer you to your beach hotel, the Karafuu Hotel (or hotel of similar standards if not available*).

Day 9: Zanzibar Island

You can spend a day on the beach at the Karafuu Hotel (or hotel of similar standards if not available*). Half board included. 

Day 10: Zanzibar Island

After breakfast, transfer to Fumba in the South of Zanzibar. Departure for a “Safari Blue” boat safari in the Menai Bay Conservation area. You can snorkel on a corel reef, watch dolphins, and experience many wonders of a tropical bay. Barbeque lunch on the beach. Return to Karafuu Hotel for dinner and overnight (or other hotel of similar standard if not available*).

Day 11: Zanzibar Island

Day at leisure at Karafuu Hotel, on half board. 

Day 12: Zanzibar / Pemba Island 

Transfer to Zanzibar International Airport for flight to Pemba. Dinner and overnight at the Manta Reef Hotel (or hotel of similar standard if not available*).

Day 13: Pemba Island

Day at leisure at the Manta Reef Hotel, on half board (or other hotel of similar standard if not available*). 

Day 14: Pemba Island

Day at leisure at Manta Reef, on half board (or other hotel of similar standard if not available*).

Day 15: Pemba / Dar Es Salaam 

Transfer to Pemba Airport for flight to Dar Es Salaam for your outbound flight.